Actor Michael (Patrick) Higgins died 5 November 2008 of heart failure. Born 20 January 1920 (or 1921, sources vary) in Brooklyn, New York, he won two Obies (Off Broadway theatre awards), for The Crucible (1958) and Reunion (1980). Primarily known for his stage work, he may be best known for originating the role of Frank Strang, the father of the boy who blinds horses, in Equus in 1974 (the play has recently been in the news for its current revival, with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe).
His genre credits were mostly film and television, and include: An American Carol (2008), Messengers (2004), Death Becomes Her (1992), Angel Heart (1987), The Stepford Wives (1975), The Outer Limits (“The Mice”, 1964), and Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond (“The Open Window”, 1959).
His other famous stage appearances include Romeo and Juliet with Olivia de Havilland (1951), The Lark with Julie Harris and Christopher Plummer (1955), Antony and Cleopatra with Colleen Dewhurst (1963), and The Iceman Cometh with James Earl Jones (1973).
Higgins served in the US Army in Italy during World War II, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He made his Broadway debut in Antigone in 1946. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Lee Goodwin, two sons (Sean and Christopher), a daughter (Deirdre), two brothers (Hugh and Thomas), two sisters (Marie Higgins and Anna Karlya), and four grandchildren.