| Leo McKern | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 16, 1920 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | July 23, 2002 (aged 82) Bath, England |
Leo McKern, AO (March 16, 1920 – July 23, 2002) was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British television programs, movies and in over 200 stage roles. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on 14 February 1975 "for the purpose of according recognition Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1983. Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on 14 February 1975 "for the purpose of according recognition
Contents |
Biography
Early life
McKern was born Reginald McKern in Sydney, Australia, the son of Vera (née Martin) and Norman Walton McKern. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. [1] After an accident at age 15 he lost his left eye. He first worked as an engineering apprentice, then as an artist, followed by serving in the Australian Army during World War II. The Australian Army is Australia's military land force It is part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF along with the Royal Australian Navy and the World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including During the war, he made his first stage appearance in Sydney in 1944.
Career
Having fallen in love with actress Jane Holland, McKern moved to the United Kingdom to be with her and they married in 1946. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He soon became a regular performer at London's Old Vic theatre and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (now called the Royal Shakespeare Theatre) in Stratford-upon-Avon, despite the difficulties posed by his glass eye and Australian accent. The Old Vic is a Theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. "Shakespeare Theatre" redirects here For the theatre of that name in Newcastle see Shakespeare Theatre (Newcastle; for Shakespeare's original theatre see Stratford-upon-Avon (ˌstrætfɚd əpɒn ˈɛɪvən is a Market town and Civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. An ocular prosthesis or Artificial eye (a type of Craniofacial prosthesis) replaces an absent natural Eye following an Enucleation, evisceration In 1949, he played Forester in Love's Labours Lost at the Old Vic. Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare 's early comedies believed to have been written in the mid-1590s and first published in 1598 His most notable Shakespearean role was as Iago to Anthony Quayle's Othello in 1952. Iago is a Fictional character in William Shakespeare 's play Othello. Sir John Anthony Quayle, CBE ( 7 September 1913 &ndash 20 October 1989) was an English Actor and director On the West End in London, McKern originated the role of the Common Man for Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons in 1960, but for the show's Broadway production, he was shifted to the role of Thomas Cromwell, which he would reprise in the film version. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Robert Oxton Bolt, CBE (August 15 1924 – February 21 1995 was an English playwright and a two-time Oscar winning screenwriter A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt. An early form of the play had been written for BBC Radio in 1954 but after Bolt's success with Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Thomas Cromwell 1st Earl of Essex (c 1485 &ndash 28 July 1540) was an English statesman who served as King Henry VIII 's chief minister He also memorably played Subtle in Ben Jonson's The Alchemist in 1962. Benjamin Jonson ( c 11 June 1572 &ndash 6 August 1637) was an English Renaissance Dramatist The Alchemist is a Comedy by English playwright Ben Jonson. First performed in 1610 by the King's Men, it is generally
McKern's film debut came in 1952's Murder in the Cathedral. Murder in the Cathedral is a Poetic Drama by T S Eliot that portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket His other notable film appearances included the Beatles film Help! (1965), the Academy Award-winning adaptation of A Man for All Seasons (1966), Ryan's Daughter (1970), The Omen (1976), and The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981). The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Help! is a 1965 film starring The Beatles and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. A Man for All Seasons is a 1966 film based on Robert Bolt 's play of the same name about Sir Thomas More. Ryan's Daughter is David Lean 's 1970 film which tells the story of an Irish girl who has an affair with a British soldier during World The Omen is a 1976 suspense / horror Film directed by Richard Donner. The French Lieutenant's Woman is a 1969 novel by John Fowles. He was given the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Travelling North (1987). The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is an award in the annual Australian Film Institute Awards In Monsignor Quixote (1989), he co-starred as Sancho Zancas with Alec Guinness as Father Quixote. Monsignor Quixote is a Novel by Graham Greene, published in 1982. Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (2 April 1914 &ndash 5 August 2000 was an English Actor.
McKern was one of several Number Twos in the 1960s cult classic television series The Prisoner. Number Two was title of the Chief Administrator of The Village in the 1967-68 British television series The Prisoner. The Prisoner is an allegorical British 1960s Science fiction television series starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan. Along with Colin Gordon, he was one of only two actors to play Number Two more than once. Colin Gordon ( April 27, 1911 &ndash October 4, 1972) was a British actor born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka He first played the character in "The Chimes of Big Ben" and later reprised his role in the final two episodes of the series, "Once Upon a Time" and "Fall Out". " The Chimes of Big Ben " is the title of the second episode of the British Science fiction - allegorical series The Prisoner " Once Upon A Time " is the title of the 16th episode of the British Science fiction - allegorical series The Prisoner " Fall Out " is the title of the controversial seventeenth and final episode of the British Science fiction - allegorical series Filming "Once Upon a Time" was a particularly intense experience for McKern and according to The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series by Robert Fairclough, the strain of filming this episode caused McKern to suffer either a nervous breakdown or a heart attack (accounts differ), forcing production to stop for a time. Mental breakdown (also known as nervous breakdown or snapping) is a non-medical term used to describe a sudden acute attack of Mental illness such as Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply
In 1975, he made his first appearance as his most famous character, Horace Rumpole, whom he played in Rumpole of the Bailey for seven series on television until 1992. Rumpole of the Bailey is a British Television series created and written by British writer and barrister Sir John Mortimer, Rumpole of the Bailey is a British Television series created and written by British writer and barrister Sir John Mortimer, John Mortimer, the writer and creator of the show, created the part with Michael Hordern in mind ,but revised his opinion after seeing McKern in the part. Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE QC (born 21 April 1923) is an English Barrister, Dramatist and author McKern enjoyed the role but had shown concern regarding the fame and how much his life was becoming intertwined with Rumpole's. "McKern was often unhappy, decrying his television fame as an 'insatiable monster'. He stressed that his Peer Gynt was a greater performance and lamented: 'If I get an obit in any paper, they will say, '. . . of course, known to millions as Rumpole'. " [2] In the later series, his daughter Abigail McKern joined the cast as Liz Probert.
