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{{short description|Australian actor (1920–2002)}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2020}}
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{{short description|Australian actor}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
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| birth_name = Reginald McKern
| birth_name = Reginald McKern
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|3|16|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|3|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]
| birth_place = [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|7|23|1920|3|16|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|7|23|1920|3|16|df=y}}
| death_place = {{Nowrap|[[Bath, Somerset]], [[England]]}}
| death_place = {{Nowrap|[[Bath, Somerset]], England}}
| education = [[Sydney Technical High School]]
| education = [[Sydney Technical High School]]
| occupation = Actor
| occupation = Actor
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| height = 5 ft 7 in
| height = 5 ft 7 in
| organization =
| organization =
| known_for = {{ubl | ''A Man for All Seasons'' ([[A Man for All Seasons|play]] and [[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|film]]) | ''[[Travelling North]]'' (film) }}
| known_for = {{ubl | ''A Man for All Seasons'' ([[A Man for All Seasons (play)|play]] and [[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|film]]) | ''[[Travelling North (film)|Travelling North]]'' (film) }}
| television = {{ubl | ''[[The Prisoner]]'' | ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]''}}
| television = {{ubl | ''[[The Prisoner]]'' | ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]''}}
| spouse = {{Marriage|Jane Holland|1946|2002}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Jane Holland|1946}}
| children = 2, including [[Abigail McKern]]
| children = 2, including [[Abigail McKern]]
| awards = [[AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]] (1987)
| awards = [[AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]] (1987)
}}
}}


'''Reginald "Leo" McKern''', [[Order of Australia|AO]] (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002) was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. His notable roles include Clang in ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'' (1965), [[Thomas Cromwell]] in ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966), Tom Ryan in ''[[Ryan's Daughter]]'' (1970), Paddy Button in ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)|The Blue Lagoon]]'' (1980), Dr. Grogan in ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman (film)|The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981), Father Imperius in ''[[Ladyhawke (film)|Ladyhawke]]'' (1985), and the role that made him a household name as an actor, [[Rumpole of the Bailey|Horace Rumpole]], whom he played in the British television series ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]''. He also portrayed Carl Bugenhagen in the [[The Omen|first]] and [[Damien: Omen II|second instalments]] of [[The Omen (film series)|''The Omen'' series]].
'''Reginald "Leo" McKern''', [[Order of Australia|AO]] (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002) was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. His notable roles include Clang in ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'' (1965), [[Thomas Cromwell]] in ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966), Tom Ryan in ''[[Ryan's Daughter]]'' (1970), Harry Bundage in ''[[Candleshoe]]'' (1977), Paddy Button in ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)|The Blue Lagoon]]'' (1980), Dr. Grogan in ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman (film)|The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981), Father Imperius in ''[[Ladyhawke (film)|Ladyhawke]]'' (1985), and the role that made him a household name as an actor, [[Rumpole of the Bailey|Horace Rumpole]], whom he played in the British television series ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]''. He also portrayed Carl Bugenhagen in the [[The Omen|first]] and [[Damien - Omen II|second instalments]] of [[The Omen (franchise)|''The Omen'' series]] and [[Number Two (The Prisoner)|Number Two]] in the TV series ''[[The Prisoner (TV series)|The Prisoner]]''.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Reginald McKern was born in [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], the son of Vera (née Martin) and Norman Walton McKern. Known as "Leo" from a young age, he attended [[Sydney Technical High School]].<ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/63/Leo-McKern.html Leo McKern Biography (1920–2002)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On leaving school, he initially worked in a factory, where at the age of 15, he suffered an accident which resulted in the removal of his left eye.<ref>{{Citation|title=Australian letters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8mMYAQAAIAAJ&q=%22left+eye%22|year=1957|journal=Sun Books|page=1963|volume=1|access-date=18 September 2011}}</ref> He first worked as an engineering apprentice, then as an artist, followed by service as a [[sapper]] with the [[Australian Army]]'s [[Royal Australian Engineers]] during [[World War II]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=239734|title=World War Two Nominal Roll|website=World War Two Nominal Roll|language=en|access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref> In 1944, in Sydney, he performed in his first stage role.
Reginald McKern was born in [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], the son of Vera (née Martin) and Norman Walton McKern. Known as "Leo" from a young age, he attended [[Sydney Technical High School]].<ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/63/Leo-McKern.html Leo McKern Biography (1920–2002)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On leaving school, he initially worked in a factory, where at the age of 15, he suffered an accident which resulted in the removal of his left eye.<ref>{{Citation|title=Australian letters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8mMYAQAAIAAJ&q=%22left+eye%22|year=1957|journal=Sun Books|page=1963|volume=1|access-date=18 September 2011}}</ref> He first worked as an engineering apprentice, then as an artist, followed by service as a [[sapper]] with the [[Australian Army]]'s [[Royal Australian Engineers]] during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=239734|title=World War Two Nominal Roll|website=World War Two Nominal Roll|language=en|access-date=15 May 2019|archive-date=17 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917174251/http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=239734|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1944, in Sydney, he performed in his first stage role.


