---
name: "Gavan O'Herlihy"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gavan-oherlihy"
fi1m_id: "gavan-oherlihy"
imdb_id: "nm0641398"
tmdb_id: 12660
wikidata_id: "Q1748652"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "29 July 1951"
died: "15 September 2021"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 69
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T18:22:13.307287+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Gavan O'Herlihy

## Identity

Gavan O'Herlihy

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/gavan-oherlihy
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** gavan-oherlihy
- **IMDb ID:** nm0641398
- **TMDB ID:** 12660
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1748652
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavan_O%27Herlihy, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1748652, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0641398/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12660

Actor. Born 29 July 1951 in Dublin, Ireland. Died 15 September 2021.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 29 July 1951, Dublin, Ireland
- **Died:** 15 September 2021
- **Active:** 1983–1997
- **Average Fi1m score:** 69, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 56 (2), 1990s 82 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 66 to 69 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Action 2, Adventure 2, Comedy 2, Drama 2, Mystery 2, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $240m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavan_O%27Herlihy, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1748652, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0641398/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12660

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Superman III*](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md) (49)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Gavan O'Herlihy (29 July 1951 – 15 September 2021) was an Irish actor. He was the son of actor Dan O'Herlihy. Born in Dublin, he was raised between Ireland and the United States, attended Phillips Academy in Massachusetts and Trinity College Dublin, and was Irish national tennis champion in his youth.

O'Herlihy first gained attention playing Chuck Cunningham in the early episodes of the television series *Happy Days* (1974). He appeared as Brad Wilson in the film *Superman III* (1983), as Jack Petachi in *Never Say Never Again* (1983), as Airk Thaughbaer in *Willow* (1988), and as Manny Fraker in *Death Wish 3* (1985). His other credits include roles in *Twin Peaks* (1990), *Star Trek: Voyager* (1995), *The Descent: Part 2* (2009) and various British productions after he settled in the UK. He was married to Juliette and had four children.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Jonathan Creek* (1997), Fi1m 78, as Hal Drucker — [page](https://film.one/tv/jonathan-creek.md)
- *Twin Peaks* (1990), Fi1m 86, as Officer Preston King — [page](https://film.one/tv/twin-peaks.md)
- *Never Say Never Again* (1983), Fi1m 64, as Jack Petachi — [page](https://film.one/film/never-say-never-again.md)
- *Superman III* (1983), Fi1m 49, as Brad Wilson — [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md)

## Complete filmography (50)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Descent: Part 2* (2009), as Vaines
- *Cruise of the Gods* (2002), as Mickey
- *Butterfly Man* (2002), as Bill Kincaid
- *18 Wheels of Justice* (2000), series, Actor
- *Sharpe: The Legend* (1997), as Leroy
- *Prince Valiant* (1997), as King Thane
- *Jonathan Creek* (1997), series, as Hal Drucker — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/jonathan-creek.md)
- *Top of the World* (1997), as Lieutenant Logan
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as George Arlington — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *The Shooter* (1995), as Dick Powell
- *Star Trek: Voyager* (1995), series, as Maje Jabin
- *The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes* (1994), series, as John Garrideb / James Winter
- *The Last Outlaw* (1993), as Marshal Sharp
- *Sharpe's Eagle* (1993), as Captain Thomas Leroy
- *Sharpe* (1993), series, as Cpt. Leroy
- *Conagher* (1991), as Chris Mahler, Cowboy
- *Twin Peaks* (1990), series, as Officer Preston King — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/twin-peaks.md)
- *Red King, White Knight* (1989), as Clancy
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Richard
- *Lonesome Dove* (1989), series, as Dan Suggs
- *Willow* (1988), as Airk
- *China Beach* (1988), series, Actor
- *A Killing on the Exchange* (1987), series, as Dan Maitland
- *Death Wish 3* (1985), as Manny Fraker
- *The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission* (1985), as Conrad E. Perkins
- *Cover Up* (1984), series, Actor
- *Sherlock Holmes* (1984), series, as John Garrideb / James Winter
- *Space Riders* (1984), as Ron Harris
- *Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime* (1983), series, as Julius P. Hersheimmer
- *The Secret Adversary* (1983), as Julius P. Hersheimmer
- *Never Say Never Again* (1983), as Jack Petachi — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/never-say-never-again.md)
- *Superman III* (1983), as Brad Wilson — Fi1m 49, [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md)
- *Matt Houston* (1982), series, as Michael Sheridan
- *We'll Meet Again* (1982), series, as Capt Red Burwash
- *A Rumor of War* (1980), series, as Stanton
- *Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter* (1979), as Young Clemens
- *A Wedding* (1978), as Wilson Briggs
- *Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force* (1978), as Art Stinson
- *The Amazing Spider-Man* (1978), series, as David
- *A Death in Canaan* (1978), as Father Mark
- *The Ghost of Cypress Swamp* (1977), as Big Bob Landers
- *The Bionic Woman* (1976), series, Actor
- *The California Kid* (1974), as Tom
- *Police Woman* (1974), series, as Gordon Stuart
- *The Healers* (1974), Actor
- *The Six Million Dollar Man* (1974), series, as Dan
- *Happy Days* (1974), series, as Chuck Cunningham
- *Call to Danger* (1973), as Mechanic
- *The Mary Tyler Moore Show* (1970), series, as Josh McBride (as Gavin O'Herlihy) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-mary-tyler-moore-show.md)
- *Marcus Welby, M.D.* (1969), series, as Herb Frane

## Gallery

- ![Gavan O'Herlihy](https://film.one/media/person/390180/gallery-6813903bfd19.jpg) Gavan O'Herlihy — ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Gavan_O%27Herlihy_%281974%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Gavan O'Herlihy](https://film.one/media/person/390180/gallery-9c4d13da6111.jpg) Gavan O'Herlihy — Image via TMDB

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/gavan-oherlihy