O. Z. Whitehead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
O. Z. Whitehead
|
|
|---|---|
_-_07.png)
O.Z. Whitehead as Al Joad in The Grapes of Wrath
|
|
| Born |
Oothout Zabriskie Whitehead
March 1, 1911 Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
|
| Died | July 29, 1998 (aged 87) Dublin, Ireland
|
| Years active | 1935–1997 |
Oothout Zabriskie Whitehead (born March 1, 1911 – died July 29, 1998) was an American actor. He was known for playing many different types of characters in movies and on stage. People called him "O.Z." or "Zebby."
He was born in New York City and went to Harvard University. Later in his life, he moved to Dublin, Ireland in 1963. There, he wrote several books about the early members of the Baháʼí Faith, which was a religion he joined.
Contents
Becoming an Actor
O. Z. Whitehead loved movies and theater from a young age. When he was ten, his father took him to see the movie The Kid in 1921. This movie starred Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan. After seeing it, young O.Z. decided he wanted to be an actor.
He first acted on Broadway in a play called The Lake in 1933. This play was also the first big role for the famous actress Katharine Hepburn. She helped him a lot at the start of his acting career. By 1939, he had acted in 11 more plays.
Movies and TV Shows
O. Z. Whitehead was part of a special group of actors who often worked with the famous director John Ford. This group included actors like John Carradine and Ward Bond. Ford liked to use these actors to make even small roles in his movies feel real.
Whitehead's most famous role was playing Al Joad in the 1940 movie The Grapes of Wrath. This movie was based on a popular book by John Steinbeck. In the film, Al Joad was the younger brother of the main character, played by Henry Fonda. The movie was very successful and won many awards.
His first movie was The Scoundrel in 1935. This film won an Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Original Story. O.Z. Whitehead acted in more than 50 movies and TV shows during his career. He also played Clarence in a stage play called Life with Father alongside actress Lillian Gish.
He started acting on TV in 1953 in a show called Cavalcade of America. He also appeared in popular shows like Gunsmoke (1958), Bonanza (1960), and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960–61). In 1961, he was a guest star on Perry Mason.
After moving to Ireland, he continued to act in plays there. In 1966, he won an award for Best Supporting Actor at the Dublin Theatre Festival. He won for his role in a play called Hughie. He played this part many times until 1989. In 1983, he acted in an Irish TV show called Caught in a Free State. His last role was in an Irish horror movie in 1997.
O. Z. Whitehead also created the "O. Z. Whitehead Award" in 1966. This award helps support theater in Ireland.
His Personal Life and Beliefs
After many years of acting, Whitehead became less happy with the roles he was getting in Hollywood. He was also a pacifist during World War II, meaning he believed in peace and was against war.
In 1949, he learned about the Baháʼí Faith, a religion that teaches about unity and peace. He joined the religion in 1950. He gave talks about his new faith and even traveled to its spiritual center in Haifa in 1955. He also went to a big Baháʼí meeting in London in 1963.
After this meeting, he moved to Ireland. He joined the local Baháʼí group in Dublin and served on the national Baháʼí council for Ireland for 15 years. From the 1970s until he died, he spent a lot of time working for his religion. He wrote three books with stories about early Baháʼís. He also supported actors' groups in Ireland and the international writers' club, PEN.
Later Years and Death
O. Z. Whitehead died in Dublin in 1998. He was 87 years old.
Images for kids
-
O.Z. Whitehead as Al Joad in The Grapes of Wrath
