 A charismatic Anglo-Irish actor, long in the US. After an Irish childhood, he began acting in England, with experience in rep, the West End and the Old Vic, including leading Ibsen and Shakespeare roles. A five-year Rank contract in 1955 resulted in several substantial roles, most memorably as one of the Hell Drivers (d. Cy Endfield, 1957). Concurrently, he was often starred in such TV series as Danger Man (ITV, 1960-61, 1964-67). In 1961-62, he starred in Life for Ruth and All Night Long (a contemporary jazz-set reworking of Othello), both for Basil Dearden, and The Quare Fellow (d. Arthur Dreifuss), a Dublin prison drama, followed by two lightweight British Disney films. He then pursued a somewhat risky project, the allegorical TV series The Prisoner (ITV, 1967-68), which he produced and occasionally directed and wrote (as 'Paddy Fitz'), as well as starring in this huge cult success. Relocating to the US in 1972, he worked extensively in film and TV, directing Catch My Soul (1972), as well as TV episodes. He returned to the UK to give a powerful performance as King Edward I in Braveheart (UK/US, d. Mel Gibson, 1995). Roger Philip Mellor, Encyclopedia of British Film .
|
FILM & TV CREDITS
