I came home from the Valleycats game last night, and came across a notation on a message board I frequent that Patrick Macnee, star of The Avengers, among others, had passed away earlier in the day at his home in California at 93.
Macnee, despite an extensive resume in films and television, will always be best remembered as secret agent John Steed in both TV itinerations of The Avengers, but it's easy to forget that when the series started, he had second billing, under Ian Hendry (as Dr. David Keel), but was elevated when Hendry left the show. After the short-lived New Avengers had completed production, and before it emigrated to the US, Macnee began finding steady work, appearing on such shows as Columbo, Battlestar Galactica, Gavilan, Super Force, & Thunder in Paradise.
Following is an sample Avengers clip with Macnee & Diana Rigg.
Rest in peace.
2 comments:
So sad to hear of his passing. He was one of those actors that you automatically assume will always be there. But he lived a long full life of 93 years.
I got my love of The Avengers from my dad - he was a huge fan of the show and has been in mourning ever since Diana Rigg left the show! As Mrs. Peel, she personified what all men hope to have in a woman and her effect lasts to this day.
MacNee always made me think of the quintessential Englishman and he played up to it in The Avengers. He always added a bit of class to any production he was a part of.
My dad had never seen the B/W episodes of The Avengers (the pilot up to the Honor Blackmon years). I got the opportunity to get some VHS cassettes and we watched them together - I know past cast members have their fans but we both found the show rather dull at this point in production.
I have to invest in some of those earlier DVD's. Not to mention all of the Avengers DVD's.
Macnee was one of a kind.
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