One of Hollywood's finest character actors and most accomplished scene stealers, Barry Fitzgerald was born William Joseph Shields in 1888 in Dublin, Ireland. Educated to enter the banking business, the diminutive Irishman with the irresistible brogue was bitten by the acting bug in the 1920s and joined Dublin's world-famous Abbey Players. He subsequently starred in the Abbey Theatre production of 'Sean O'Casey' . He was also nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for the same role and was the only actor to ever be so honored. Barry Fitzgerald died in his beloved Dublin in 1961.
Brother of actor Arthur Shields , with whom he performed in several films, most notably John Ford s The Quiet Man (1952) .
One of the very few character actors ever to achieve star status.
Fitzgerald was the only player ever nominated for the Academy Award for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year for the same role. The recognition was for Going My Way . After he received this double nomination, the Academy immediately changed their rules to prevent this from happening again, rules which have remained unchanged to this day.
Despite his penchant for portraying priests, Fitzgerald (born William Shields) was a Protestant (and a nationalist), whose brother Arthur Shields was a republican during the upheaval of the early 20th century in Ireland.
The slight, small Fitzgerald was frequently cast alongside huge hulks like John Wayne or Victor McLaglen (most notably in John Ford films), making for a good sight gag as he behaved fearlessly.
Broke the head off his Best Supporting Actor Oscar ( Going My Way ) practicing his golf swing.
Along with Fay Bainter , Teresa Wright , Jessica Lange , Sigourney Weaver , Al Pacino , Holly Hunter , Emma Thompson , Julianne Moore , Jamie Foxx and Cate Blanchett , he is one of only eleven actors to receive Academy Award nominations in two acting categories in the same year. He was nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Going My Way at the 17th Academy Awards in 1945,.
Is one of 8 actors who have received an Oscar nomination for their performance as a priest. The others, in chronological order, are: Spencer Tracy for San Francisco and Boys Town ; Charles Bickford for The Song of Bernadette ; Bing Crosby for Going My Way and The Bells of St. Marys ; Gregory Peck for The Keys of the Kingdom ; Karl Malden for On the Waterfront ; Jason Miller for The Exorcist ; and Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt . Tracy, Crosby and Fitzgerald all won Oscars for their performances.
He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: How Green Was My Valley and Going My Way .
He appeared in seven films with his younger brother Arthur Shields : The Plough and the Stars , The Long Voyage Home , How Green Was My Valley , Easy Come, Easy Go , Top o the Morning , The Story of Seabiscuit and The Quiet Man (1952) .
Along with Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone , he is one of only three actors to receive Oscar nominations for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for playing the same character: (1) Fitzgerald was nominated for both awards for playing Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way , Pacino was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for playing Michael Corleone The Godfather and Best Actor for the same role in The Godfather: Part II and Stallone was nominated for Best Actor for playing Rocky Balboa in Rocky and Best Supporting Actor for the same role in Creed .
Roommate and stand-in: Gus Taillon.
A golf course is nothing but a pool room moved outdoors. .
