Leo McKern Biography (1920-2002)

Born Reginald McKern, March 16, 1920, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;son of Norman Walton and Vera (Martin) McKern; married Jane Holland (an artist), 1946; children: two daughters. Addresses: Agent--International Creative Management, 388-396 Oxford St., London W1N 9HE, England. Contact--c/o Richard Hatton Ltd., 29 Roehampton Ln., London SW1E 5JR, England.

Nationality: Australian
Gender: Male
Birth Details: March 16, 1920; Sydney, Australia
Death Details: July 23, 2002; Bath, England

Famous Works

Credits; Film Appearances
Third knight, Murder in the Cathedral, Classics, 1952.
Beyond This Place (also known as Web of Evidence), 1956.
Gaston Nikopopoulos, All for Mary, Rank, 1956.
Max, Yesterday's Enemy, Columbia, 1959.
Robert Stanford, Time without Pity, Eros/Astor, 1957.
McGill, X the Unknown, Warner Bros., 1957.
Chain of Events, 1958.
Attorney general, A Tale of Two Cities, Rank, 1958.
Benter, The Mouse That Roared, Columbia, 1959.
Inspector, Jazz Boat, Columbia, 1960.
Tommy Kennedy, Scent of Mystery (also known as Holiday in Spain), MichaelTodd, Jr., 1960.
Narrator, Mikhali, 1960.
Bill Maguire, The Day the Earth Caught Fire, Universal, 1961.
Headmaster Muche, I Like Money (also known as Mr. Topaze), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1962.
Brandt, Lisa (also known as The Inspector), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1962.
Simenova, Agent 8 3/4 (also known as Hot Enough for June), Continental, 1963.
Heibronn, Doctor in Distress, Rank, 1963.
Professor Bowles-Ottery, A Jolly Bad Fellow (also known as They All DiedLaughing), Continental Distributing, 1964.
Captain O'Sullivan, King and Country, Allied Artists, 1964.
Squint, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Paramount, 1965.
Clang, Help!, United Artists (UA), 1965.
Thomas Cromwell, A Man for All Seasons, Columbia, 1966.
Smith, Assignment K, Columbia, 1968.
Flannery, The High Commissioner (also known as Nobody Runs Forever), Cinerama, 1968.
Cardinal Leone, The Shoes of the Fisherman, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1968.
Captain Grimes, Decline and Fall ... of a Bird Watcher (also known as Decline and Fall), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969.
Tom Ryan, Ryan's Daughter, MGM, 1970.
General Kurt Maelzer, Massacre in Rome, National General/Compagnia Cinematografica Champion, 1973.
Moriarty, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975.
Bugenhagen, The Omen (also known as Birthmark), Twentieth Century- Fox, 1976.
Harry Bundage, Candleshoe, Buena Vista, 1978.
Bugenhagen, Damien: Omen II, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978.
Narrator, The Last Tasmanian (documentary), Artis/Australian Film Commission/Tasmanian Film Commission, 1979.
Voice characterization, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, 1979.
Paddy Button, The Blue Lagoon, Columbia, 1980.
Dr. Grogan, The French Lieutenant's Woman, UA, 1981.
Sir Frederick Carlion, Country, British Film Institute, 1981.
Narrator, Voyage of Bounty's Child (documentary), Look Film Productions,1983.
Thomas, The Chain, Rank, 1985.
Imperius, Ladyhawke, Warner Bros./Twentieth Century-Fox, 1985.
Frank, Travelling North, CEL, 1987.
Dad Rudd, Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (also known as On Our Selection), [Australia], 1995.
Credits; Stage Appearances
(Stage debut) Chemist, Uncle Harry, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Australia, 1944.
(London debut) Forester, Love's Labour's Lost, Old Vic Company, New Theatre, London, 1949.

