Edward Mulhare

Early life and career

Mulhare, one of three brothers, was born at 22 Quaker Road, Cork, County Cork, in what was then known as the Irish Free State to John and Catherine (née Keane) Mulhare. As a child, he received his education at St. Nessan's Christian Brothers School, and later North Monastery. Mulhare, as a young adult, began schooling at the National University of Ireland in medicine, but eventually decided upon a career in theatre. After acting in various Irish venues including the Gate Theatre in Dublin, he moved to London, where he worked with Orson Welles and John Gielgud.

His best-known stage role was as Professor Higgins in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady, having taken over the role from Rex Harrison in 1957.

Television

His first television appearance was in 1956 in a production of The Adventures of Robin Hood. He was a guest panelist in 1958 on the CBS television game show What's My Line? By 1965, he was back in Hollywood appearing in films and television shows. He earned a role in the films Von Ryan's Express in 1965, Our Man Flint in 1966, and Caprice in 1967. He guest-starred in television programs, including the Twelve O'Clock High episode "Siren Voices" as Luftwaffe Colonel Kurt Halland. He also guest-starred in "Experiment In Terra", an episode of the original Battlestar Galactica. In The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, a supernatural sitcom that ran from 1968 to 1970, he starred as Captain Daniel Gregg, and again was something of a successor to Rex Harrison, who had originated the role of "The Ghost" in the original 1947 film. In the mid-1980s, Mulhare hosted the television series Secrets & Mysteries, also called Secrets of the Unknown, a magazine show that examined historical mysteries and the paranormal. His most famous role was probably as Devon Miles in the Knight Rider series.

Later years

He starred in a number of films in his career including Megaforce and Out to Sea. His final role was on Baywatch Nights alongside former Knight Rider co-star David Hasselhoff in 1997.

Death

Mulhare died of lung cancer on 24 May 1997, aged 74, at his home in Van Nuys, California. He had been battling the cancer for five months prior to his death. Team Knight Rider dedicated an episode titled "K.R.O.", to Mulhare's memory (broadcast 27 October 1997). He is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Tory Top Road, Cork City, Ireland.