Vince O'Brien
Biography
Vincent J. O'Brien (January 11, 1919 – June 19, 2010) was an American character actor, who appeared as a doctor in Woody Allen's film Annie Hall (1977) and appeared on television and in print ads as the Shell Answer Man. O'Brien grew up in New Britain, Connecticut and served in the United States Army during World War II. He attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he was awarded a bachelor's degree in 1949 with a major in drama. In 1950 he moved to New York City, where he started his acting career. O'Brien's balding, mature look helped gain him roles as authority figures, with his son recalling that "he always had that older look" even in his early acting days In the 1950s, he appeared on 23 episodes of the television series Westinghouse Studio One, including an episode with Walter Matthau. During the 1960s, O'Brien appeared on the soap operas Dark Shadows, andThe Edge of Night and twice, as two different characters in two different decades, on The Guiding Light as Colonel Grove Mason (1969–1970) and Dante "Pops Cooper" Kouperakis (1987–1990). In the late 1960s and through much of the 1970s, O'Brien appeared on television and print advertisements as the Shell Answer Man, a job that he felt was "like hitting the state lottery". During the 1970s he appeared on Ryan's Hope and played a hotel doctor in Woody Allen's 1977 comedy Annie Hall. In the 1990s he had a recurring role as a judge on Law & Order. His final film appearances were in the movies Quiz Show and Six Degrees of Separation.
Known For & Full Filmography6 Titles
Drama Series - 1990, 16 episodes • as Judge Phillip Franks
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.
Movie - 1977, 2h 15m • as Hotel Doctor
New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall.
Movie - 1994, 2h 15m • as Bunny Wilson
Herbert Stempel's transformation into an unexpected television personality unfolds as he secures victory on the cherished American game show, 'Twenty-One.' However, when the show introduces the highly skilled contestant Charles Van Doren to replace Stempel, it compels Stempel to let out his frustrations and call out the show as rigged. Lawyer Richard Goodwin steps in and attempts to uncover the orchestrated deception behind the scenes.
Movie - 1993, 2h 15m • as Grandfather at Baptism
The story of a young, gay, black, con artist who, posing as the son of Sidney Poitier, cunningly maneuvers his way into the lives of a white, upper-class New York family.
Drama Series - 1978, 16 episodes • as Dr. George
Hard-boiled private detective Hamilton Nash investigates a supposed family curse linked to stolen diamonds, which unravels into a complex mystery involving murder, drugs, and a cult.
Movie - 1961, 2h 15m • as Assistant District Attorney
Venturing into some of the roughest slums of St. Louis, Jesuit priest Rev. Charles Dismas Clark dedicates himself to helping young ex-convicts who are struggling to rejoin a society that fears and rejects them. An especially wrenching case for the Reverend is Billy Lee Jackson, a troubled thief whose personal demons constantly tempt him back to a life of crime — and may ultimately make him pay the highest price for a few desperate decisions.