Jeremy, She Stoops to Conquer, Old Vic Company, London, 1949.
Guildenstern, Hamlet, Old Vic Company, 1950.
Simon, The Miser, Old Vic Company, 1950.
Feste, Twelfth Night, Old Vic Company, 1950.
Nightingale, Bartholomew Fair, Old Vic Company, 1950.
Nym and Sir Thomas Erpingham, Henry V, Old Vic Company, 1951.
Nym, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Old Vic Company, 1951.
Messenger, Electra, Old Vic Company, 1951.
Confectioner, The Wedding, Old Vic Company, 1951.
Fool, King Lear, Old Vic Company, 1952.
Apemantus, Timon of Athens, Old Vic Company, 1952.
Ulysses, Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Stratford-on-Avon, England, 1954.
Gremio, The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, 1954.
Quince, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company,1954.
Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, 1954.
Title role, Toad of Toad Hall, Prince's Theatre, London, 1954.
Traveller, The Queen and the Rebels, Haymarket Theatre, London, 1955.
Claggart, The Good Sailor, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London, 1956.
Big Daddy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Comedy Theatre, London, 1958.
Tyepkin, Brouhaha, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1958.
Title role, Rollo, Strand Theatre, London, 1959.
The Common Man, A Man for All Seasons, Globe Theatre, London, 1960.
Ferrante, Queen after Death, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, England, 1961, then American National Theatre and Academy Theatre, New York City, 1961.
Title role, Peer Gynt, Old Vic Company, 1962.
Subtle, The Alchemist, Old Vic Company, 1962.
Iago, Othello, Old Vic Company, 1963.
Menenius, Coriolanus, and Governor, The Life in My Hands, both NottinghamPlayhouse, Nottingham, England, 1963-64.
Baron Bolligrew, The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1965.
Title role, Volpone, Oxford Playhouse, then Garrick Theatre, London, 1966-67.
Shylock, The Merchant of Venice, Oxford Playhouse, 1973.
Kelemen, The Wolf, Oxford Playhouse, then Apollo Theatre, later Queen's Theatre, then New London Theatre, all London, 1973.
Title role, Rollo, Royal Exchange Company, Manchester, England, 1978.
Uncle Vanya, Royal Exchange Company, 1978.
Crime and Punishment, Royal Exchange Company, 1978.
Matt Quintan, The Housekeeper, Apollo Theatre, London, 1982.
Number One, Queen's Theatre, London, 1983.
James Boswell, Boswell for the Defense, Playhouse Theatre, Melbourne, Australia, then Playhouse Theatre, London, both 1989.
Also appeared as Governor Bligh, The Man Who Shot the Albatross and Rollo, Patate, both in Melbourne, 1970-71.
Credits; Major Tours
Arts Council tours of U.K. cities, 1947; also Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions tour of Germany.
Credits; Television Appearances; Series
Horace Rumpole, Rumpole of the Bailey, Thames, 1977--, then Mystery!, PBS, 1984--.
Credits; Television Appearances; Miniseries
Nicodemus Boffin, Our Mutual Friend, BBC, then Masterpiece Theatre, PBS,1978.
Basil Zaharov, Reilly, Ace of Spies, 1983, then Mystery!, PBS, 1984.
Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
Number Two, "The Chimes of Big Ben," "Once Upon a Time," and "Fall Out,"The Prisoner, CBS, 1968.
Space 1999, syndicated, 1976.
Cyril, "A Foreign Field," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1994.
Credits; Television Appearances; Movies
Herod, The Nativity, ABC, 1978.
David Ben-Gurion, The House on Garibaldi Street, ABC, 1979.
Inspector Curry, Agatha Christie's "Murder with Mirrors," CBS, 1985.
The Last Romantics, 1991.
Duke Phillip, Good King Wenceslas (also known as The Good King), Family Channel, 1994.
Credits; Television Appearances; Specials
The Boxwallah, Yorkshire Television, 1982.
Duke of Gloucester, King Lear, PBS, 1984.
Sancho, Monsignor Quixote, Thames, 1985, then Great Performances, PBS, 1987.
Solness, The Master Builder, 1990.
Credits; Radio Appearances
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, R3, 1982.
Writings;Radio Plays
Author of Chain of Events.
Writings; Other
Just Resting (memoir), Methuen, 1983.
(Author of introduction) Volpone, Longman, 1985.

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