Sean McClory
Sean McClory
Sean McClory was born in Dublin, Ireland, but spent his early life in Galway. He was the son of Hugh Patrick, an architect and civil engineer, and Mary Margaret Ball, who had been a model. Sean decided to become an actor and joined Dublin's renowned Abbey Theater (also known as the National Theater of Ireland, opened in 1904). He rose through the ranks playing in productions of the works of such authors as William Butler Yeats and George Bernard Shaw, and soon began to play leads mostly in comedies (popular through most of the 1940s and into the 1950s). When comedies began to fade from the theater after World War II, McClory turned an eye toward film. In early 1947 he decided to make the jump to America and break into Hollywood. His first roles were that of a staple in American films: the Irish cop, which he played in two of the Dick Tracy series in 1947. In 1949 he signed a short contract with 20th Century-Fox. By 1950 he was showing up in more notable films - though uncredited, particularly in The Glass Menagerie (1950). Within a year McClory's talents were being showcased in various small feature roles. John Ford finally began casting - a painstaking process for the finicky director - for his long conceived The Quiet Man (1952) and chose McClory for a small but showy part, in which he was seen throughout the film feature with Charles B. Fitzsimons, the younger brother of the film's star, Maureen O'Hara, playing an Irish villager. Although some of the cast were familiar members of the "John Ford Stock Company", many roles were filled by actual Irish villagers (the film was shot on location) and included a generous helping of Abbey Theater alumni: the Shields brothers (Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields) and Jack MacGowran, in addition to O'Hara McClory. Ford wanted him for roles in several of his subsequent films, however McClory's busy film and TV schedule only allowed him to accept roles in two other Ford films, The Long Gray Line and Cheyenne Autumn. McClory had a cultured, neutral Irish brogue that fit well in small- or big-screen performances, unlike such Irish actors as Barry Fitzgerald who, though very effective and beloved, had a thick brogue that kept him forever cast as an Irishman. As a result, McClory was much more at home in American TV and had many memorable roles from 1953 onward, appearing in a gamut of episodic TV in addition to his feature film work. However, it was his frequent appearances on the small screen that enabled McClory to stand out in viewers' memories, especially in a range of western and adventure series (in which he played a good sprinkling of Irish characters) well into the 1970s. Though not as busy in the 1980s as he was in the '70s, one role in which he truly stood out was in an adaptation by John Huston of Irish writer James Joyce's famous 1907 short story "The Dead" made in 1987 (The Dead (1987)), his final film appearance. McClory's role as Mr. Grace was not a character in the original story but was created by Huston and his son Tony Huston to provide McClory with a reading of the medieval Irish poem "Young Donal", which was very effective to the mood of this look at Irish family remembrance.
Known For Acting
Popularity 2.56
Birthday 1924-03-08
Place of Birth Dublin, Ireland
Also Known As Séan Joseph McClory, Seán McClory, Sean McGlory, Shawn McGlory,
The Quiet Man
1952

The Quiet Man

Them!
1954

Them!

Body Bags
1993

Body Bags

The Gnome-Mobile
1967

The Gnome-Mobile

The Happiest Millionaire
1967

The Happiest Millionaire

Charade
1953

Charade

Follow Me, Boys!
1966

Follow Me, Boys!

Island in the Sky
1953

Island in the Sky

Man in the Attic
1953

Man in the Attic

Cheyenne Autumn
1964

Cheyenne Autumn

Moonfleet
1955

Moonfleet

The Long Gray Line
1955

The Long Gray Line

My Chauffeur
1986

My Chauffeur

Roller Boogie
1979

Roller Boogie

Plunder of the Sun
1953

Plunder of the Sun

Valley of the Dragons
1961

Valley of the Dragons

Les Miserables
1952

Les Miserables

The King's Thief
1955

The King's Thief

The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
1950

The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

Ring of Fear
1954

Ring of Fear

Lorna Doone
1951

Lorna Doone

Bandolero!
1968

Bandolero!

The King's Pirate
1967

The King's Pirate

Kate McShane
1975

Kate McShane

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
1951

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

I Cover the Underworld
1955

I Cover the Underworld

Dick Tracy's Dilemma
1947

Dick Tracy's Dilemma

Beyond Glory
1948

Beyond Glory

Mary Poppins
1964

Mary Poppins

The Guns of Fort Petticoat
1957

The Guns of Fort Petticoat

Niagara
1953

Niagara

Storm Warning
1951

Storm Warning

Diane
1956

Diane

The Day of the Wolves
1971

The Day of the Wolves

Anne of the Indies
1951

Anne of the Indies

The Dead
1987

The Dead

The Child
1954

The Child

Roughshod
1949

Roughshod

The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1976

The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
1947

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome

Falcon Crest
1981

Falcon Crest

Murder, She Wrote
1984

Murder, She Wrote

Family Affair
1966

Family Affair

The Great Adventure
1963

The Great Adventure

The Beverly Hillbillies
1962

The Beverly Hillbillies

Mannix
1967

Mannix

Surfside 6
1960

Surfside 6

Lost in Space
1965

Lost in Space

Perry Mason
1957

Perry Mason

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke

General Electric Theater
1953

General Electric Theater

Lassie
1954

Lassie

The Islanders
1960

The Islanders

The Californians
1957

The Californians

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Rawhide
1959

Rawhide

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

Have Gun, Will Travel

Daniel Boone
1964

Daniel Boone

The Outcasts
1968

The Outcasts

The High Chaparral
1967

The High Chaparral

S.W.A.T.
1975

S.W.A.T.

The Virginian
1962

The Virginian

Bring 'Em Back Alive
1982

Bring 'Em Back Alive

Lancer
1968

Lancer

Thriller
1960

Thriller

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Lux Video Theatre

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

One Step Beyond
1959

One Step Beyond

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

Climax!
1954

Climax!

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Adventures in Paradise
1959

Adventures in Paradise

Bronco
1958

Bronco

The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955

The 20th Century Fox Hour

Matinee Theater
1955

Matinee Theater

Tarzan
1966

Tarzan

The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956

The Adventures of Jim Bowie

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958

Wanted: Dead or Alive

The Rifleman
1958

The Rifleman

The Dakotas
1963

The Dakotas

The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967

The Guns of Will Sonnett

The Detectives
1959

The Detectives

Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers
1956

Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers

Cavalcade of America
1952

Cavalcade of America

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

Honey West
1965

Honey West

The Swamp Fox
1959

The Swamp Fox

General Electric True
1962

General Electric True

Telephone Time
1956

Telephone Time

Frontier
1955

Frontier

The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

Kate McShane
1975

Kate McShane

Columbo
1971

Columbo

Adventures in Paradise
1959

Adventures in Paradise

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke

The Outer Limits
1963

The Outer Limits

Four Star Playhouse
1952

Four Star Playhouse

Daniel Boone
1964

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone
1964

Daniel Boone

Checkmate
1960

Checkmate

Thriller
1960

Thriller

Perry Mason
1957

Perry Mason

Perry Mason
1957

Perry Mason

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Battlestar Galactica
1978

Battlestar Galactica