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by David K. Smith Born 6 February 1922 in London, England, to a wealthy and extraordinarily eccentric
family, Patrick Macnee (who pronounces his last name
"MACK-knee") spent much of the first eleven years of his life wearing kilts. As
his father, a race horse trainer, drank and gambled the family's money away, his lesbian
mother and her lover raised Patrick. His film career began in 1943 while he was serving
in the Royal Navy, and it might have ended abruptly at that point as he was nearly killed.
On the one occasion he did not set sail on his ship owing to illness, the ship was blown
out of the water. After nearly being expelled from Eton for running a gambling ring, he attended the
Webber Douglas School of Dramatic Art in 1949. Steady work in the U.K. was not forthcoming, and so he decided to investigate the thriving film industry in
Canada, leaving his wife and two children
in London. In 1954 he came to Broadway
with the Old Vic troupe, and eventually hit Hollywood, working sporadically in film and
television, playing mostly what he referred to as "villainy in a tri-corner
hat." In the process he'd fallen out of touch with his wife and children, something
he deeply regrets to this day. Returning to Britain around 1959, Patrick landed an opportunity to co-produce a TV series entitled Winston
Churchill - The Valiant Years. Two years later, Sydney Newman was about to make
television history with a new TV series entitled The Avengers, and made Patrick an
offer he couldn't refuse. Although Patrick wanted to continue producing, Sydney convinced
the starving artist to accept the role of John Steed. He remained the sole continuous cast
member throughout the series' lengthy, on-again off-again history. Afterward he returned to America and spent some time living as a beach bum,
then went on to appear in countless television shows and films, mostly in
light comic roles. He also penned a few books, voiced Jack Higgins stories
on audio cassette, and narrated quite a number of video series on ghosts,
UFOs and other supernatural phenomena. A birdwatcher (both the feathered
and human varieties), Macnee received an award from the Bureau of Federal
Aviation for preventing terrorism on aircraft. Macnee's father was Daniel Macnee; his mother, Dorothea Mary Henry. His first wife was Barbara
Douglas; married November 1942, divorced 1956. Children from this marriage were Rupert
(a TV producer) and Jenny. His second wife was Catherine Woodville (Dr. Keel's fiancée in "Hot Snow"); married 1965, divorced 1969. His third wife is Baba Sekely
(Baba Majos de Nagyzsenye), married February 1988; he became a grandfather that same year.
By the way, apparently David Niven is not Patrick's cousin, contrary to many tales.
Considered by many to be the "consummate British actor," he has actually
been an American citizen since 1959.
- The Avengers and Me (1998)
- Blind in One Ear: The Avenger Returns (1992)
- Deadline (1965)
- Dead Duck (1965)
Stage |
1987 |
Sleuth |
1986 |
Killing Jessica |
1984 |
Sleuth |
1983 |
Don Juan In Hell |
1982 |
House Guest |
1975 |
Made In Heaven |
1973 |
Absurd Person Singular |
1973 |
The Secretary Bird |
1972 |
Sleuth |
1970 |
The Grass Is Greener |
1969 |
The Secretary Bird |
1954 |
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
195? |
The Wedding Ring |
195? |
Mansfield Park |
195? |
The Holly and the Ivy |
195? |
Ardèle |
195? |
Victoria Regina |
195? |
The School for Scandal |
195? |
The Heiress |
195? |
Harvey |
1951 |
The Wind and the Rain |
1951 |
Mansfield Park |
1947 |
Julius Caesar |
1947 |
The White Devil |
194? |
The Assassin |
194? |
Once There Was Music |
1941 |
Little Women |
1941 |
Broken Blossoms |
19?? |
The Winter's Tale |
| |
Film |
1998 |
The Avengers |
Voice of Invisible Jones |
1991 |
Waxwork II: Lost in Time |
Sir Wilfred |
1990 |
Chill Factor |
Carl Lawton |
1989 |
Cult People |
Himself |
1989 |
The Eye of the Widow |
1989 |
Masque of the Red Death |
Machiavel |
1989 |
Transformations |
