If you have ever watched the FX series, American Horror Story, you know who the actor, Denis O’Hare is. If you haven’t, or if you have only seen seasons where he doesn’t look much like himself, you may have seen him in one of his movie roles or his HBO series. Dennis is actually an amazing actor who has performed in a variety of Emmy Award winning roles. If you want to know more about Denis, read on.
Early Life
Denis was born, Denis Patrick O’Hare, on January 17, 1962, in Kansas City, Missouri. His mother’s name was Margaret Karene Kennedy, and she was a musician. When Denis was a child, he watched her play the organ every Sunday in church on Sundays. Sadly, she passed away on October 8, 2008. Denis’ father’s name was John M. O’Hare. He is Irish, and he holds an Irish passport.
He also has three sisters named Patricia, Pam, and Kathleen and just one brother named Michael. When Denis was young, his family lived in a Detroit suburb, Southfield. When he was 15 years old, his family moved which was difficult for him at first, however, he adjusted quickly.
Bit By the Acting Bug
When Denis was a teenager, he was in the choir at school. In 1974, he went to His first audition for the community theater production of Show Boat, where he landed a role in the chorus. After that production, he left Chicago for college. He went to Northwestern University where he studied theater.
Personal Life
On July 28, 2011, O’Hare married His longtime partner, Hugo Redwood. The couple has a son who they adopted named Declan.
He Has Won Many Awards
Over the years, Denis has won a variety of awards for his performances. His first was a Tony Award in Richard Greenberg’s Take Me Out. It has been said that His character’s long, drawn out monologues are what helped him win the award. In 2005, he won the Drama Desk Award for His role in the Broadway show, Sweet Charity, where he played Oscar Lindquist. He was also nominated for the Best Performance by a Feature Actor for his outstanding performance in Assassins.
Denis Took on a Variety of Guest Roles
Over the years, he took on a variety of guest starring roles. He appeared in Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He also played in several episodes of Brothers & Sisters. According to Denis, it was these roles that prepared him to play different people, with different backgrounds, and different lives.
Breakout Into Film
After His appearances in television and theater, he decided to move onto film. When he made that decision, he didn’t have to wait too long to get His break. He starred in a variety of films including The Anniversary Party, Garden State, Michael Clayton, 21 Grams, Edge of Darkness, and Milk. Even though he is back on television now and he is really sinking His teeth into the roles that he lands, he is not against starring in another feature film at some point.
His HBO Series
In 2010, Denis joined the cast of True Blood. The show was in its third season, and he played Russell Edgington. He was Mississippi’s vampire king, who was said to be 2,800 years old. According to Denis, it was one of His favorite roles of His entire career.
American Horror Story
Denis first appeared in the first season of American Horror Story, which was Murder House. He played a man named Larry Harvey. He sat out season 2, however, he returned to the show for season three, where he played Spalding, the house butler on the Coven season. In the fourth season, Freak Show, he had a larger role, where he played a con-artist named Stanley who was very mean and endowed.
His character met an unfortunate demise at the end of the season. He had a major role in the Hotel season, where he played hotel employee, Liz Taylor. In the most recent season, Roanoke, he had a much smaller part, playing Dr. Elias Cunningham.
He Didn’t Know Much About His Liz Taylor Character
According to Denis, he didn’t know much about the Liz Taylor character in American Horror Story: Hote when he signed on. All he was told was that the character had a shaved head, full lips, Cleopatra eyes, and that she had to be gorgeous. He said that taking on a role like this was not what he was used to, and he was a bit concerned at first. In the end, Denis said that it was an amazing experience.
He got to have a sex scene, he got to work with Lady Gaga, and as always, he got to work with the American Horror Story troupe. In the end, he made Liz Taylor amazing. The audience felt for her time and time again through flashbacks of her past and also things that she was dealing with in her present.
He took the role of a man and a woman and made the role totally his. The audience says that of all the seasons of American Horror Story that Denis starred in, the role of Liz Taylor was by far the best.
He Remained in Character While Playing Spalding
When Denis was playing Spalding on the Coven season of American Horror Story, he stayed in character all the time. His character had His tongue cut out, which made it impossible for the character to speak. When the cameras stopped rolling, he relied on hand gestures to relay His thoughts and feelings to His cast members. It made some of the cast a bit uneasy, however, Denis is dedicated to His craft.
He was willing to do whatever it took to really immerse himself into the role. In the end, it worked for him. He was truly believable as a tortured mute in the season. According to Denis, he wasn’t too worried about making His fellow cast members uneasy. He joked that considering the content of each of the seasons, it is impossible not to feel a little bit uneasy.
Denis O’Hare is an amazing actor. Whether he is playing a role in the theater, on television, or on the big screen, he truly dedicates himself to His roles. Making himself as believable as possible in His roles is His major priority. He has come really far since His first role in the chorus in a community theater production.
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