Cyril James Cusack
(1910-1993), Actor, director and playwrightSitter in 3 portraits
Cyril Cusack was considered the finest Irish actor of his generation. Having made his acting debut at seven, he earned a degree in law at University College, Dublin, but decided to pursue an acting career. He joined the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1932 and during the following thirteen years appeared in nearly seventy plays. In 1945 he formed his own company, writing, directing, and acting in many productions. Cusack joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963 and the National Theatre in 1964. He also appeared on television and in films such as Odd Man Out (1947), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), The Taming of the Shrew (1967), The Day of the Jackal (1973), and My Left Foot (1989).
Niamh Cusack; Cyril James Cusack
by Mark Tillie
bromide fibre print, 1986
NPG x35171
by Nicholas Sinclair
selenium-toned silver print, 1992
NPG x38826
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