William James O' Shea (6 October 1856 – 5 November 1918) was a Scottish-born actor. He was born in Dumfries, Scotland and was brought to the United States when he was one-year old. His father, Thomas Shea, was a civil engineer [1] who fought with David Farragut in the Battle of New Orleans during the American Civil War.[2]
William Shea | |
|---|---|
 Shea at left in Chumps (1912) | |
| Born | 6 October 1856 Dumfries, Scotland |
| Died | 5 November 1918 (aged 62) Brooklyn, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1905-1918 |
Shea got his start acting at the age of 18 in Col. John W. Albaugh's stock company in Albany, New York. During the 1880s, he also became known as an Irish dancer and singer.[3] He was said to be the first real actor Vitagraph ever hired, having appeared over 4,000 roles [4] in more than one hundred films from 1905 to 1918.
Shea died of heart disease at his home on November 5, 1918.[5] Obituaries at the time listed Shea as the oldest movie actor in the United States, although most list his age at time of death as 56 years old.[6] Shea is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn.[7]
Selected filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | Romeo and Juliet | Peter | |
| 1909 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | ||
| 1911 | A Tale of Two Cities | Jarvis Lorry | |
| The Child Crusoes | |||
| 1912 | As You Like It | ||
| 1913 | The Doctor's Secret | ||
| 1914 | Hearts and Diamonds | Uncle William | |
| 1916 | My Lady's Slipper | Bucknail(per Variety) | |
| The Blue Envelope Mystery | George | ||
| 1920 | A Daughter of Two Worlds | Slim Jackson | |
| Headin' Home |
References
edit- ^ "William J. Shea", "New York Herald", November 6, 1918, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80355691/
- ^ "William J. Shea", The Standard Union, November 6, 1918, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80356049/
- ^ New York Herald
- ^ "W.J. Shea, Movie Actor Dies," The Bangor Daily News, November 8, 1918, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80357537/
- ^ New York Herald
- ^ "William J. Shea, Oldest Movie Actor in the U.S., Dies", The Boston Globe, November 6, 1918, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80358160/
- ^ 'Shea" The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 8, 1918, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80358542/
External links
edit
- William Shea at IMDb
 | This article about a Scottish film actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |