Kevin Conway
Encyclopedia
Kevin Conway is an American
actor
and film director
.
, the son of Helen Margaret (née Sanders), a sales representative, and James John Conway, a mechanic
. In his first major screen role, he portrayed Roland Weary in the 1972 film Slaughterhouse-Five
, based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut
.
credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
, The Elephant Man
, Other People's Money
, and When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
, for which he received the 1974 Drama Desk Award
for one of the greatest performances ever seen Off Broadway. On Broadway
, he has appeared in Indians
, Moonchildren
,
and in revivals of The Plough and the Stars, Of Mice and Men
(as George Milton, opposite James Earl Jones
as Lennie Small), and Dinner at Eight
. In 1980, he was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (Mecca).
, Frank Papale in the fact-based 2006 Disney football drama Invincible
and General Curtis LeMay
in the 2000 political thriller Thirteen Days
. Conway also played the fictional Irish Sergeant Buster Kilrain
in Ron Maxwell's
Civil War Duology: Gods and Generals
and Gettysburg.
He also portrayed Seamus O'Reily, the abusive father of Ryan O'Reily
in the HBO prison drama Oz
. He was a guest star on JAG in the episode "King of Fleas" portraying a paraplegic Vietnam vet who confessed to a murder.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Early life
Conway was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Helen Margaret (née Sanders), a sales representative, and James John Conway, a mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
. In his first major screen role, he portrayed Roland Weary in the 1972 film Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five (film)
Slaughterhouse-Five is a 1972 film based on Kurt Vonnegut's novel of the same name. The screenplay is by Stephen Geller and the film was directed by George Roy Hill. It stars Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, and Valerie Perrine, and features Eugene Roche, Sharon Gans, Holly Near, and Perry King. The...
, based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
.
Theatre
Conway's off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a play based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito, made its Broadway preview on November 12, 1963, its premiere on November 13, and ran until January 25, 1964 for a total of one preview and 82...
, The Elephant Man
The Elephant Man (play)
The Elephant Man is a 1977 play by Bernard Pomerance. The production's Broadway debut in 1979 was produced by Richmond Crinkley and Nelle Nugent, and directed by Jack Hofsiss...
, Other People's Money
Other People's Money
Other People's Money is a 1991 drama/romantic comedy film starring Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller and Gregory Peck. It is based on the play of the same name by Jerry Sterner. The director was Norman Jewison and the screenplay was credited to Alvin Sargent.-Plot:Corporate raider Lawrence...
, and When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? is a play by Mark Medoff.The setting is Foster's Diner, a New Mexico rest stop that lost most of its clientele when a new highway bypass opened. Employees include restless cook Stephen , mousy waitress Angel, and their no-nonsense boss Clark...
, for which he received the 1974 Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for one of the greatest performances ever seen Off Broadway. On Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, he has appeared in Indians
Indians (play)
Indians is a play by Arthur Kopit.At its core is Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show. The play examines the contradictions of Cody's life and his work with Native Americans....
, Moonchildren
Moonchildren
Moonchildren is a play by Brooklyn-based playwright Michael Weller. The play chronicles a year in the life of the "moonchildren" referred to in the title: eight college students living communally together in an off-campus attic in the mid 1960s.-Performances:The work was first performed in 1971...
,
and in revivals of The Plough and the Stars, Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
(as George Milton, opposite James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
as Lennie Small), and Dinner at Eight
Dinner at Eight (play)
Dinner at Eight is a play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.-1932 Original Production:Dinner at Eight opened October 22, 1932 at the Music Box Theatre. It closed after 232 performances in May 1933. The play was produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by George S. Kaufman; Assistant Director: Robert B...
. In 1980, he was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (Mecca).
Films
In 1987, Conway directed the independent film The Sun and the Moon. Among other film roles, Conway played Crum Petree, the insane mailman in the 1988 film Funny FarmFunny Farm (film)
Funny Farm is a 1988 film starring Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith. The film was adapted from a 1985 comedic novel of the same name by Jay Cronley...
