Patrick McNee: biography, filmography, photos

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Many talented people often go behind the scenes. They can do their job well, be talented and tenacious. But they do not have the grip that those who crave fame and recognition usually have. Judging objectively, it turns out that the stars, who seem to have earned the respect, love and reverence of the viewer, are still much inferior to those who are gifted with universal attention. Unfortunately, you can learn about such people only by chance, collecting bits of information, like beads of a crumbling necklace. Patrick McNee, interesting facts about which will be presented below, was a man of action who went all his life towards his goal. And only towards the end of his life path did he achieve what he wanted.

Introduction

One of the outstanding people of the last century was Patrick McNee, an actor and producer originally from Britain. The peak of his popularity fell on the 60s, when he starred in the TV series The Avengers. Acting and producing career lasted from 1946 to 2015. Patrick McNee lived an interesting and eventful life, continuing to work until his death.

Father

The future actor was born on February 6, 1922 in London. The boy's great-grandfather Daniel McNee was a famous artist. His work is known throughout the world, and the painting "Lady in Gray" is in the galleryEdinburgh. The boy's father was a military man, he went through the First World War. After the horror of the war ended, McNee Sr. worked as a horse racing coach. He was in good standing, so he often took his son with him, teaching him riding lessons. It is interesting that the father had the nickname Shrimp, the origin of which is still unknown. But McNee Sr. had a strong disadvantage - an addiction to alcohol, which appeared after the war. Having lost his position because of this, he left for India.

Mother

Dorothy Hastings was shocked that her husband left the family. Soon she moved in with her good friend, who lived in a spacious, luxurious mansion. By that time, Patrick was already 8 years old. An influential friend was able to fully take care of mom and son. With her light hand, Patrick McNee entered the prestigious Eton School. However, due to absenteeism caused by the combination of work and study, the boy was nearly expelled.

First creative experience: Patrick McNee

His biography says that Patrick began his career at the age of 5. Then he entered the theater stage of the school in the image of a policeman in Charles Dickens's play "Nicholas Nickleby". He spends the second half of the 1930s participating in various extras. Among the works of this period, the film "Pygmalion" can be noted.

Father Returns

At the end of the 1930s, my father decided to return to his homeland, to old England. He decided to seek his fortune in Berkshire, where a large number of horse lovers gathered. The son did not see this as a solution to the problem, as the father went in search ofwork without a penny for the soul. However, to everyone's surprise, McNee Sr. has become a respected coach in a short period of time.

As a young man, Patrick McNee often visited his father. There he, along with famous jockeys, talked about the intricacies of riding. In a sense, he saw himself as a jockey in the future, but it turned out that he was not suitable for this job: as they say, he did not come out tall.

School of Theater

In 1939, Patrick graduated from Eton School. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Royal Navy. Then he spent another 9 months at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. 1940 was the debut year for the young actor: he played in the production of "When we are married" on the stage of the St. Francis Theater.

After that, he was offered several lucrative contracts, and ended up with a one-year deal, playing several key roles. In 1941, there was a slight rise in his career, caused by a role in the play "Little Women". Macnee's game received the approval of the audience, critics and the press, and soon he began to play in the best theaters of the capital. Soon McNee signed a contract to shoot in the film "Child of Thursday", but due to circumstances (service) he turned down the role.

Service and wedding

In 1942, Patrick went to the Navy. He showed excellent results. Even before the preparatory course ended, McNee was enlisted aboard the frigate. However, before the start of the service, he was able to spend some time in London. That's when he married Barbara. Douglas, with whom they studied together at the academy.

Television work

Since 1946, Patrick McNee begins to appear more and more often on television. His first work was the film "Morning Train". In 1947, he played Edgar Linton in Wuthering Heights, a drama based on the novel by Emilia Brontë. It was thanks to this small role that he was noticed. After filming ended, the actor was offered the lead role. And although it was a low-budget film, Patrick still began his solo ascent.

After the release of the tape "Fatal Night" critics noticed a rising star like Patrick Macnee. Films with his participation became more and more popular. At the same time, both specialists and the audience treated the young actor equally kindly. However, there was no big breakthrough in his career and dizzying fame.

After a while, Patrick received a call from his old friend. He invited him to move to Canada and start working on television together. After considering and weighing his prospects, the ambitious young man quickly packed up and set off.

Canada and America

Patrick McNee, whose filmography is full of minor roles, played the main character in the production of the TV series "Moonstone" (Wilkie Collins). During his work, he met many influential people who had an important impact on his career. And Patrick lived in an ordinary room in a small hostel, sharing his territory with a film critic. Once on his feet, Patrick began to appear more and more often on television and on the radio. Shared with othersCanadian actors, he gradually gained the status of "the face of TV". The archives of the Canadian Library show that Patrick McNee was the most popular actor on TV during the period 1952-1959.

Tired of Canada, the actor returned to London. There he became a member of the theater troupe, which traveled, showing the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Together with colleagues at work, he visited Broadway and Athens. Seeing America, I wanted to stay in it forever. In speed, the artist concludes a deal for a year, according to which he takes part in various television projects. Earning decent amounts, he acquires a cozy house in Malibu, the windows of which overlook the beach.

In 1957, the actor was invited to shoot in the musical "Girls" in Hollywood. Unfortunately, Patrick's small role was not appreciated. In the same year, he starred in the film Before Sailing. However, all scenes with McNee were subsequently cut. Because of this, the artist had to continue working on television. In 1958, the filming of the TV series The Veil takes place, which was very promising, but never appeared on television.

Patrick Macnee, whose photo was already familiar to almost everyone in the country, received US citizenship. Since 1959, he began his career as a director and directed several plays in various states.

Homecoming

In 1960, McNee returned to his homeland. Few people here knew him, but he had a worthy experience behind him. I had to start from scratch, but past developments made it possible to do this very quickly. He soon received an offercreating a documentary series about Winston Churchill. I had to agree, since there were no plans for much success in my acting career.

Having worked in this area, Patrick realized that this is a very profitable occupation. Based on such reflections, he decided to devote all his time to his career as a producer. Soon he received an offer to star in the series. Realizing that he had few prospects for becoming famous, and estimating his income from his current work, McNee went to the trick. He agreed, but asked for too much money. To his great surprise, the creators of the series agreed. It was the same cult Avengers project that finally brought Patrick McNee the long-awaited fame and success.

Last scene

That was the kind of person he was - actor Patrick McNee. Photos, films with his participation, roles in the series - all this will live in the memory of those who knew the talented artist. He died of old age in 2015 in California, at his own Mirage Ranch, surrounded by close and dear people.