Gavan O'Herlihy obit

Gavan O’Herlihy Death – Obituary, Cause of death

 

 He was not on the list.

Very sad news. Per Bronson’s Loose author Paul Talbot, actor Gavan O’Herlihy — known to Cannon fans as Death Wish 3’s villainous Fraker — passed away last month. He also appeared in Willow, Never Say Never Again, Superman III, and of course, Happy Days. RIP.

Irish veteran actor Gavan O’Herlihy has passed away at the age of 70. The son of the Dublin-born actor and Oscar nominee Dan O’Herlihy has played a variety of roles during his five-year career. This week’s “Echoes of Ireland” print edition will have more comprehensive coverage.

After graduating from Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, he attended Trinity College, Dublin and as an avid tennis player, he became Irish National Tennis Champion 

He has over thirty screen credits to his name, most of them in villainous or antagonistic roles such as Never Say Never Again, Superman III, Death Wish 3 and The Last Outlaw. His role as Airk Thaughbaer in the 1988 fantasy Willow is one of the few heroic roles that he has portrayed, as well as that of the dashing British officer from Virginia Captain Leroy in Sharpe's Eagle.

He appeared in Rich Man, Poor Man and Tales From The Crypt. In 1994, he starred as John Garrideb in "The Mazarin Stone" from Granada TV's Sherlock Holmes series. The events of the story were rewritten and merged with The Adventure of the Three Garridebs.

He was cast as the eldest sibling, Chuck Cunningham, on Happy Days. He was eventually replaced by Randolph Roberts until the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas". Chuck was not seen again but was later mentioned in a few other episodes ending with "Fish and the Fins". After that, Chuck was written off the show completely with later episodes depicting the Cunningham family with only two children with Richie as the elder. The character gave rise to the pejorative term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome", referring to characters who disappear from TV shows without explanation and are later retconned to have never existed. O'Herlihy did not want to become stuck in television roles, preferring films. He played a warrior in the George Lucas production Willow, directed by his Happy Days brother, Ron Howard. He also appeared in the pilot episode of Star Trek: Voyager, "Caretaker", as the Kazon First Mate, Jabin. He also appeared in The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman television series.

O'Herlihy was cast as sadistic killer Dan Suggs in the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove.

By the 1990s, O'Herlihy had permanently relocated to the UK, where he preferred to work in the theatre and on television, with roles on British television, including Coded Hostile, Sharpe, Jonathan Creek, and Midsomer Murders.

In 2009, O'Herlihy returned to the big screen as Sheriff Vaines in the follow up to Neil Marshall's cult horror film, The Descent 2, and over a decade later returned to the screen again to play the leading role of writer John Anderson for director Nic Saunders in Queen of the Redwood Mountains, a film inspired by the authors of the Beat Generation, and due for release in 2021.

Actor (55 credits)

  Queen of the Redwood Mountains (post-production)

John Anderson (as old man)

 2009 The Descent: Part 2

Vaines

 2009 Midsomer Murders (TV Series)

George Arlington

- The Black Book (2009) ... George Arlington

 2006 Seven Days of Grace

MacNab

 2002 Cruise of the Gods (TV Movie)

Mickey

 2002/I Butterfly Man

Bill Kincaid

 2000 Command Approved

Arms dealer

 2000 18 Wheels of Justice (TV Series)

Master Sgt. Jonas Taft

- Ranger's Chance (2000) ... Master Sgt. Jonas Taft

 1998 Jonathan Creek (TV Series)

Hal Drucker

- Danse Macabre (1998) ... Hal Drucker

 1997/II Top of the World

Lieutenant Logan

 1997 Prince Valiant

King Thane

 1995 Hidden Assassin

Dick Powell

 1995 Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series)

Maje Jabin

- Caretaker (1995) ... Maje Jabin

 1994 The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (TV Mini Series)

John Garrideb / James Winter

- The Mazarin Stone (1994) ... John Garrideb / James Winter

 1993 The Last Outlaw (TV Movie)

Marshal Sharp

 1993 Sharpe (TV Series)

Cpt. Leroy

- Sharpe's Eagle (1993) ... Cpt. Leroy

 1991-1992 Tarzán (TV Series)

Cordell Winslow

- Tarzan in the Eye of the Hurricane (1992) ... Cordell Winslow

- Tarzan in the Sacred Cave (1992) ... Cordell Winslow

- Tarzan and the Caves of Darkness (1991) ... Cordell Winslow

 1992 The Good Guys (TV Series)

James MacQuarrie

- The MacQuarrie Treasure (1992) ... James MacQuarrie

 1991 Conagher (TV Movie)

Chris Mahler, Cowboy

 1990-1991 Twin Peaks (TV Series)

RCMP Officer Preston King

- Episode #2.13 (1991) ... RCMP Officer Preston King

- Episode #2.10 (1990) ... RCMP Officer Preston King

 1990 China Beach (TV Series)

Noon Gantry

- Juice (1990) ... Noon Gantry

 1990 Tales from the Crypt (TV Series)

Richard

- Three's a Crowd (1990) ... Richard

 1989 Red King, White Knight (TV Movie)

Clancy

 1989 Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy (TV Movie)