, Frank Papale in the fact-based 2006 Disney football drama Invincible
Invincible (2006 film)
Invincible is a 2006 family film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976. It is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976–78. Mark Wahlberg portrays Papale and Greg Kinnear plays Papale's coach, Dick Vermeil...
and General Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay
Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....
in the 2000 political thriller Thirteen Days
Thirteen Days (film)
Thirteen Days is a 2000 docudrama directed by Roger Donaldson about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US political leadership. Kevin Costner stars, with Bruce Greenwood featured as John F. Kennedy....
. Conway also played the fictional Irish Sergeant Buster Kilrain
Buster Kilrain
Buster Kilrain is the only fictional character in Michael Shaara's 1974 novel about the American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels. His surname is a portmanteau of the title "The Killer Angels"...
in Ron Maxwell's
Ronald F. Maxwell
Ronald F. Maxwell is an independent film director and writer from Clifton, New Jersey. He is most famous for writing and directing the American Civil War epics Gettysburg, 1993 and Gods and Generals, 2003....
Civil War Duology: Gods and Generals
Gods and Generals (film)
Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara. It depicts events that take place prior to those shown in the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Shaara's father, Michael...
and Gettysburg.
Television
He made a guest appearance on The Good Wife as Jonas Stern, the main character's former boss.He also portrayed Seamus O'Reily, the abusive father of Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series Oz. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P904. Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance,...
in the HBO prison drama Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
. He was a guest star on JAG in the episode "King of Fleas" portraying a paraplegic Vietnam vet who confessed to a murder.
Filmography
- Portnoy's ComplaintPortnoy's Complaint (film)Portnoy's Complaint is a 1972 American dramedy film written and directed by Ernest Lehman. His screenplay is based on the bestselling 1969 novel of the same name by Philip Roth.-Plot synopsis:...
(1972), in the role of Smolka - F.I.S.T (1978), in the role of Vince Doyle
- Paradise AlleyParadise AlleyParadise Alley is a 1978 film about three brothers in Hell's Kitchen, New York City in the 1940s who become involved in professional wrestling. It was written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, and was given the green light by Universal Pictures after Stallone's success with 1976's Rocky...
(1978), in the role of Stitch - The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter (TV miniseries)The Scarlet Letter is a 1979 miniseries based on the novel of the same name that aired on WGBH from March 3, 1979 to March 24, 1979. The series is four episodes long, 60 minutes each...
(1979), in the role of Roger Chillingworth - The Lathe of HeavenThe Lathe of Heaven (film)The Lathe of Heaven is a 1979 film based on the 1971 Science Fiction novel The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. It was produced in 1979 as part of New York City public television station WNET's Experimental TV Lab project, and directed by David Loxton and Fred Barzyk. Ursula K...
(1980), in the role of Dr. Wiliam Haber - The FunhouseThe FunhouseThe Funhouse is a 1981 horror film in which four teenagers are trapped in a dark ride and stalked by a deformed killer. The film was directed by Tobe Hooper, and the screenplay written by Larry Block...
(1981), in three roles, including that of Conrad Straker the Funhouse Barker - The Elephant ManThe Elephant Man (TV film)The Elephant Man is a 1982 American biographical television film directed by Jack Hofsiss about the 19th century English medical curiosity Joseph Merrick . The script was adapted by Steve Lawson from the 1977 play of the same name by Bernard Pomerance...
(1982) as Frederick Treves - Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
episode "Walk-Alone" (first aired October 17, 1986) as a corrupt prison warden - Funny FarmFunny Farm (film)Funny Farm is a 1988 film starring Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith. The film was adapted from a 1985 comedic novel of the same name by Jay Cronley...
(1988), in the role of Crum Petree - HomeboyHomeboy (film)Homeboy is a 1988 drama film, directed by Michael Seresin. It was written by and stars Mickey Rourke in the role of self-destructive cowboy/boxer Johnny Walker...
(1988), in the role of Grazziano - Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "Rightful Heir" (1992), in the role of Kahless the Unforgettable's clone - Gettysburg (1993), in the role of Sgt. Buster KilrainBuster KilrainBuster Kilrain is the only fictional character in Michael Shaara's 1974 novel about the American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels. His surname is a portmanteau of the title "The Killer Angels"...