==Career==
==Career==


===Theatre===
===Theatre===
McKern fell in love with Australian actress Jane Holland, moved to the [[United Kingdom]] to be with her, and married her in 1946. He soon became a regular performer at London's [[Old Vic]] theatre and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (now the [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]]) in [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], despite the difficulties posed by his [[Ocular prosthesis|glass eye]] and [[Australian English|Australian accent]].
McKern fell in love with Australian actress Jane Holland, moved to the United Kingdom to be with her, and married her in 1946. He soon became a regular performer at London's [[Old Vic]] theatre and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (now the [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]]) in [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], despite the difficulties posed by his [[Ocular prosthesis|glass eye]] and Australian accent.


McKern's most notable Shakespearean role was as [[Iago]] in ''[[Othello]]'', in 1952. In 1955 he appeared in "The Burnt Flower Bed" by Ugo Betti directed by [[Peter Hall (director)|Peter Hall]] at the Arts Theatre Club in London. He played Big Daddy in Peter Hall's production of ''[[Cat on a Hot Tin Roof]]'' at the Comedy Theatre in 1958 and went on to play the German ambassador in another Peter Hall production, ''Brouhaha'' starring Peter Sellers at the Aldwych Theatre. He originated the role of Common Man in [[Robert Bolt]]'s ''[[A Man for All Seasons]]'' in the [[West End of London|West End]] in 1960, but for the show's [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] production appeared as [[Thomas Cromwell|Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex]], a role he would reprise for the [[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|1966 film version]]. He also portrayed Subtle in [[Ben Jonson]]'s ''[[The Alchemist (play)|The Alchemist]]'' in 1962. In 1965, he played the lead in Bolt's ''The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew'', and Disson in [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[Tea Party (play)|Tea Party]]''.
McKern's most notable Shakespearean role was as [[Iago]] in ''[[Othello]]'', in 1952. In 1955 he appeared in "The Burnt Flower Bed" by Ugo Betti directed by [[Peter Hall (director)|Peter Hall]] at the Arts Theatre Club in London. He played Big Daddy in Peter Hall's production of ''[[Cat on a Hot Tin Roof]]'' at the Comedy Theatre in 1958 and went on to play the German ambassador in another Peter Hall production, ''Brouhaha'' starring Peter Sellers at the Aldwych Theatre. He originated the role of Common Man in [[Robert Bolt]]'s ''[[A Man for All Seasons (play)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' in the [[West End of London|West End]] in 1960, but for the show's [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] production appeared as [[Thomas Cromwell|Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex]], a role he would reprise for the [[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|1966 film version]]. He also portrayed Subtle in [[Ben Jonson]]'s ''[[The Alchemist (play)|The Alchemist]]'' in 1962. In 1965, he played the lead in Bolt's ''The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew'', and Disson in [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[Tea Party (play)|Tea Party]]''.


