Irish Actor Milo O'Shea Dies at 87

Irish actor Milo O'Shea, who played an evil scientist in Barbarella and a Supreme Court Chief Justice on The West Wing, died last week in Manhattan following a brief illness, The Associated Press reports.

Born and raised in Dublin, O'Shea studied music and drama at London's Guildhall School and began acting on stage and in films in the 1950s. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 1968 for his role as a gay man in Staircase, and also in 1982 for playing Father Tim Farley in Mass Appeal.

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Notable film roles included Friar Laurence in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968), Dr. Durand Durand in Barbarella (1968), and a trial judge in The Verdict alongside Paul Newman (1982).

After moving to the U.S. in the 1970s, O'Shea guest-starred on The Golden Girls, Cheers and Frasier and played Chief Justice Roy Ashland on The West Wing.

O'Shea is survived by his wife, Irish actress Kitty Sullivan, two sons and three grandchildren.