Born February 27, 1927, in Detroit, MI; died from an overdose of sleeping pills, October 21, 1993, in Los Angeles, CA. Actor, educator, playwright, and author. Herlihy is best remembered for his stage plays and novels, which present vivid depictions of the downtrodden or troubled. Following a stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Herlihy embarked on a career in the entertainment field spanning more than forty years. He began performing on stage while astudent at the Pasadena Playhouse College from 1948 to 1950. He also began writing plays, seeing his Streetlight Sonata produced in Pasadena in 1950. By1958 Herlihy's work (Blue Denim) had found its way to the Broadway stage. Among his other popular plays was the trilogy Stop, You're Killing Me.
Herlihy also tried his hand successfully in other writing genres. In the 1950s he penned scripts for television; in the 1960s he crafted the critically acclaimed novels Midnight Cowboy and All Fall Down, both adapted for film within several years of publication. His last novel, Season of the Witch, was released in 1971. He also found time to give acting workshops at Hollywood's Milton Katselas and to teach at the City College of the City University of New York, University of Arkansas, Colorado College, University of Southern California, and other schools. He also continued to act, starring in the 1981 film The Four Friends.
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