Actor. He came to Hollywood, California from Ireland in 1935, and became one of motion pictures' best-known supporting actors. His most prominent role before coming to America was in "Juno and the Paycock" (1929), Alfred Hitchcock's first fully sound film. His screen credits include "The Plough and the Stars" (1936), "Bringing Up Baby" (1938), "The Dawn Patrol" (1938), "The Sea Wolf" (1941), "How Green Was My Valley" (1941), "Going My Way" (1944), "And Then There Were None" (1945), "The Naked City" (1948) (a rare major lead role as a New York City police detective), "The Quiet Man" (1952), "The Catered Affair" (1956), and many more. He appeared in five films for director John Ford, becoming a popular member of Ford's stock company. His younger brother Arthur Shields was also a notable actor, preceding him in the move across the Atlantic, and the two appeared in several films together. In 1944, Fitzgerald received Academy Award nominations in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories for his role in "Going My Way," winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He was the only actor ever to be nominated for both awards for the same role, which resulted in a rule change preventing such an occurrence in the future by tabulating the votes in both categories simultaneously. His portrayal of 'Father Fitzgibbon' in "Going My Way" is considered his greatest role.
Actor. He came to Hollywood, California from Ireland in 1935, and became one of motion pictures' best-known supporting actors. His most prominent role before coming to America was in "Juno and the Paycock" (1929), Alfred Hitchcock's first fully sound film. His screen credits include "The Plough and the Stars" (1936), "Bringing Up Baby" (1938), "The Dawn Patrol" (1938), "The Sea Wolf" (1941), "How Green Was My Valley" (1941), "Going My Way" (1944), "And Then There Were None" (1945), "The Naked City" (1948) (a rare major lead role as a New York City police detective), "The Quiet Man" (1952), "The Catered Affair" (1956), and many more. He appeared in five films for director John Ford, becoming a popular member of Ford's stock company. His younger brother Arthur Shields was also a notable actor, preceding him in the move across the Atlantic, and the two appeared in several films together. In 1944, Fitzgerald received Academy Award nominations in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories for his role in "Going My Way," winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He was the only actor ever to be nominated for both awards for the same role, which resulted in a rule change preventing such an occurrence in the future by tabulating the votes in both categories simultaneously. His portrayal of 'Father Fitzgibbon' in "Going My Way" is considered his greatest role.
Bio by: Gary Krause
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