Pat O'Brien

Born

1899

Died

1983

From

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA·Santa Monica, California, USA

Height

1.80 m (5'11")

Also:
Producer

126

Credits on file

Decades active

In short · Acted for nine decades — 126 credits.

Remembered for

Ranked by community engagement + sustained interest across this person's credits in our database.

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Biography

Pat O'Brien, often referred to as "Hollywood's Irishman in Residence," was a U.S.-born actor who frequently portrayed Irish immigrants on screen. Along with friends such as James Cagney, Allen Jenkins, and Frank McHugh, he was part of a group sometimes called "The Irish Mafia." Despite his frequent roles as priests, Monsignors, or Bishops, O'Brien—who was a devout Roman Catholic—never entered the seminary. Though he never served as a police officer, he often played cops in films, and although he did not have an Irish accent in real life, he could convincingly adopt one when needed. O'Brien was known for his portrayals of kind-hearted characters but also delivered credible performances as con artists or wise guys. He was a popular film star during the 1930s and 1940s, and over nearly five decades, he co-starred with Cagney in nine films, including his final screen appearance in *Ragtime* (1981).