- Streets of LaredoStreets of Laredo (film)Streets of Laredo is a 1949 western film starring William Holden, Macdonald Carey and William Bendix as three outlaws who rescue a young girl, played by Mona Freeman...
, (1995), in the role of Mox Mox - The Quick and the Dead (1995), in the role of Eugene Dred
- Looking for RichardLooking for RichardLooking for Richard is a 1996 documentary film and the first film directed by Al Pacino. It is both a performance of selected scenes of William Shakespeare's Richard III and a broader examination of Shakespeare's continuing role and relevance in popular culture...
(1996), in the role of William HastingsWilliam Hastings, 1st Baron HastingsWilliam Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings KG was an English nobleman. A follower of the House of York, he became a close friend and the most important courtier of King Edward IV, whom he served as Lord Chamberlain... - Mercury RisingMercury RisingMercury Rising is a 1998 American action thriller film starring Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. Directed by Harold Becker, the movie is based on Ryne Douglas Pearson's 1996 novel originally published as Simple Simon...
(1998), in the role of Lomax - The Outer LimitsThe Outer Limits (1995 TV series)The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
(1995–2002), in the role of the control voice - OzOz (TV series)Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
(1999–2003), in the role of Seamus O'ReilySeamus O'ReilySeamus O'Reily is a fictional character on the HBO prison drama, Oz, played by Kevin Conway.-Character overview:Prisoner #03P138. Convicted February 3, 2003 - Murder in the first degree. Sentence: 34 years, up for parole in 16.... - Thirteen DaysThirteen Days (film)Thirteen Days is a 2000 docudrama directed by Roger Donaldson about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US political leadership. Kevin Costner stars, with Bruce Greenwood featured as John F. Kennedy....
(2000), in the role of Gen. Curtis LeMayCurtis LeMayCurtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968.... - Black KnightBlack Knight (film)Black Knight is a 2001 American comedy film starring Martin Lawrence. The film was directed by Gil Junger, whose experience was primarily with television sitcoms...
(2001), in the role of King Leo - Mark TwainMark Twain (documentary)Mark Twain is a documentary film on the life of Mark Twain produced by Ken Burns in 2001. Burns captures both the public and private persona of Mark Twain from his birth to his death. The film was narrated by Keith David and the voice of Mark Twain was provided by Kevin Conway....
(2001) as the voice of Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist... - Gods and GeneralsGods and Generals (film)Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara. It depicts events that take place prior to those shown in the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Shaara's father, Michael...
(2003), reprising the role of Sgt. Buster KilrainBuster KilrainBuster Kilrain is the only fictional character in Michael Shaara's 1974 novel about the American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels. His surname is a portmanteau of the title "The Killer Angels"... - Mystic RiverMystic River (film)Mystic River is a 2003 American drama film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney and Emmy Rossum. The film was written by Brian Helgeland, based on Dennis Lehane's novel of the same...
(2003), in the role of Theo (uncredited) - Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack JohnsonUnforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack JohnsonUnforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward ....
(documentary) (2005), as the voice of Jack LondonJack LondonJohn Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone... - InvincibleInvincible (2006 film)Invincible is a 2006 family film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976. It is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976–78. Mark Wahlberg portrays Papale and Greg Kinnear plays Papale's coach, Dick Vermeil...
(2006), in the role of Frank Papale - The Bronx Is BurningThe Bronx Is BurningThe Bronx Is Burning is a television drama that debuted on ESPN on July 9, 2007, after the 2007 MLB Home Run Derby. It is an eight-episode mini-series adapted from Jonathan Mahler's best-selling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning...
(2007) in the role of Gabe PaulGabe PaulGabriel Howard Paul was an American executive in Major League Baseball who served as general manager of three teams and, perhaps most famously, as president of the New York Yankees under George Steinbrenner during the 1970s.... - The National Parks: America's Best IdeaThe National Parks: America's Best IdeaThe National Parks: America's Best Idea is a 2009 documentary film for television, DVD and companion book by director/producer Ken Burns and producer/writer Dayton Duncan which features the United States National Park system and traces the system's history...
(2009) as the voice of various historical figures