He appeared at the [[Royal Exchange, Manchester]] in ''[[Uncle Vanya]]'' in 1977 and in ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' in 1978.
He appeared at the [[Royal Exchange, Manchester]] in ''[[Uncle Vanya]]'' in 1977 and in ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' in 1978.
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===Film===
===Film===
McKern's film debut was in ''[[Murder in the Cathedral (film)|Murder in the Cathedral]]'' (1952). His more notable film appearances included the science-fiction classics ''[[X the Unknown]]'' (1956), ''[[The Day the Earth Caught Fire]]'' (1961), the World War I drama ''[[King and Country]]'' (1964), ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'' (1965), the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-winning adaptation of ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966), ''[[The Shoes of the Fisherman]]'' (1968), ''[[Ryan's Daughter]]'' (1970), ''[[Massacre in Rome]]'' (1973), ''[[The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother]]'' (1975), ''[[The Omen]]'' (1976), ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)|The Blue Lagoon]]'' (1980), ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981) and ''[[Ladyhawke (film)|Ladyhawke]]'' (1985). He was presented with the [[AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]] for ''[[Travelling North]]'' (1987). In ''[[Monsignor Quixote]]'' (1985), he co-starred as Sancho Zancas opposite [[Alec Guinness]] as Father Quixote.
McKern's film debut was in ''[[Murder in the Cathedral (1951 film)|Murder in the Cathedral]]'' (1952). His more notable film appearances included the science-fiction classics ''[[X the Unknown]]'' (1956), ''[[The Day the Earth Caught Fire]]'' (1961), the World War I drama ''[[King and Country]]'' (1964), ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'' (1965), the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-winning adaptation of ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966), ''[[The Shoes of the Fisherman (movie)|The Shoes of the Fisherman]]'' (1968), ''[[Ryan's Daughter]]'' (1970), ''[[Massacre in Rome]]'' (1973), ''[[The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother]]'' (1975), ''[[The Omen]]'' (1976), ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)|The Blue Lagoon]]'' (1980), ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981) and ''[[Ladyhawke (film)|Ladyhawke]]'' (1985). He was presented with the [[AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]] for ''[[Travelling North (film)|Travelling North]]'' (1987). In ''[[Monsignor Quixote]]'' (1985), he co-starred as Sancho Zancas opposite [[Alec Guinness]] as Father Quixote.


===Television===
===Television===
One of McKern's earliest television roles was in the 1950s black-and-white series ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as Sir Roger DeLisle, usurper of the Locksley manor and lands, and Herbert of Doncaster, a corrupt moneylender). During the 1960s, he was one of several [[Number Two (The Prisoner)|Number Twos]] in the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed TV series ''[[The Prisoner]]''. Along with [[Colin Gordon]], McKern was one of only two actors to play Number Two more than once. He first played the character in the episodes "[[The Chimes of Big Ben]]" and "[[Once Upon a Time (The Prisoner)|Once Upon a Time]]", and later reprised the role in the final episode, "[[Fall Out (The Prisoner)|Fall Out]]". The filming of "Once Upon a Time" proved to be a particularly intense experience for McKern; according to one biographer, the stress caused him to suffer either a [[Mental breakdown|nervous breakdown]] or a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] (accounts differ), forcing production to stop for a time.<ref>{{cite book|title=''The Prisoner'': The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series|last=Fairclough|first=Robert|publisher=I Books|year=2002|isbn=978-0-7434-5256-4}}</ref> In 1976 McKern narrated and presented ''The Battle of the Somme'', a [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] documentary produced to mark the 60th anniversary of [[World War I]] battle.<ref>'Battle of the Somme' television documentary, BBC (1976), British Film Institute catalogue (2020). https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6f275c56</ref> He played the Earl of Gloucester in the [[Granada Television]] production of ''[[King Lear (1983 TV drama)|King Lear]]'' (1983) with Sir [[Laurence Olivier]]. In 1983 he also starred in episodes of the mini-series ''[[Reilly, Ace of Spies]]'' as 'Zaharov', director of Vickers with [[Sam Neill]].
One of McKern's earliest television roles was in the 1950s black-and-white series ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (as Sir Roger DeLisle, usurper of the Locksley manor and lands, and Herbert of Doncaster, a corrupt moneylender).
During the 1960s, he was one of several [[Number Two (The Prisoner)|Number Twos]] in the TV series ''[[The Prisoner]]''. Along with [[Colin Gordon]], McKern was one of only two actors to play Number Two more than once. He first played the character in the episodes "[[The Chimes of Big Ben]]" and "[[Once Upon a Time (The Prisoner)|Once Upon a Time]]", and reprised the role in the final episode, "[[Fall Out (The Prisoner)|Fall Out]]". The filming of "Once Upon a Time" was a particularly intense experience for McKern; according to one biographer, the stress caused him to suffer either a [[Mental breakdown|nervous breakdown]] or a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] (accounts differ), forcing production to stop for a time.<ref>{{cite book|title=''The Prisoner'': The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series|last=Fairclough|first=Robert|publisher=I Books|year=2002|isbn=978-0-7434-5256-4}}</ref>
In 1976, McKern narrated and presented ''The Battle of the Somme'', a [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] documentary marking the 60th anniversary of the World War I battle.<ref>'Battle of the Somme' television documentary, BBC (1976), British Film Institute catalogue (2020). [https://web.archive.org/web/20220124130553/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6f275c56]</ref> He played the Earl of Gloucester in [[Granada Television]]'s production of ''[[King Lear (1983 TV drama)|King Lear]]'' (1983). Also in 1983, he starred in episodes of the mini-series ''[[Reilly, Ace of Spies]]'' as Zaharov, director of Vickers.


