American actor Terry O'Quinn became extremely popular thanks to the role of the mysterious John Locke in the beloved by many television series “Lost” (2004-2010), although his track record has a huge number of other television and film works. This charismatic American actor of Irish descent has won 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, at a very young age the boy became interested in music. He played percussion instruments in various orchestras, but the guitar was always his favorite. In order to raise money for this musical instrument, he worked hard for six months at the stable. Terry O'Quinn was able to learn to play the guitar without the help of teachers on the usual tutorial, written by him by mail.
After leaving school, Terry studied at the University of Michigan at Mount Pleasant and the University of Iowa in Lova. As a student, he often worked as a singer and guitarist in restaurants and nightclubs. Rumor had it that his game was once appreciated by the "great and terrible" Ozzy Osbourne, who heard Terry in one of these places.
Career start
In addition to music, the future star of the series has always been fascinated by acting. Terry O'Quinn, whose films did not bring him worldwide fame for a long time, made his film debut in 1970, when he got roles in two low-budget films at once (Tombstone, Racketer). For several years he appeared on the screens in small episodes, which did not contribute to his success. In 1978, the aspiring actor moved to Los Angeles, where he devoted himself completely to his career. In order not to be confused with another famous artist Terry Queen, he added his name with the prefix “O”.
Terry O'Quinn: filmography
For several years, the aspiring actor starred in films that did not bring him the desired fame. He starred in such tapes: “The Gates of Paradise” (1980), “All the Right Moves” (1983), “Places in the Heart” (1984), “Silver Bullet”, “Sloppy”, “Early Frost” "(1985)," Picnic in Space "," Between Women "(1986).
The real fame Terry brought the role of serial killer in the psychological drama "Stepfather" (1987). His soulful game was noted by both spectators and critics. This film was the turning point in his film career. After him, Terry O'Quinn poured offers from various directors. Until 2003, he managed to star in more than two dozen films, the most popular of which are: “Young Avengers” (1988), “Step-Father-2”, “Forgotten”, “Blind Fury” (1989), “ Bloody Vow "(1990)," Son of the Morning Star "," Rocketeer "(1991)," Tumstone "(1993)," Techno Sapiens "(1994)," Primal Fear "(1996 .), “The Legend of the Hometown” (2002), “The Old Quenching”, “Phenomenon-2” (2003). In Step 2, Terry O'Quinn again showed his inexhaustible dramatic talent. His special black humor and pretty smile were simply inimitable. His work was noted not only by the audience, but also by venerable film critics.
Not forgetting his film career, Terry O'Quinn managed to star in popular television series. Most of his roles on television were episodic, but since 1995, they began to offer him more and 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), “Spy” (2002-2003), “West Wing” (2003-2004), “Naval Police: Special Department” (2004), “ Hawaii 5-0 "(2011)," Collapsed Heaven "," Park Avenue, 666 "(2012)," Criminal Connections "(2014). Terry O'Quinn played roles in several television shows, the most famous of which are the series The Twilight Zone, The X-Files and The Miami Police: Morale Department.
The cult series “Lost” (2004-2010), which brought the actor worldwide fame, deserves special mention. He got his role as John Locke without listening, but this complex character played simply incomparable. Terry O'Quinn, whose filmography includes more than a hundred film and television works, does not stop there. He continues to actively star in various series, but so far he does not have enough time for feature films.
Personal life
Thanks to a small role in the film "The Gates of Paradise," Terry met his future wife. According to the plot of the film, his hero had to skillfully handle horses, so he had to take riding lessons from a girl instructor named Lori, whose family owned a small ranch. A warm relationship quickly developed between young people. In November 1979 they played a wedding. Soon the young couple had 2 sons: Oliver and Hunter. The actor has a granddaughter.
Awards
Terry O'Quinn has several prestigious awards in his piggy bank. In 2005, he received the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television. For his role in the 2007 Lost TV series, Terry O'Quinn was honored with the U.S. main television award, Emmy (Best Supporting Actor nomination). In 2006, he received the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Awards (nomination for "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 a “skinhead macho” is largely due to the fact that, due to his physiological characteristics, the actor began to lose hair from the age of 20.
During his career, Terry managed to try himself in directing and writing. He wrote the script and staged the musical Orchestra. Terry always tries to get accustomed to the image. So, for a more complete reliability of his role in the television series "Lost", the actor for a long time learned to handle knives professionally. Since his hero John Locke was one of the most mysterious characters, the actor even refused to meet his colleagues at work at parties arranged by them in their free time.
Terry O'Quinn has long been friends with producers Chris Carter (X-Files) and J.J. Abrams (Lost). The actor starred in several episodes of the cult series about FBI special agents Scully and Mulder.
After filming the series Lost, O'Quinn bought a house in Hawaii, where he moved with his whole family. The actor loves dogs. His pet breed Irish Terrier is named Reggae.