Profile Text
Birth Name: Lawrence James Tierney
Date of Birth: March 15, 1919
Place of Birth: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: February 26, 2002
Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: Irish
Lawrence Tierney was an American actor. Known for his “tough guy” screen persona, his roles included the films Dillinger (1945), Back to Bataan , Those Endearing Young Charms , The Devil Thumbs a Ride , Born to Kill , Kill or Be Killed (1950), Best of the Badmen , The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Singing in the Dark , Such Good Friends , The Prowler (1981), Stephen King’s Silver Bullet , Tough Guys Don’t Dance , Murphy’s Law , The Runestone , and Reservoir Dogs .
He was the son of Mary Alice (Crowley) and Lawrence Hugh Tierney, a police officer, who was chief of the New York City Aqueduct Police force. His brothers were actors Scott Brady (born Gerard Kenneth Tierney) and Edward Tierney. He was partly raised in Westchester County, New York. Lawrence had a daughter.
Lawrence’s paternal grandfather was James Henry Tierney (the son of John Tierney and Winnefred McGuire). James was Irish.
Lawrence’s paternal grandmother was named Mary J. Loughnane/Laughlin. Mary J. was born in Birr, County Offaly, Ireland.
Lawrence’s maternal grandfather was Timothy Francis Crowley (the son of Timothy Crowley and Alice Condon). Lawrence’s grandfather Timothy was born in Kilmallock, County Limerick, Ireland, to parents from Dungarvan, County Waterford. Alice was the daughter of James Condon and Brigid Carrol.
Lawrence’s maternal grandmother was Margaret Mae/Mary Barry (the daughter of Thomas W. Barry and Mary Cahill). Margaret was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, the daughter of Irish parents. Thomas was from County Cork. Lawrence’s great-grandmother Mary was born in Cavan, the daughter of John Cahill and Margaret Smith/Smythe.
Sources: Genealogies of Lawrence Tierney – https://www.geni.com https://www.findagrave.com