Irish actor Derrick O’Connor, best-known for playing Pieter Vorstedt in ‘Lethal Weapon 2’ and for his roles in three Terry Gilliam films, has passed away at the age of 77. He died from pneumonia on June 29th in Santa Barbara, California.
O’Connor was born in Dublin, raised in London, and had lived in the U.S. since 1990, most recently living in the Santa Ynez Valley, north of Santa Barbara with his wife, Mimi.
The actor appeared in Gilliam’s films ‘Time Bandits,’ ‘Brazil’ and ‘Jabberwocky.’ He also starred in the 2003 film ‘Daredevil,’ Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer ‘End of Days,’ John Boorman’s ‘Hope and Glory,’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.’
O'Connor also had a number of notable U.S. television appearances on ‘Alias,’ ‘Carnivale,’ ‘Tracey Takes On,’ ‘Monk,’ ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ and ‘Ghost.’
In the U.K. and Australia, he was best known for starring roles in ‘Stringer,’ ‘Fox,’ ‘The Sweeney’ and ‘Knockback.’
O’Connor was a member of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Scottish National Theatre, with multiple lead stage roles in Edinburgh, Stratford-on-Avon and London’s West End. He worked with directors Mike Leigh and Richard Eyre.
The actor was particularly renowned for paring down or even getting rid of his characters’ dialogue in order to emphasize the physical aspects of his role.
O’Connor is survived by his widow, Mimi, and son, Max. A private celebration of life is being planned for close friends and family in San Francisco.