Father Christopher |
1989 |
Scared Silly |
1988 |
Lobster Man from Mars |
Professor Plocostomos |
1988 |
Waxwork |
Sir Wilfred |
1988 |
Alien Transformation |
1985 |
A View to a Kill |
Sir Godfrey Tibbett |
1985 |
Shadey |
Sir Cyril Landau |
1984 |
Down Under |
Narrator |
1984 |
This Is Spinal Tap |
Sir Denis Eaton-Hogg |
1982 |
Young Doctors in Love |
Jacobs |
1981 |
The Creature Wasn't Nice, a.k.a. Spaceship,
a.k.a. Naked Space |
Dr. Stark |
1981 |
The Hot Touch |
Vincent Reyblack |
1981 |
Sweet Sixteen |
Dr. John Morgan |
1980 |
The Sea Wolves |
Major "Yogi" Crossley |
1980 |
The Howling |
Dr. George Waggner |
1977 |
Dead of Night |
1977 |
King Solomon's Treasure |
Captain Good R.N. |
1972 |
Bloodsuckers, a.k.a. Incense for the Damned |
Derek Longbow |
1959 |
Mission of Danger |
1958 |
Destination Nightmare |
1957 |
Jane Eyre |
1957 |
Les Girls |
Sir Percy |
1957 |
Until They Sail |
Private Duff |
1956 |
The Battle of the River Plate,
a.k.a. Pursuit of the Graf Spee |
Lieut. Commander Medley |
1955 |
Three Cases of Murder |
1951 |
The Elusive Pimpernel,
a.k.a. The Fighting Pimpernel |
Hon. John Bristow |
1951 |
A Christmas Carol |
Young Jacob Marley |
1950 |
The Girl is Mine |
Hugh Hurcombe |
1950 |
Flesh and Blood |
(uncredited) |
1950 |
Dick Barton at Bay |
1949 |
All Over the Town |
1948 |
The Small Back Room |
1948 |
Hamlet |
1948 |
The Fatal Night |
Tony |
1942 |
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp |
(unbilled extra) |
1938 |
Pygmalion |
(unbilled extra) |
| |
Teleplays/TV Movies |
1999 |
Spies On Spies |
1999 |
Nancherro |
1998 |
Coming Home |
Lord Peter Alwiscombe |
1993 |
The Hound of London |
Sherlock Holmes |
1991 |
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw |
Sir Colin |
1991 |
P.S. I Luv U |
Uncle Ray Bailey |
1991 |
Sherlock Holmes and the Incident at Victoria Falls,
a.k.a. The Star of Africa |
Dr. John Watson |
1990 |
Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady |
Dr. Watson |
1990 |
The Golden Years of Sherlock Holmes |
1989 |
The Search for Haunted Hollywood |
1989 |
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol |
Host |
1989 |
The Return of Sam McCloud |
Tom Jamison |
1989 |
Sorry, Wrong Number |
1989 |
Dick Francis: Twice Shy |
Geoffrey Keeble |
1989 |
Dick Francis: Blood Sport |
Geoffrey Keeble |
1986 |
Club Med |
Gilbert Anthony Paige |
1983 |
Automan |
Lydell Hamilton |
1982 |
The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. |
Sir John Raleigh |
1982 |
Rehearsal for Murder |
David Mathews |
1979 |
The Fantastic Seven, a.k.a. Steel Glory |
Boudreau |
1979 |
The Billion Dollar Threat |
Horatio Black |
1979 |
Evening in Byzantium |
Ian Waldeigh |
1976 |
Sherlock Holmes in New York |
Doctor Watson |
1975 |
Matt Helm |
Shawcross |
1969 |
Mr. Jericho |
Dudley Jericho |
1964 |
Captain Carvallo |
Captain Carvallo |
1961 |
The Winter's Tale |
Polixenes |
1958 |
The Veil |
Constable Hawton |
1956 |
The Importance of Being Earnest |
Algernon |
1956 |
A Night to Remember |
Thomas Andrews |
1953 |
Othello |
Cassio |
1949 |
Macbeth |
Malcolm |
1947 |
Hamlet |
1946 |
Morning Departure |
| |
TV Series |
2002 |
America's War - World War II in Color |
Narrator |
2000 |
Family Law |
1998 |
In Search of History: Bloody Olde England |
Host |
1994 |
Mysteries, Magic and Miracles |
Host |
1991 |
P.S. I Luv U |
Uncle Ray Bailey |
1993 |
Thunder in Paradise |
Edward Whitaker |
1993 |
Super Force |
Voice of E.B. Hungerford |
1989 |
Around the World in 80 Days (miniseries) |
Ralph Gautier |
1984 |
Empire |
Calvin Cromwell |
1982 |
Gavilan |
Milo Bentley |
1982 |
For the Term of His Natural Life (miniseries) |
Major Vickers |
1978 |
Battlestar Galactica |
Narrator; Voice of the Imperious Leader; Count Iblis |
1976 |
The New Avengers |
John Steed |
1961 |
The Avengers |
John Steed |
1959 |
Swamp Fox |
Captain Dragoon |
| |
TV Guest Appearances |
2001 |
Frasier |
"The Show Must Go Off" |
Cecil Hedley |
2000 |
Family Law |
"Second Chance" |
Sir Thomas Matthews |
1998 |
Night Man |
Pilot; "Devil In Disguise"
"Bad to the Bone"
