Derrick O'Connor brought physical humour and matter-of-fact menace to supporting parts. We rate the economy of his acting: the reduced dialogue in his work with Terry Gilliam is a good reason to watch him more closely.
Fi1m perspective
In Time Bandits (1981), Derrick O'Connor reduced his dialogue to grunts and let another character translate. As Dowser in Brazil (1985), he echoed Bob Hoskins' lines rather than speaking his own. These are funny choices because they give the other performer something to deal with, rather than merely making O'Connor conspicuous. Terry Gilliam gave his preference for movement and minimal speech room to work. Their partnership began with Jabberwocky (1977), the first of their three films together.
Richard Donner's Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) puts that economy to harsher use, casting him as Pieter Vorstedt. We found his matter-of-fact delivery unsettling, because he makes threatening people seem like routine work. It is a useful performance in a sequel whose shifts between comedy and violence can be awkward, even while Mel Gibson and Danny Glover's arguing keeps it good company. O'Connor supplies menace without asking the film to pause and admire his villainy. Some of his more distinctive physical choices were trimmed in the editing, which is a pity for an actor whose movements could be as important as his lines.
Hope and Glory (1987), in which he plays Mac, is the better film, though that is not a claim that it contains his defining performance. John Boorman's affectionate account of wartime childhood belongs chiefly to its children, whose pleasure in the disruption is convincing and quietly troubling. The nostalgia sometimes softens matters too much; our recommendation rests on the children rather than on any one adult in the supporting cast. O'Connor's presence here is a useful reminder that an actor good at menace need not be assessed only by his villains.
After Lethal Weapon 2, his work moved towards American film and television, often in parts carrying authority. The later credits include Thomas Aquinas in End of Days (1999) and Father Everett in Daredevil (2003). Those roles fit the tendency, but they tell less about his inventiveness than the altered dialogue in the Gilliam films. Start with Lethal Weapon 2 for the menace, then try Time Bandits for what he could do when allowed to speak less.
Biography
Derrick O'Connor (1941–2018) was an Irish actor. Born in Dublin and raised in London, he performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Scottish National Theatre, and took leading stage roles in Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon and London's West End.
His film roles include parts in three Terry Gilliam films: Jabberwocky (1977), Time Bandits (1981) and Brazil (1985). He played Mac in John Boorman's Hope and Glory (1987) and the villain Pieter Vorstedt in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). Other credits include Deep Rising (1998), End of Days (1999), Daredevil (2003) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006). He also appeared in television series including Alias and Monk.