McKern became an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1983. He told his daughter Abigail that he suffered from stage fright, which became more difficult to cope with as he grew older. Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the Fear of Public speaking. He had also worried that his stout frame would not appeal to audiences. His final acting appearances came in the film Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (1999) and on stage in 2000. Suffering from diabetes and other health problems, he was moved to a nursing home near Bath, Somerset in 2002. Diabetes mellitus (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/ /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/ often referred to simply as diabetes ( Ancient Greek: grc SNF redirects here For the sports show see NBC Sunday Night Football. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. He died there a few weeks later at the age of 82. McKern was survived by his wife Jane, daughters Abigail and Harriet, and a grandchild.
In the last decade of his life, McKern also starred in a series of commercials for Lloyds Bank, widely shown on British television,in which he portrayed a character very like Rumpole. Lloyds Bank Plc was a British Commercial bank which operated in England and Wales (and to a much lesser extent Scotland) from 1833 until its
Acting roles
- Horace Rumpole in the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey
- Cyril in the film A Foreign Field (1993)
- "The Duchess" in a black and white production of Alice In Wonderland
- One of the versions of Number Two in the TV series The Prisoner. Rumpole of the Bailey is a British Television series created and written by British writer and barrister Sir John Mortimer, Rumpole of the Bailey is a British Television series created and written by British writer and barrister Sir John Mortimer, A Foreign Field ( 1993) is a motion picture about British and American World War II veterans returning to the beaches of Normandy The year 1993 in film involved many significant films (For more about films in foreign languages check sources in those languages Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865 is a novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known under the Pseudonym Lewis Number Two was title of the Chief Administrator of The Village in the 1967-68 British television series The Prisoner. The Prisoner is an allegorical British 1960s Science fiction television series starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan. He played the character in "The Chimes of Big Ben", "Once Upon A Time" and "Fall Out". " The Chimes of Big Ben " is the title of the second episode of the British Science fiction - allegorical series The Prisoner " Once Upon A Time " is the title of the 16th episode of the British Science fiction - allegorical series The Prisoner " Fall Out " is the title of the controversial seventeenth and final episode of the British Science fiction - allegorical series
- Harry Bundage in Candleshoe
- Ryan in the film Ryan's Daughter
- Thomas Cromwell in the film, A Man for All Seasons (1966) (he had played both Cromwell and the Common Man in the play's stage version)
- Clang in the Beatles' movie Help!
- A newspaper reporter in the British doomsday film, The Day the Earth Caught Fire. Candleshoe is a 1977 Walt Disney Productions live action movie based on the Michael Innes novel Christmas at Candleshoe and starring Ryan's Daughter is David Lean 's 1970 film which tells the story of an Irish girl who has an affair with a British soldier during World Thomas Cromwell 1st Earl of Essex (c 1485 &ndash 28 July 1540) was an English statesman who served as King Henry VIII 's chief minister A Man for All Seasons is a 1966 film based on Robert Bolt 's play of the same name about Sir Thomas More. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Help! is a 1965 film starring The Beatles and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy The Day the Earth Caught Fire is a 1961 British Science fiction film In this film, his character had a line of dialogue referring to his (real-life) glass eye.
- Paddy Button, the old sailor stranded with two children on a lush tropical island in the 1980 remake of The Blue Lagoon
- The Leader of the Opposition in The Mouse that Roared
- Imperius, the reclusive priest in the 1985 movie Ladyhawke
- Several roles in the late 1950s television version of The Adventures of Robin Hood (which starred Richard Greene as Robin)
- Professor Moriarty in Gene Wilder's The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
- McEvoy in Web of Evidence (1959)
- A scientist in the film X the Unknown
- Cardinal Leone in the 1968 film The Shoes of the Fisherman. The Blue Lagoon is a 1980 English language romance and Adventure film starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins The Mouse that Roared is a 1955 novel by Irish writer Leonard Wibberley that launched a series of satirical books about an imaginary Ladyhawke is a 1985 Fantasy film starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer, directed by The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive The Adventures of Robin Hood was a popular British Television series comprising 143 half-hour black and white episodes starring Richard Greene Richard Marius Joseph Greene ( 25 August, 1918 - 1 June, 1985) - some sources list his birth date as 1914 - was a noted English Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times but who remains significant in popular culture where Professor James Moriarty is a Fictional character who is the best known Antagonist (and Nemesis) of the detective Sherlock Holmes. The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother is a 1975 Anglo-American Comedy film with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Web of Evidence is a 1959 British film based on the novel Beyond This Place, by A X the Unknown is a British science-fiction / horror film made by the famous Hammer Films company and released in 1956. The Shoes of the Fisherman is a 1963 Novel by the Australian author Morris West, as well as a 1968 Film based on the
- Basil Zaharoff in the television series Reilly, Ace of Spies
- Gloucester in the 1984 TV movie King Lear, opposite Sir Laurence Olivier as King Lear
- Carl Bugenhagen in Richard Donner's The Omen
- Herod the Great in the 1978 TV-film The Nativity
- Companion to Gwent (a machine intelligence) in the 1975-77 TV series Space: 1999
References
External links
- Leo McKern at the Internet Movie Database
- BBC.co.uk: "Rumpole star McKern dies"
- BBC -- Obituary: Leo McKern
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic