Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara (born Maureen FitzSimons; 17 August 1920 24 October 2015 -) was an Irish actress and singer, who became successful in Hollywood through the 1940s and into the 60s. Her natural redhead nature made her a popular choice for her strong and intelligent characters in Westerns and adventure films. Charles Laughton was the first to recognize her star potential and introduced her to Hollywood. She also worked many times with John Ford and John Wayne as a frequent friend and director. O'Hara was raised in Dublin, Ireland by a Catholic family and wanted to become an actress from an early age. As a young girl, she began her training at the Rathmines Theatre Company and the Abbey Theatre. A screen test was administered to her, but the result did not go as well as expected. Charles Laughton, however was able to see potential and offered her the opportunity to be a part of his production Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn (1939). RKO Pictures gave her a contract. In the years...