You’ve probably seen David Patrick O’Hara more than once over the years and haven’t realized it since this guy is a great actor but he can hide in the background or in plain sight like no one’s business. He’s had plenty of great roles in movies and on TV but he’s definitely had a few that are better than others since he’s become kind of a big deal in some movies just by the turn of a phrase. But he does kind of blend in, and this is a good thing as well as kind of frustrating since his real name becomes less important when you realize that you know him better by the names of his characters. This is more common than people realize to be certain, and it’s something that is seen more often than a lot of people would gladly admit. A lot of folks might want to think that they know the guy well enough to say that they know his name, it’ll come to them, give it a minute, and all that jazz. But enjoying his roles and admitting that he’s just that good of an actor is usually perfectly okay since learning his name doesn’t that take that much of an effort. Sometimes being known by the roles you play is flattering to an actor.
There are a few roles that bear mentioning since he manages to be as effective as he needs to be in all of them. Seeing him in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was fun since as Runcorn he looks like an absolute terror, someone that would likely enjoy the job of stamping out those that were loyal to Dumbledore and perhaps even taking pleasure in flinging a few curses at people here and there. But even better was when Runcorn was incapacitated and Harry took his form, O’Hara had to suddenly turn the corner and act uncertain and unsure of himself, all the while making it look as though he was in fear for his life if anyone discovered the ruse. To say that he was effective in this is definitely fair. Another role that was fun to watch was his brief time in Wanted as Mr. X since it was so incredible and unbelievable that it was hard to not be entertained. Sprinting down a hallway and jumping across the gap between buildings and curving a musket ball around the side of a column was enough to make some people laugh, but it was still a pretty cool effect. Mr. X didn’t last long though since Cross had him pegged, move for move, which sounds just as impossible but also sounds like par for the course with the movie.
His role in The Departed with Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio, was kind of interesting since he played a rather dim-witted crook known as Fitzy. The guy was pretty thick to be certain since he didn’t appear smart and he didn’t talk as though he had a single brain cell rattling around in his head. But somehow that became such a great act that it fit in perfectly with the rest of the cast and made him stand out as one of the more important characters. This is the kind of talent that O’Hara has since he can act like a smart and intelligent individual while still looking like a thug, but then he can dumb his act down and appear to be just as much of a goon as he can look on-screen. Some would say that’s not too hard, but it’s bound to be difficult for some folks that have an education and don’t make it a habit to dumb themselves down for anything. Plus, it speaks of an acting range that’s impressive enough to talk about. The last role I wanted to mention though is the best since, despite the story being taken so far out of history and context, his time as Stephen in Braveheart was nothing short of brilliant. Among a group of Scottish rebels, who in real life were not wearing kilts and were likely not this ragged-looking, Stephen somehow managed to stand out since he was the nuttiest one of the bunch and conversed with God on a regular basis.
But Stephen was one of the best friends that this fictionalized version of William Wallace had since not long after meeting him he saved Wallace in the movie from another attacker and then dropped one of the best lines in the movie with “I didn’t like him anyway. He wasn’t right…in the head.” Mind you, this was coming from an Irishman that everyone already thought was loopy, so it made for the absolute perfect line. David O’Hara is by far one of the best actors whose name you don’t know but should remember after a while.
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