Terry O'Quinn: biography, filmography

American actor Terry O'Quinn became extremely popular due to the role of the mysterious John Locke in his favorite series "Lost" (2004-2010), although in his record there are a lot of other television and film works. This charismatic American actor of Irish descent is the owner of many prestigious awards.

Biography

Terry O'Quinn was born on July 15, 1952 in the small town of Newberry (USA, Michigan). He had 11 brothers. Despite the fact that his large family often experienced financial difficulties, even at a very young age the boy was carried away by music. He played percussion instruments in different orchestras, but his favorite was always a guitar. In order to get money for this musical instrument, he worked hard for six months in the stable. Terry O'Quinn was able to learn to play the guitar without the help of teachers on an ordinary self-tutorial, written by him in the mail.

After graduation, Terry studied at the University of Michigan in Mount Pleasant and the University of Iowa in the city of Lova. As a student, he often worked as a singer and guitarist in restaurants and nightclubs. It was rumored that one day the game was truly appreciated by the "great and terrible" Ozzy Osbourne, who heard Terry at one of these institutions.

Starting a career

In addition to music, the future star of the series has always been fascinated by acting. Terry O'Quinn, whose films for a long time did not bring him worldwide fame, made his debut in the movie in 1970, when he got the roles immediately in two low-budget tapes ("Tombstone", "Racketeer"). For several years he appeared on screens in small episodes, which in no way contributed to his success. In 1978, the aspiring actor moved to Los Angeles, where he devoted himself entirely to his career. To not be confused with another famous artist Terry Quinn, he added his name to the prefix "O".

Terry O'Quinn: filmography

For several years, the novice actor starred in films that did not bring him the desired fame. He starred in such films: "The Gates of Paradise" (1980), "All the Right Movements" (1983), "Places in the Heart" (1984), "Silver Bullet", "Shalopay", "Early Frost "(1985)," Picnic in Space "," Between Women "(1986).

True fame Terry brought the role of serial killer in the psychological drama "Stepfather" (1987). His heartfelt game was noted by both spectators and critics. It was this film that became a turning point in his film career. After him, proposals from different directors fell on Terry O'Quinn. Until 2003 he managed to star in more than two dozen films, the most popular of which are: "Young Avengers" (1988), "Step-2", "Forgotten", "Blind Fury" (1989), " Bloody Oath »(1990),« The Son of the Morning Star »,« Rocketeer »(1991),« Tumstone »(1993),« Techno Sapiens »(1994),« Primeval Fear »(1996) .), "The legend of the native city" (2002), "Old hardening", "Phenomenon-2" (2003). In the tape "Stepfather 2" Terry O'Quinn again showed his inexhaustible dramatic talent. His special black humor and a pretty smile were simply inimitable. His work was noted not only by the audience, but also by venerable film critics.

Not forgetting about his film career, Terry O'Quinn managed to appear in popular television series. Most of his roles on television were episodic, but from 1995 he began to offer more interesting works. So, he starred in "Earth-2" (1995), "Military-Legal Service" (1995-2005), "Diagnosis: Murder" (1996), "Millennium" (1996-1999 "The Cruel Kingdom" (1999), The Spy (2002-2003), The West Wing (2003-2004), The Maritime Police: Special Department (2004), " Hawaii 5-0 "(2011)," Ruined Heaven "," Park Avenue, 666 "(2012)," Criminal Communications "(2014). Terry O'Quinn performed roles in several television shows, the most famous of which are the TV series "Twilight Zone", "X-Files" and "Miami Police: Department of Morals".

A special mention deserves the cult series "Staying alive" (2004-2010), which brought the actor worldwide fame. His role as John Locke, he received without listening, but played this complex character is simply incomparable. Terry O'Quinn, whose filmography numbers more than a hundred films and telework, does not stop there. He continues to actively act in various serials, but so far he has not enough time for full-length films.

Personal life

Due to a small role in the movie "The Gate of Eden" Terry met his future wife. According to the plot of the film, his hero had to manage with horses skillfully, so he had to take riding lessons from an instructor girl named Laurie, whose family owned a small ranch. Between the young people, a warm relationship quickly developed. In November 1979, they played a wedding. Soon the young couple had two sons: Oliver and Hunter. The actor has a granddaughter.

Awards

In the treasure box of Terry O'Quinn there are several prestigious awards. In 2005 he received the Saturn Award as the best supporting actor on television. For the role with the series "Lost" in 2007, Terry O'Quinn was awarded the main US television award - "Emmy" (nomination "Best Supporting Actor"). In 2006, he received the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Awards (nomination "Best Acting Ensemble").

Interesting Facts

Fans of the actor want to know everything about Terry O'Quinn, so they will be interested in some facts from his life. The image of the "skinhead macho" is largely due to the fact that due to his physiological characteristics, the actor began to lose his hair from the age of 20.

During his career, Terry managed to try himself in directing and writing. He wrote the script and put on the musical "Orchestrin". Terry always tries to get as much as possible into the image. So, for more complete reliability of his role in the television series "Staying Alive", the actor learned how to handle knives professionally for a long time. Since his character John Locke was one of the most mysterious characters, the actor even refused to meet with his colleagues at work at parties organized by them during their free time.

Terry O'Quinn connects long years of friendship with the producers Chris Carter ("The Secret Materials") and J.J. Abrams ("Staying Alive"). The actor starred in several episodes of the cult series about the FBI agents Scully and Mulder.

After filming in the series "Staying Alive" O'Quinn bought a house in Hawaii, where he moved with the whole family. The actor loves dogs. His home pet Irish Terrier is called Reggie.