====''Rumpole of the Bailey''====
====''Rumpole of the Bailey''====
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===Commercial work===
===Commercial work===
Starting in 1985, McKern appeared in a series of advertisements for [[Lloyds Bank (historic)|Lloyds Bank]], playing the upholder of quality standards.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stewart-Hunter |first1=Mary |title=Lloyds Bank: How TV Advertising Helped Increase Customer Commitment |url=https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/lloyds_bank_how_tv_advertising_helped_increase_customer_commitment/en-GB/4423 |website=WARC |access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=LLOYDS BANK TV ADVERT 1986 banking in the computer age LEO MCKERN PHILIP FRANKS HD 1080P |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFXyWYnKVJU |website=Youtube |access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref> In 1987, investment firm [[Smith Barney]] selected McKern to succeed [[John Houseman]] as its spokesman. The move was part of a broader shift in their TV commercials, including hiring [[Dinah Sheridan]] to play McKern's wife.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D91030F935A2575AC0A961948260 Smith Barney In Ad Change] – ''The New York Times'', 16 September 1987</ref> In 1989, Smith Barney again changed spokesmen, dropping McKern for American actor [[George C. Scott]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Elliot |first1=Stuart |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Smith Barney summons the ghost of a haughty John Houseman in a revival of its 'timeless' ads. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/25/business/media-business-advertising-smith-barney-summons-ghost-haughty-john-houseman.html |access-date=23 December 2021 |publisher=New York Times |date=25 August 1995}}</ref>
Starting in 1985, McKern appeared in a series of advertisements for [[Lloyds Bank (historic)|Lloyds Bank]], playing the upholder of quality standards.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stewart-Hunter |first1=Mary |title=Lloyds Bank: How TV Advertising Helped Increase Customer Commitment |url=https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/lloyds_bank_how_tv_advertising_helped_increase_customer_commitment/en-GB/4423 |website=WARC |access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=LLOYDS BANK TV ADVERT 1986 banking in the computer age LEO MCKERN PHILIP FRANKS HD 1080P |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFXyWYnKVJU |website=Youtube | date=11 August 2016 |access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref> In 1987, investment firm [[Smith Barney]] selected McKern to succeed [[John Houseman]] as its spokesman. The move was part of a broader shift in their TV commercials, including hiring [[Dinah Sheridan]] to play McKern's wife.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D91030F935A2575AC0A961948260 Smith Barney In Ad Change] – ''The New York Times'', 16 September 1987</ref> In 1989, Smith Barney again changed spokesmen, dropping McKern for American actor [[George C. Scott]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Elliot |first1=Stuart |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Smith Barney summons the ghost of a haughty John Houseman in a revival of its 'timeless' ads. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/25/business/media-business-advertising-smith-barney-summons-ghost-haughty-john-houseman.html |access-date=23 December 2021 |work=New York Times |date=25 August 1995}}</ref>


===Radio===
===Radio===
McKern wrote one radio play, which became the film ''[[Chain of Events]]'' (1958). He also provided the voice of [[Captain Haddock]] in the 1992 and 1993 [[BBC Radio]] adaptation of ''[[Hergé]]'s [[The Adventures of Tintin#Television and radio|The Adventures of Tintin]]''.
McKern wrote one radio play, ''London Story'', which became the film ''[[Chain of Events]]'' (1958). He also provided the voice of [[Captain Haddock]] in the 1992 and 1993 [[BBC Radio]] adaptation of ''[[Hergé]]'s [[The Adventures of Tintin#Television and radio|The Adventures of Tintin]]''.


