Patrick Macnee(1922-2015)
- Actor
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Producer
British actor Patrick Macnee was born on February 6, 1922 in London,
England into a wealthy and eccentric family. His father, Daniel Macnee,
was a race horse trainer, who drank and gambled away the family
fortune, leaving young Patrick to be raised by his lesbian mother,
Dorothea Mary, and her partner. Shortly after graduating from Eton
(from which he was almost expelled for running a gambling ring), Macnee
first appeared on stage and made his film debut as an extra in
Pygmalion (1938). His career was
interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Royal Navy.
After military service, Macnee attended the Webber Douglas School of
Dramatic Art in London on scholarship. He also resumed his stage and
film career, with bit parts such as Young Jacob Marley in
A Christmas Carol (1951). Disappointed with his
limited roles, Macnee left England for Canada and the United States.
In 1954, he went to Broadway with an Old Vic troupe and later moved on
to Hollywood, where he made occasional television and film appearances
until returning to England in 1959. Once back home, he took advantage
of his producing experience in Canada to become co-producer of the
British television series
Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years (1960).
Shortly thereafter, Macnee landed the role that brought him worldwide
fame and popularity in the part of John Steed, in the classic British
television series
The Avengers (1961). His close
identification with this character limited his career choices after the
cancellation of the series in 1969, prompting him to reprise the role
in The New Avengers (1976),
which, though popular, failed to recapture the magic of the original
series. During the 1980s and 1990s, Macnee became a familiar face on
American television in such series as
Gavilan (1982),
Empire (1984),
Thunder in Paradise (1994)
and NightMan (1997). In the past
decade, Macnee has also made several audio recordings of book fiction.
England into a wealthy and eccentric family. His father, Daniel Macnee,
was a race horse trainer, who drank and gambled away the family
fortune, leaving young Patrick to be raised by his lesbian mother,
Dorothea Mary, and her partner. Shortly after graduating from Eton
(from which he was almost expelled for running a gambling ring), Macnee
first appeared on stage and made his film debut as an extra in
Pygmalion (1938). His career was
interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Royal Navy.
After military service, Macnee attended the Webber Douglas School of
Dramatic Art in London on scholarship. He also resumed his stage and
film career, with bit parts such as Young Jacob Marley in
A Christmas Carol (1951). Disappointed with his
limited roles, Macnee left England for Canada and the United States.
In 1954, he went to Broadway with an Old Vic troupe and later moved on
to Hollywood, where he made occasional television and film appearances
until returning to England in 1959. Once back home, he took advantage
of his producing experience in Canada to become co-producer of the
British television series
Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years (1960).
Shortly thereafter, Macnee landed the role that brought him worldwide
fame and popularity in the part of John Steed, in the classic British
television series
The Avengers (1961). His close
identification with this character limited his career choices after the
cancellation of the series in 1969, prompting him to reprise the role
in The New Avengers (1976),
which, though popular, failed to recapture the magic of the original
series. During the 1980s and 1990s, Macnee became a familiar face on
American television in such series as
Gavilan (1982),
Empire (1984),
Thunder in Paradise (1994)
and NightMan (1997). In the past
decade, Macnee has also made several audio recordings of book fiction.