Niall MacGinnis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niall MacGinnis
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MacGinnis as the title character in the film Martin Luther (1953)
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| Born |
Patrick Niall MacGinnis
29 March 1913 Dublin, Ireland
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| Died | 6 January 1977 (aged 63) Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales
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| Years active | 1935–1977 |
| Spouse(s) |
Sheila Macdonal
(m. 1942, divorced)Eleonore MacGinnis
(m. 1955) |
| Children | 1 |
Patrick Niall MacGinnis (born March 29, 1913 – died January 6, 1977) was an Irish actor. He appeared in about 80 movies and TV shows during his career.
Early Life and Education
Niall MacGinnis was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1913. He went to Stonyhurst College, which is a special type of private school in England. After school, he studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin. He became a doctor, working as a house surgeon.
During World War II, MacGinnis served as a doctor in the British Royal Navy. This means he helped care for sailors and other military personnel.
In 1938, before focusing fully on films, he starred in a popular comedy play called Spring Meeting in London's West End.
Becoming an Actor
Niall MacGinnis became well-known for playing many different characters in films. Here are some of his most famous roles:
- He played a German U-boat sailor in the British war movie 49th Parallel (1941).
- He was Captain MacMorris in the historical film Henry V (1944).
- He took on the main role of Martin Luther in the film Martin Luther (1953).
- He played the scary villain Julian Karswell in the British horror film Night of the Demon (1957).
- He even played Zeus, the king of the gods, in the fantasy adventure movie Jason and the Argonauts (1963).
On television, he appeared in popular shows like Danger Man and The Saint.
Later Years and Return to Medicine
In 1942, Niall MacGinnis married Sheila Mcdonald, but they later divorced. He married his second wife, Eleanor, in 1955, and they had a daughter together.
In the mid-1970s, MacGinnis decided to stop acting. He moved back to his home country of Ireland and returned to his first career: medicine. He lived in Ashford, County Wicklow, Ireland. He passed away in January 1977, at the age of 63, from cancer. At the time, he was working as a doctor in Haverfordwest, Wales. His wife, Eleanor, stayed in Ashford until she died in 2013. Their daughter and her family still live on the family property.
