Biography
William James O' Shea (6 October 1856 – 5 November 1918) was a Scottish-born actor. He was born in Dumfries, Scotland and was brought to the United States when he was one-year old. His father, Thomas Shea, was a civil engineer who fought with David Farragut in the Battle of New Orleans during the American Civil War.Shea got his start acting at the age of 18 in Col. John W. Albaugh's stock company in Albany, New York. During the 1880s, he also became known as an Irish dancer and singer. He was said to be the first real actor Vitagraph ever hired, having appeared over 4,000 roles in more than one hundred films from 1905 to 1918.
Shea died of heart disease at his home on November 5, 1918. Obituaries at the time listed Shea as the oldest movie actor in the United States, although most list his age at time of death as 56 years old. Shea is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn.
Filmography
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Movies 50
A Daughter of Two Worlds (1920)
The Meeting (1917)
Walls and Wallops (1916)
The Blue Envelope Mystery (1916)
A Villainous Villain (1916)
The Marriage of Molly-O (1916)
The Man from Egypt (1916)
A Night Out (1916)
Beached and Bleached (1915)
You Can't Beat It (1915)
The Dust of Egypt (1915)
The Boarding House Feud (1915)
The Lady of Shalott (1915)
A Wireless Rescue (1915)
Burglarius Billy (1915)
The Young Man Who 'Figgered' (1915)
Hearts and Diamonds (1914)
A Train of Incidents (1914)
Two Stepchildren (1914)
The Maid from Sweden (1914)
Tangled Tangoists (1914)
The Hero (1914)
Sawdust and Salome (1914)
Those Troublesome Tresses (1913)
Cupid Through a Keyhole (1913)
The Mouse and the Lion (1913)
The Classmate's Frolic (1913)
Nothing to Wear (1912)
As You Like It (1912)
The Bond of Music (1912)
Pandora’s Box (1912)
Aunty's Romance (1912)
Her Forgotten Dancing Shoes (1912)
Chumps (1912)
Father and Son (1912)
The Life Boat (1911)
The Child Crusoes (1911)
A Friendly Marriage (1911)
Two Overcoats (1911)
A Tale of Two Cities (1911)
Pictureland (1911)
Vanity Fair (1911)
In Northern Forests (1911)
A Tin-Type Romance (1910)
The Telephone (1910)
Auld Robin Gray (1910)
Ito, the Beggar Boy (1910)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909)
Julius Caesar, an Historical Tragedy (1908)
The Shaughraun, an Irish Romance (1907)
Ratings
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1856-10-06
Deathday1918-11-05 (62 years old)
Birth PlaceDumfries, United Kingdom
CitizenshipsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Also Known AsWilliam James O' Shea, William James O'Shea, William James Shea, William J. Shea
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