Irish-American actress Maureen O’Hara, known for her roles with western legend John Wayne, has died at 95 according to the New York Times.
“Ms. O’Hara was called the Queen of Technicolor, because when that film process first came into use, nothing seemed to show off its splendor better than her rich red hair, bright green eyes and flawless peaches-and-cream complexion,” writes the paper. “One critic praised her in an otherwise negative review of the 1950 film Comanche Territory with the sentiment ‘Framed in Technicolor, Miss O’Hara somehow seems more significant than a setting sun.’ Even the creators of the process claimed her as its best advertisement.”
O’Hara, who was born in Dublin, had leading roles in some of Hollywood’s biggest productions, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, How Green Was My Valley, This Land Is Mine, and Miracle on 34th Street. The spirited star has often spoken about her struggles as a woman in Hollywood. “I wouldn’t throw myself on the casting couch, and I know that cost me parts. I wasn’t going to play the whore. That wasn’t me,” she told the Telegraph in 2014. “I’ve always been a tough Irish lass,” she remarked. “I proved there was a bloody good actress in me. It wasn’t just my face. I gave bloody good performances.”