Maureen O'Hara

Maureen FitzSimons, born 17 August 1920, and died on the 24th of October, 2015), was an Irish actress. She became a star in Hollywood in the 1940s and into the 1960s. Redhead by nature, she was well-known for her role as sensual and passionate heroines. She often appeared in Westerns or adventure films. Her talent for stardom was first discovered by the actor Charles Laughton, who brought her to Hollywood as well as at numerous times, she worked with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne. O'Hara was raised in Dublin, Ireland by a Catholic family. She aspired to be an actor from an early age. O'Hara began her studies at the Abbey Theatre as well as the Rathmines Theatre Company when she was just 10 years old. A screen test was administered to her, but the result wasn't a great success. Charles Laughton, however, saw potential and made arrangements for her to appear alongside him in Alfred Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn (1939). RKO Pictures gave her a contract. Following that, she had an extensive and lucrative career. She was known as "the Queen Of Technicolor". Her movies include How Green Was My Valley (1941) and her first film with John Ford, The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (47) as well as the classic Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and Comanche Territory (1950). O'Hara was in Rio Grande (1950) as O'Hara and John Wayne, her most close friend. The Quiet Man (1952) The Wings of Eagles(57), McLintock were the subsequent films. (1963) as well as Big Jake (2001). Many assumed that Wayne and O'Hara had marriage or in a relationship because of their relationship. O'Hara started to play more motherly roles 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). In 1971, O'Hara announced her retirement from film production. However, she returned to the film industry 20 years later to star alongside John Candy in Only the Lonely (1991).