Watch Apple TV+ Movies
TV Shows and more
Try 7-Day Free
Home >

Gavan O'Herlihy

Gavan O'Herlihy

Birthday: 1954-04-29 | Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland

Gavan O'Herlihy (6' 2½" | 1.89 m) an Irish actor, was born on April 29, 1954 (Taurus) in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Elsa Bennett and Irish actor Dan O'Herlihy. He has a Brother, Cormac O'Herlihy and a sister, Patricia O'Herlihy. He is the brother-in-law of Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy, nephew of Michael O'Herlihy, and Uncle of Micaela O'Herlihy and Colin O'Herlihy. In his youth, he was an avid tennis player, and even became Irish National Tennis Champion. He is known for Willow (1988), Never Say Never Again (1983) and The Descent: Part 2 (2009), but has over thirty screen credits to his name, most of them having cast him in villainous or antagonistic roles such as Death Wish 3, Never Say Never Again, Superman III, and Tales From The Crypt. His role as Airk Thaughbaer in the 1988 fantasy Willow is one of the few heroic roles the burly, fair-haired Gavan has managed to get, as well as the dashing American officer Captain Leroy in Sharpe's Eagle. He also played the lost jock son "Chuck Cunningham" in the first season of Happy Days (1974). Is actually younger (by about two months) than Ron Howard, who played his "younger" brother on the show, but it was not a very big part and he was eventually written out by being sent to college and then disappeared with no mention. He did not want to get stuck in television, preferring the film medium. Gavan appeared in the pilot episode of Star Trek: Voyager entitled "Caretaker" as the Kazon First Maje, Jabin. He has a son named Rogan and a daughter named Misty.

...

Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2010
The Descent: Part 2

as    Vaines

2002
Butterfly Man

as    Bill Kincaid

1997
Prince Valiant

as    King Thane

1995
The Shooter

as    Dick Powell

1993
The Last Outlaw

as    Marshal Sharp

1991
Conagher

as    Chris Mahler, Cowboy

1989
Red King, White Knight

as    Clancy

1989
Lonesome Dove

as    Dan Suggs

1988
Willow

as    Airk

1985
The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission

as    Conrad E. Perkins

1985
Death Wish 3

as    Manny Fraker

1984
Space Riders

as    Ron Harris

1983
Superman III

as    Brad

1983
The Secret Adversary

as    Julius P. Hersheimmer

1979
Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter

as    Young Clemens

1978
A Death in Canaan

as    Father Mark