Cyril Cusack

Overview

Cyril James Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa, to Alice Violet (Cole), a Cockney English actress and chorus girl, and James Walter Cusack, an Irish mounted policeman in Natal. He was brought up in Ireland. He was a child star on the Irish stage, appearing first at the age of 7. He toured Ireland with his own theater company. Although he made some very telling film appearances, his small stature kept him from the classic roles.

With his wife, Irish-born actress Maureen Cusack (née Mary Margaret Kiely), he is the father of actress Sinéad Cusack and the grandfather of actor Max Irons.
- IMDb mini biography by: Steve Crook <steve@brainstorm.co.uk>

He was the father of Paul Cusack, Sinéad Cusack, Sorcha Cusack, Niamh Cusack, Pádraig Cusack and Catherine Cusack. He was the father-in-law of Jeremy Irons. He was the grandfather of Samuel Irons, Max Irons, Megan Cusack, Beth Cooke, and Calam Lynch.
He was one of the four actors Alec Guinness most admired.
In common with Leslie French, he was offered the role of the First Doctor in the BBC television series Doctor Who (1963) but turned it down. William Hartnell was cast instead.
He tried to discourage all of his six children from pursuing the entertainment field, going so far as to not keeping a TV inside the house while they were young. Nevertheless, all of them went into some form of entertainment. Sons Paul and Padraig worked behind the scenes as director/producer types and daughters, Sinead, Sorcha, Niamh and Catherine all became actresses. In 1990 Cyril performed in an acclaimed stage production of Chekhov's "The Three Sisters" with daughters Sinead, Sorcha and Niamh at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.
Aged six, Cusack left South Africa for Ireland, accompanied by his mother Alice Cole. He was joined by actor Brefni O'Rourke to form a theatrical troupe. He appeared on stage for the first time a year later in pantomime and dramatic performance. He led an unsettled life on the road, with brief attendances at diverse schools throughout Ireland.

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