Cyril Cusack
| Cyril Cusack | |
|---|---|
Cusack as the fireman captain in Fahrenheit 451, 1966
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| Born |
Cyril James Cusack 26 November 1910 Durban, Natal, South Africa |
| Died | 7 October 1993 (aged 82) London, England, UK |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1918–1993 |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Margaret "Maureen" Kiely Cusack (1945–1977; her death) Mary Rose Cunningham (1979–1993; his death) |
| Children | 6; including Sinéad Sorcha Niamh Pádraig Catherine |
Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish actor, who appeared in numerous films and television productions in a career lasting more than 70 years.
Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa. His mother, Alice Violet (née Cole), was an English Cockney actress and chorus girl, and his father, James Walter Cusack, was an Irish mounted policeman in Natal Province, South Africa. His parents separated when he was young and his mother took him to England, and then to Ireland. Cusack's mother and her partner, Breifne O'Rorke, joined the O'Brien and Ireland Players. Cyril made his first stage performance at the age of seven. Cusack was educated in Newbridge College, Newbridge, County Kildare and University College Dublin. He left without a degree and joined the Abbey Theatre in 1932. Between then and 1945, he performed in over 60 productions, particularly excelling in the plays of Seán O'Casey. He also performed in plays by Irish playwright Teresa Deevy "Katie Roche" and "The King of Spain's Daughter". In 1947, Cusack formed his own company and staged productions in Dublin, Paris and New York.
In 1963, Cusack joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in London and appeared there for several seasons. By this stage he had established a successful career in films, which had started at the age of eight. Also in 1963, Cusack won a Jacob's Award for his performance in the Telefís Éireann production of Triptych. He received honorary degrees in 1977 and 1980 from the NUI and the University of Dublin respectively.
Cusack, who was bilingual in English and Irish, had a leading part in the controversial Irish language film Poitín (1977).
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