Sgt. Muller

 1989 Lonesome Dove (TV Mini Series)

Dan Suggs

- Return (1989) ... Dan Suggs (as Gavin O'Herlihy)

- The Plains (1989) ... Dan Suggs (as Gavin O'Herlihy)

- On the Trail (1989) ... Dan Suggs (as Gavin O'Herlihy)

- Leaving (1989) ... Dan Suggs (as Gavin O'Herlihy)

 1988 Willow

Airk Thaughbaer

 1987 A Killing on the Exchange (TV Mini Series)

Dan Maitland

- Episode #1.6 (1987) ... Dan Maitland

- Episode #1.5 (1987) ... Dan Maitland

- Episode #1.4 (1987) ... Dan Maitland

- Episode #1.3 (1987) ... Dan Maitland

- Episode #1.2 (1987) ... Dan Maitland

1985 Death Wish 3

Fraker

 1985 Cover Up (TV Series)

Drew Simpson

- Adams' Ribs (1985) ... Drew Simpson

 1985 Matt Houston (TV Series)

Michael Sheridan

- Killing Time (1985) ... Michael Sheridan

 1985 The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (TV Movie)

Conrad E. Perkins

 1984 Space Riders

Ron Harris

 1983 Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime (TV Mini Series)

Julius P. Hersheimmer

- The Secret Adversary (1983) ... Julius P. Hersheimmer

 1983 Never Say Never Again

Jack Petachi

 1983 Superman III

Brad

 1982 We'll Meet Again (TV Mini Series)

Capt. Red Berwash / Capt. Red Burwash / Capt. 'ed Burwash

- The End of the Beginning (1982) ... Capt. 'ed Burwash

- Exceptional Circumstances (1982) ... Capt. Red Burwash

- One Day at a Time (1982) ... Capt. Red Burwash

- Old Enough to Fight (1982) ... Capt. Red Burwash

- You'll Never Know (1982) ... Capt. Red Berwash

 1980 A Rumor of War (TV Mini Series)

Stanton

- Episode #1.2 (1980) ... Stanton

- Episode #1.1 (1980) ... Stanton

 1979 Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter (TV Movie)

Young Clemens

 1979 The Amazing Spider-Man (TV Series)

David

- Wolfpack (1979) ... David

 1978 A Wedding

Wilson Briggs

 1978 Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force (TV Movie)

Art Stinson

 1978 A Death in Canaan (TV Movie)

Father Mark

 1978 The Bionic Woman (TV Series)

Jim Burns

- The Pyramid (1978) ... Jim Burns

 1977 The Ghost of Cypress Swamp (TV Movie)

Big Bob Landers

 1977 The Magical World of Disney (TV Series)

Big Bob Landers

- The Ghost of Cypress Swamp (1977) ... Big Bob Landers

 1976 Rich Man, Poor Man (TV Mini Series)

Phil McGee

- Part VIII: Chapters 11 and 12 (1976) ... Phil McGee

 1975 Police Woman (TV Series)

Gordon Stuart

- Paradise Mall (1975) ... Gordon Stuart

 1975 The Six Million Dollar Man (TV Series)

Dan

- Outrage in Balinderry (1975) ... Dan

 1975 Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series)

Herb Frane

- The Time Bomb (1975) ... Herb Frane

 1975 Lucas Tanner (TV Series)

Steve Leversee

- Bonus Baby (1975) ... Steve Leversee

 1974 Sierra (TV Series)

Roy

- The Fawn (1974) ... Roy

 1974 The California Kid (TV Movie)

Tom

 1974 The Healers (TV Movie)

 1974 Happy Days (TV Series)

Chuck Cunningham

- Give the Band a Hand (1974) ... Chuck Cunningham

- The Skin Game (1974) ... Chuck Cunningham

- Fonzie Drops In (1974) ... Chuck Cunningham (credit only)

- The Deadly Dares (1974) ... Chuck Cunningham

- Hardware Jungle (1974) ... Chuck Cunningham (credit only)

1973 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series)

Josh McBride

- Son of 'But Seriously, Folks' (1973) ... Josh McBride (as Gavin O'Herlihy)

Soundtrack (1 credit)

 1982 We'll Meet Again (TV Mini Series) (performer - 1 episode)

- A Wing and a Prayer (1982) ... (performer: "You Are My Sunshine" - uncredited)

Self (3 credits)

 2010 Deeper and Darker: The Making of the 'Descent: Part 2' (Video documentary short)

Self

 2005 Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion (TV Movie documentary)

Chuck Cunningham #1

 1983 This Is Your Life (TV Series documentary)

Self

- Susannah York (1983) ... Self

Archive footage (1 credit)

 1997 Sharpe: The Legend (Video)

Leroy