Maureen O'Hara was born Maureen FitzSimons on August 17, 1920, in Ranelagh, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Her mother, Marguerita Lilburn FitzSimons, was an accomplished contralto, and her father, Charles FitzSimons, managed a business in Dublin and owned part of the renowned Irish soccer team "The Shamrock Rovers." Maureen was the second of six FitzSimons children.
As a child, Maureen loved playing rough athletic games and excelled in sports. She combined this interest with an equally natural gift for performing, winning numerous awards for drama and theatrical performing in her country. By age 14, she was accepted to the prestigious Abbey Theater and pursued her dream of classical theater and operatic singing.
Maureen's early career was marked by her discovery by Charles Laughton, who was mesmerized by her hauntingly beautiful eyes. Laughton and his partner, Erich Pommer, changed her name from Maureen FitzSimons to "Maureen O'Hara" and cast her in Jamaica Inn (1939). Her next picture was The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939),which was an extraordinary success and led to her contract being bought from Laughton by RKO.
Maureen went on to star in numerous classic films, including How Green Was My Valley (1941),Miracle on 34th Street (1947),Sitting Pretty (1948),The Quiet Man (1952),and The Parent Trap (1961). She was voted one of the five most beautiful women in the world and was known for her dynamic beauty, wonderful lyric soprano voice, and athletic ability.
Maureen starred alongside some of Hollywood's most dashing leading men, including Tyrone Power, John Payne, Rex Harrison, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Brian Keith, Sir Alec Guinness, and John Wayne, with whom she starred in five films. She also worked with renowned directors such as John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and Jean Renoir.
In her personal life, Maureen married Charles Blair, a famous aviator, in 1968. After his death in 1978, she continued to run their business, Antilles Airboats, and eventually became the first woman president of a scheduled airline in the United States. She was coaxed out of retirement several times to star in films and television shows, including Only the Lonely (1991),The Christmas Box (1995),Cab to Canada (1998),and The Last Dance (2000).
Maureen published her memoir, 'Tis Herself, in 2004, which became a New York Times bestseller. She was honored with an Oscar for "Lifetime Achievement" in 2014. Throughout her life, Maureen O'Hara remained a beloved figure, known for her stunning beauty, talent, and strong, courageous, and intelligent personality.
