Maureen Paula O'Sullivan (May 17, 1911 – June 23, 1998) was an Irish and American actress. She played Jane in the Tarzan series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She also starred in dozens of feature films across… Maureen Paula O'Sullivan (May 17, 1911 – June 23, 1998) was an Irish and American actress. She played Jane in the Tarzan series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She also starred in dozens of feature films across a span of more than half a century and performed with such stars as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, Fredric March, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, the Marx Brothers and Woody Allen. In 2020, she was listed at number eight on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.
O'Sullivan was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland. After attending schools in Dublin, England, and France, she moved to Hollywood to work for Fox Film Corporation. Her film career began in the 1930s, and she eventually became a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She is best known for playing Jane Parker in six Tarzan films between 1932 and 1942, alongside Johnny Weissmuller. She also appeared in films such as The Thin Man (1934), Anna Karenina (1935), A Day at the Races (1937), Pride and Prejudice (1940), and Maisie Was a Lady (1941). She took a break from acting to care for her family but later returned to the screen in films directed by her husband, John Farrow. She continued to work in film and theatre throughout her life, including appearances in Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Francis Ford Coppola's Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), and in Stranded (1987).
O'Sullivan was married twice, first to John Farrow, with whom she had seven children, including actress Mia Farrow, and later to businessman James Cushing. She became a U.S. citizen in 1947 and was a registered Democrat. O'Sullivan died in 1998 at the age of 87. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is remembered for her contributions to the art of film, including receiving the George Eastman Award in 1982.
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