Maureen O'Hara

Maureen FitzSimons (17 August 1920 - - 24 October 2015) was an Irish actor, singer and actor who rose to fame in Hollywood during the 1940s through 1960s. Redhead by nature, she was well-known for her role as a shrewd and empathetic heroine. She frequently appeared in Westerns or adventure films. Her potential for stardom was initially discovered by the actor Charles Laughton, who brought her to Hollywood and on numerous occasions she collaborated with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne. O'Hara was raised in Dublin, Ireland by a Catholic family. She was determined to become an actor at the age of 10. She was trained by the Rathmines Theatre Company from the age of 10 and attended the Abbey Theatre from 14 years old. After passing a screen test, she was rejected. However, Charles Laughton recognized her potential and offered to have her perform in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in 1939. RKO Pictures gave her a contract. She would go on to have a lengthy, highly successful career and was nicknamed "the Queen of Technicolor". Her appearances in films include as How Green Was My Valley (1941) (her first collaboration with John Ford), The Black Swan with Tyrone Power (1942), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (1947), the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with John Payne and Natalie Wood and Comanche Territory (1950). O'Hara made her debut film together with John Wayne, the actor with whom she is most closely associated in Rio Grande (1950). The following films followed: The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963), Big Jake (1971). It was evident how well she bonded with Wayne that many assumed they were engaged. O'Hara began to assume more roles as a mother in the 1960s as she grew older. She appeared in films such as The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (611) and The Rare Breed (1966). O'Hara quit the industry in the year 1971. The actress returned to the business twenty years later, appearing in John Candy (1991).