The late Milo O'Shea, with wife Kitty Sullivan, when he had his handprints taken at the Gaiety Theatre in 2007.

The late Milo O'Shea, with wife Kitty Sullivan, when he had his handprints taken at the Gaiety Theatre in 2007.

The Irish actor Milo O’Shea, whose film career spanned five decades, has passed away, aged 86.

The Dublin born actor is survived by his wife, Kitty Sullivan, his sons Colm and Steven and his three grandchildren.

With appearances in nearly 150 films and television programmes, O’Shea starred in such classics as 1968′s Barbarella.

The year previous the actor had played the role of Leopold Bloom in the film adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses.



The below clip shows O’Shea alongside Bing Crosby and Dermot O’Brien, as they performed “MacNamara’s Band” as part of a musical tribute to Ireland which was filmed in Dublin in 1966.



Sitcom appearances

O’Shea also starred in the BBC sitcom Me Mammy, in addition to a number of US sitcoms, including The Golden Girls, Cheers and Frasier. He also starred in the US political drama The West Wing.



His first wife, actress Maureen Toal, who was best known for playing the role of Teasie in RTÉ’s Glenroe, passed away on the 24 August, 2012, aged 81.

Tribute

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan TD said that the actor was a “giant of stage and screen” and that he will be remembered for the “quality of his performances in a range of challenging and often ground-breaking roles.”

His portrayal of Leopold Bloom in Ulysses was a particular highlight of his film career, a role that many people recall when they think of him. His performance in Zeffirell’s Romeo and Juliet also stands out.

But many audiences will also remember him with great fondness for the roles he played in some of the most popular television series of recent times including Frasier and The West Wing.

“I would like to express my deep condolences to his family, and to his many friends, at this time,” Deenihan said.