Joseph Maher
Maher as St. Peter in Second Chance, c. 1987
Born	Joseph Sylvester Maher[a] (1933-12-29)29 December 1933 Westport, County Mayo, Ireland
Died	17 July 1998(1998-07-17) (aged 64) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Aughaval Cemetery
Occupations	Actor Playwright Theatre director
Years active	1959–1998

Joseph Sylvester Maher (29 December 1933 – 17 July 1998) was an Irish actor, playwright, and occasional theatre director. He was best known for his roles in the comedies of Joe Orton.^[1] He received three Tony Award nominations for his roles in the plays Spokesong, Night and Day, and Loot, with the last winning him a Drama Desk Award. His other accolades included an Obie Award and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

Maher was born in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland, on 29 December 1933. He was one of ten children born to Delia A. (née O'Malley) and Joseph Maher Sr., a schoolteacher.^[2]

Maher immigrated to Canada in 1956 and in his youth worked for an oil company. He started acting with the Canadian Players and performed across Canada for three years before moving to New York.^[3]

Maher's Broadway theatre credits include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, King Henry V, The Royal Family, Night and Day, and Loot.

Maher's film credits include For Pete's Sake, Heaven Can Wait, Time After Time, Just Tell Me What You Want, I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can, The Evil That Men Do, Frankenweenie, My Stepmother is an Alien, Sister Act, Funny Farm, I.Q., In & Out, The Shadow, Mars Attacks! and The Out-of-Towners.

Maher's appearances on television included roles in the soap operas Guiding Light and Another World. He also guest-starred in several other TV series including M*A*S*H, Wonder Woman, When Things Were Rotten, Ellery Queen, St. Elsewhere, ALF, Gimme a Break!, Moonlighting, Thirtysomething, Murder, She Wrote, Seinfeld, Tales from the Crypt and Chicago Hope.

Maher died of a brain tumor at his home in Los Angeles, California, on 17 July 1998, at age 64.^[1][3] He was buried at Aughaval Cemetery in his hometown of Westport, County Mayo.^{[citation needed]}

• Joseph Maher at IMDb
• Joseph Maher at the Internet Broadway Database
• Joseph Maher at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Joseph Maher papers, 1960-1998, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
• Joseph Maher at Find a Grave