"Do You Believe in Magic?" |
Dr. Walton |
1997 |
Diagnosis Murder |
"Discards" |
Bernard Garrison |
1997 |
Spy Game |
"Why Spy?" |
Mr. Black |
1997 |
Spy Game |
"How Diplomatic Of You",
"Go, Girl" |
Dr. Quentin |
1993 |
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues |
"Dragonswing", "Dragonswing II" |
Steadman |
1992 |
Murder, She Wrote |
"The Dead File" |
Dayton Whiting |
1992 |
Coach |
"Dresswreckers" |
Mr. Thind |
1992 |
Dream On |
"B.S. Elliot" |
Elliot Sterns |
1992 |
Without Walls |
"The Avengers" |
Himself |
1990 |
The Ray Bradbury Theatre |
"Usher II" |
Stendahl |
1990 |
Christmas with the Stars |
1989 |
War of the Worlds |
"Epiphany" |
Valery Kedrov |
1988 |
Murphy's Law |
1988 |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents |
"Survival of the Fittest" |
Thaddeus |
1987 |
Where There's A Will |
1986 |
Blacke's Magic |
1986 |
Mary |
1985 |
Lime Street |
1985 |
Murder, She Wrote |
"Sing a Song of Murder" |
Oliver Trumbull |
1985 |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents |
"Survival of the Fittest" |
Thaddeus |
1984 |
The Love Boat |
1984 |
Ultra Quiz |
1984 |
Hart to Hart |
"Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch" |
Matthew Grade |
1984 |
Magnum P.I. |
"Holmes Is Where the Heart Is" |
David Worth/Chee |
1983 |
Hotel |
"Hearts and Minds" |
1981 |
Vegas |
"Murder By Mirrors" |
Lyle Jeffires |
1981 |
Dick Turpin |
"The Greatest Adventure" |
Lord Melford |
1981 |
House Calls |
|
Uncle Digby |
1980 |
The Littlest Hobo |
"Diamonds Are a Dog's Best Friend" |
Elmer |
1979 |
$weepstake$ |
1978 |
The Hardy Boys Mysteries |
"Assault on the Tower" |
"S" |
1975 |
Columbo |
"Troubled Waters" |
Captain Gibbon |
1973 |
Diana |
Bryan Harris |
1971 |
Alias Smith and Jones |
"The Man Who Murdered Himself" |
Norman Alexander |
1971 |
Night Gallery |
"Logoda's Heads" |
Major Crosby |
1964 |
Armchair Theatre |
"The Importance of Being Earnest" |
Algernon |
1964 |
Love Story |
"Divorce, Divorce" |
Alan |
1964 |
Love Story |
"I Love, You Love, We Love" |
Crawford |
1962 |
The Virginian |
"A King's Ransom" |
1960 |
Armchair Theatre |
"The Innocent" |
David Manning |
1959 |
The Twilight Zone |
"Judgment Night" |
First Officer |
1959 |
Black Saddle |
"Client: McQueen" |
Michael Kent |
1959 |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents |
"The Crystal Trench" |
Professor Kersley |
1959 |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents |
"Arthur" |
Sergeant Farrell |
1959 |
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond |
"Night of April 14th" |
Eric Farley |
1958 |
Northwest Passage |
"The Red Coat" |
1956 |
Star Tonight |
"The Girl" |
1955 |
On Camera |
"Skyscraper", "The
Lair", "Our Lady's Tumbler", "August Heat",
"The Queen's Ring" |
| |
Direct-to-Video |
2001 |
The Royal Doulton Story |
Presenter |
2000 |
Inside Dr. No |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside On Her Majesty's Secret Service |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside The Man With The Golden Gun |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside The Spy Who Loved Me |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside Moonraker |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside From Russia With Love |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside You Only Live Twice |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside Diamonds Are Forever |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside Octopussy |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside A View To A Kill |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside The Living Daylights |
Narrator |
2000 |
Inside License to Kill |
Narrator |
1999 |
The Making of Goldfinger |
Narrator |
1999 |
The Goldfinger Phenomenon |
Narrator |
1999 |
The Making of Thunderball |
Narrator |
1999 |
The Thunderball Phenomenon |
Narrator |
1999 |
Inside Live and Let Die |
Narrator |
1999 |
Inside For Your Eyes Only |
Narrator |
1999 |
Inside Licence To Kill |
Narrator |
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