John Molloy (actor)

John Richard Molloy (/d͡ʒɒn/; Irish: Eoin Ó Maolmhuaidh; 18 March 1929 – 02 September 1999) was an Irish playwright and character actor, celebrated in The Irish Times as "one of the most versatile actors of the Dublin stage in the 1960s and 1970s."^[1]

Molloy was best known for his starring role as Oliver Feeney in the RTÉ series Tolka Row (1964–1969), Ireland's first original primetime drama.^[2] He gained further recognition for his work on film, co-starring as Corny Kelleher in Joseph Strick’s Ulysses (1967), an adaptation of the James Joyce novel of the same name.^[3] He later found a creative home at the National Theatre of Ireland, where he appeared in over two dozen productions from 1970 to 1980.

Also accomplished dramatist, Molloy's plays and musicals were staged at the Abbey Theatre, the Gate Theatre, the Gaitey Theatre, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the San Francisco International Arts Festival, and elsewhere.^[4] Additionally, he wrote and starred in the musical revue Double Dublin, which played the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway from 1963 to 1964.^[5] By his own account, throughout his life Molloy authored 40 theatrical revues, two musicals, numerous television and radio plays, and a best-selling memoir, Alive, Alive-O (Dolmen Press, 1975).^[6]

Molloy was born in Dublin, Ireland as the son of a professional comedian. He ran away from home at age 14 to join the "fit-ups," troupes of actors that roamed the countryside performing in small towns and villages.^[7] He later spent some years in Paris, France, apprenticing under the famed mime, Marcel Marceau. He left France for a brief stint in the Irish Naval Service, but was discharged after contracting tuberculosis. Molloy spent six years recuperating in various Dublin hospitals, during which time his disability pension subsidized his return to theatre.^[8]

Upon recovering from tuberculosis, Molloy was discovered by Micheál Mac Liammóir and Hilton Edwards, the founders of the Gate Theatre. From 1955 to 1965 he appeared in numerous Gate productions, including Luigi Pirandello's The Masquerade of Henry IV, John Kelly's The Third Day, and Paddy Cullens' The Dallers. In 1963 Molloy embarked to New York City with his comedy partner Noel Sheridan, co-writing and starring in the musical review Double Dublin at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway. In 1969 he appeared in Dominic Roche's adaptation of The Mullingar Recruits by George Farquhar at the Dublin Theatre Festival.^[9]

Beginning in 1970, Molloy found a creative home at the Abbey Theatre. During his tenure with the company he specialize in the works of Samuel Beckett, appearing in multiple productions of Waiting for Godot, Act Without Words I, and That Time. Other noteworthy roles from this period included Rev. Paris in the Irish premiere of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Porter in Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters, and Fender in Wolf Mankowitz’s The Bespoke Overcoat. He also starred in two of his own plays at the Abbey, From the Vikings to Bang Bang and Molloy, directed by his then wife, Yvonne Voigt Molloy. When later reflecting on this period, Joe Dowling, the Artistic Director of the Abbey, stated

John Molloy was one of the rare genuinely funny men. The things he could do physically were amazing. I remember bringing him into the Abbey on one occasion to teach the actors how to do some of the physical gags for The Servant of Two Masters, and he was so funny that we cast him in the production.

In 1981 Molloy emigrated to the United States, settling in San Francisco. That same year, his one man show Molloy ran for three months at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. The production proved a hit, and Molloy continued to perform the piece in the Bay area throughout the 1980s.^[10]

Molloy's first film role was in Joseph Losey's 1960 neo-noir film The Criminal. In 1967 he co-starred as Corny Kelleher in Joseph Strick’s film Ulysses, an adaptation of the James Joyce novel of the same name. The film premiered in competition the 20th Cannes Film Festival,^[11] where the French subtitles were censored by festival organizers.^[12][13] The film went on to enjoy critical success in Ireland and abroad. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times included the film on his 1967 "Top Ten List," declaring it "A faithful and brilliant screen translation of Joyce's classic novel, done with taste, imagination and cinema artistry."^[14] The film was nominated for Best English-Language Foreign Film at the 25th Golden Globe Awards,^[15] and Best Screenplay at the 40th Academy Awards.^[16]

Molloy next appeared as Slim in J. Lee Thompson's controversial 1970 drama film Country Dance. That same year he appeared opposite Milo O'Shea and Dearbhla Molloy in Daniel Haller's comedy film Paddy. The following year Molloy appeared as Mickster in Academy Award-winning director Ralph Nelson's 1971 British Eastmancolor children's film, Flight of the Doves.

In 1974 Molloy appeared as Mr. Lusty in Stanley Long's British sex comedy On the Game. In 1978 he appeared alongside Judi Dench and Jeremy Irons in Harold Pinter's Langrishe, Go Down, adapted from the Aidan Higgins' novel of the same name for BBC Television.^[17] Molloy's final film role would come more than a decade later in 1989 when he starred as Padric Reilly in William Farley's Of Men and Angels. The film tells the story of three strong-willed individuals who struggle for control of their own dreams and each other's. Of Men and Angels premiered in competition at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival.^[18] According to his obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle, Molloy appeared in a total of 60 films across the duration of his career.^[6]

In addition to his work in film, Molloy had a prolific career on television in Ireland, England, and the United States. From 1964 to 1968 he starred as Oliver Feeney in RTÉ's Tolka Row, Ireland's first original primetime drama. The series ran for five seasons, totaling 155 episodes. Molloy's then wife Yvonne would serve as a writer and director on the series, while his real-life daughter Honor Molloy would appear as his on-screen daughter, Noleen Feeney.

After thr un of Tolka Row, Molloy would go on to make regular guest appearances on numerous primetime series, including Me Mammy (1969), Z-Cars (1971), Play for Today (1972–1979), The Untouchables (1993), and Heartbeat (1999), among numerous others. By the end of his life, Molloy had become a well-known and regarded figure in both Irish and British television.

Molloy died on September 2nd, 1999 in San Francisco, California, after a prolonged stay in a psychiatric hospital.

• John Molloy at IMDb
• John Molloy at The Abbey Theatre
• John Molloy at Internet Broadway Database
• John Molloy at Playbill