Cyril Cusack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cyril Cusack
Cusack in The Italian Connection (1972)
Born	Cyril James Cusack (1910-11-26)26 November 1910 Durban, Natal, South Africa
Died	7 October 1993(1993-10-07) (aged 82) Chiswick, London, U.K.
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Actor, voice actor, stage director
Years active	1918–1993
Spouse(s)	Mary Margaret "Maureen" Kiely ​ ​ (m. 1945; died 1977)​ Mary Rose Cunningham ​ (m. 1979)​
Children	6, including Sinéad, Sorcha, Niamh, Pádraig and Catherine Cusack
Relatives	Richard Boyd Barrett (grandson) Max Irons (grandson)

Cyril James Cusack (born November 26, 1910 – died October 7, 1993) was a famous Irish actor. He worked on stage and in movies for over 70 years. Many people thought he was one of Ireland's best actors.

Cyril Cusack was known for playing roles in both classic and modern plays. He performed in plays by Shakespeare with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He also acted in over 60 shows for the Abbey Theatre, where he was a member for life. In 2020, The Irish Times newspaper listed him as one of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Cusack was born in South Africa to Irish parents. He grew up in County Tipperary, Ireland. He left law school to join the Abbey Theatre, where he stayed for 13 years. In London, he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. He even started his own acting company that toured around Europe.

Cyril Cusack started acting in films when he was only 8 years old. He worked with many top British directors. He often acted alongside Richard Burton, another famous actor. Burton once said Cusack's acting was "always himself and yet always totally different." Cusack spoke both English and Irish fluently. He starred in Poitín (1978), which was the very first Irish-language movie.

He was the head of a family of actors. His daughters Sinéad Cusack, Sorcha Cusack, Niamh Cusack, and Catherine Cusack are all actresses. His son, Pádraig Cusack, also works in theatre.

Early Life and Learning

Cyril Cusack was born in Durban, South Africa. His mother, Alice Violet, was an English actress. His father, James Walter Cusack, was an Irish policeman. His parents separated when he was young. His mother took him to England, and then to Ireland.

Cyril first performed on stage when he was seven years old. He went to Newbridge College in Newbridge, County Kildare. Later, he studied law at University College Dublin. However, he left college without finishing his degree. He then joined the Abbey Theatre in 1932.

Cyril Cusack's Acting Career

Stage Performances

Between 1932 and 1945, Cusack acted in over 60 plays at the Abbey Theatre. He was especially good in plays by Seán O'Casey. He also performed in plays by Irish writer Teresa Deevy. In 1932, he also joined the Gate Theatre company. He appeared in many important shows with them over the years.

In 1947, Cusack started his own company called Cyril Cusack Productions. They put on shows in Dublin, Paris, and New York. In 1963, Cusack joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. He performed there for several seasons. By this time, he was also very successful in films. That same year, he won a Jacob's Award for his acting in a TV show called Triptych.

Cusack's favorite roles included The Covery in The Plough and the Stars and Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World. He played these roles many times. His last stage performance was in Chekhov's play Three Sisters in 1990. Three of his own daughters played the sisters in that show.

Film and TV Appearances

Cusack in the trailer for The Elusive Pimpernel (1950).

Cusack's first film was Knocknagow (1918), when he was just 8 years old. He became well-known for his role as an IRA getaway driver in Carol Reed's Odd Man Out (1947).

He played the main character, Galileo Galilei, in the film Galileo (1968). This was the first movie directed by Italian filmmaker Liliana Cavani. Cusack went to Italy many times in the 1970s. He acted in films and also worked as a voice artist. He helped create English voices for Italian movies.

Cusack spoke both English and Irish. He had a main role in the Irish language film Poitín (1977). He also appeared in the 1989 TV movie of Roald Dahl's Danny, the Champion of the World. In this film, he acted alongside his son-in-law Jeremy Irons and his grandson Samuel.

Cyril Cusack's Family Life

Cyril Cusack was married twice.

• His first wife was actress Mary Margaret "Maureen" Kiely. They married on April 5, 1945. They had five children:
  • Paul (born 1946), who became a producer for RTE.
  • Sinéad (born 1948), an actress.
  • Sorcha (born 1949), an actress.
  • Niamh (born 1959), an actress.
  • Pádraig (born 1962), who became an associate producer at the Royal National Theatre in London.

• After his first wife passed away, he married Mary Rose Cunningham in 1979. They had one daughter:
  • Catherine (born 1968), an actress.

Cusack strongly supported Irish nationalism. He often chose acting projects that matched his beliefs. Later in his life, he became involved in conservative causes in Ireland. He often wrote letters to the Irish newspaper The Irish Times.

He was a Catholic. He once said, "Religion promotes the divine discontent within oneself, so that one tries to make oneself a better person and draw oneself closer to God."

Cusack received special honorary degrees in 1977 and 1980. These were from the NUI and the University of Dublin. He was also a long-time friend of Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, who became the President of Ireland. They knew each other from their student days in the 1930s.

Cusack is the grandfather of Irish politician Richard Boyd Barrett and English actor Max Irons.

Later Years and Passing

Cyril Cusack died at his home in Chiswick, Greater London, in October 1993. He was suffering from MND, a serious illness that affects the nerves.

Filmography

Films

Television

Theatre credits

With the Abbey Theatre

With the Gate Theatre

With the National Theatre Company

With the Royal Shakespeare Company

Other venues