==Personal life==
==Personal life and death==
In 1983, McKern was appointed an Officer of the [[Order of Australia]] for his services to the performing arts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/search|title=It's An Honour search|website=Australian Honours search|access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>
In 1983, McKern was appointed an Officer of the [[Order of Australia]] for his services to the performing arts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/search|title=It's An Honour search|publisher=Australian Honours search|access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>


He frequently travelled between England and Australia, both to visit family and friends and to appear in various films and plays. As he was frightened of flying, he booked tickets to travel on cargo ships. This gave him time and peace to read scripts and contracts, with the added benefit of feeling he was on holiday.
He frequently travelled between England and Australia, both to visit family and friends and to appear in various films and plays. As he was frightened of flying, he booked tickets to travel on cargo ships. This gave him time and peace to read scripts and contracts, with the added benefit of feeling he was on holiday.


McKern informed his daughter [[Abigail McKern|Abigail]] that he suffered from [[Glossophobia|stage fright]], which became harder to control with age. He also worried that his stout frame would not appeal to audiences.{{cn|date=May 2021}}
Worried that his stout frame would not appeal to audiences, McKern suffered from [[Glossophobia|stage fright]], which became harder to control with age.<ref>{{cite news |title=Obituary: Leo McKern |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=2002-07-23 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1422476.stm |access-date=2022-03-21}}</ref>


In 1997 he appeared in a party political broadcast for the [[United Kingdom Independence Party]].<ref>{{cite book
In 1997 he appeared in a party political broadcast for the [[United Kingdom Independence Party]].<ref>{{cite book
| last = Daniel
| last = Daniel
| first = Mark
| first = Mark
⚫
| year = 2005
| title = Cranks and Gadflies: The Story of Ukip
| title = Cranks and Gadflies: The Story of Ukip
| publisher = Timewell
| publisher = Timewell
⚫
| year = 2005
| isbn = 978-1857252095
| isbn = 978-1857252095
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


McKern and his wife, fellow Australian actor Jane Holland (''[[A Son Is Born]]'', 1946), had two daughters, [[Abigail McKern|Abigail]] and Harriet.<ref name=BBCNews>{{Cite news |title=Rumpole star McKern dies |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=2002-07-23 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2146615.stm |access-date=2022-03-21}}</ref>
McKern and his wife Jane Holland had two daughters.{{cn|date=May 2021}}


Suffering in his final years from ill health McKern moved into a nursing home near [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] in [[Somerset]] in 2002, where he died a few weeks later at the age of 82. His body was cremated at Haycombe Cemetery in Bath.
Suffering in his final years from ill health, McKern moved into a nursing home near [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] in [[Somerset]] in 2002, where he died a few weeks later, on 23 July, at the age of 82; his body was cremated at Haycombe Cemetery in Bath.<ref name=BBCNews/>


==Selected filmography==
==Selected filmography==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ''[[Murder in the Cathedral (film)|Murder in the Cathedral]]'' (1952) – Third Knight
* ''[[Murder in the Cathedral (1951 film)|Murder in the Cathedral]]'' (1952) – Third Knight
* ''[[All for Mary]]'' (1955) – Gaston Nikopopoulos
* ''[[All for Mary]]'' (1955) – Gaston Nikopopoulos
* ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (1955, TV Series) – Herbert of Doncaster / Sir Roger de Lisle
* ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (1955, TV Series) – Herbert of Doncaster / Sir Roger de Lisle
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* ''[[Nobody Runs Forever]]'' (1968) – Flannery (uncredited)
* ''[[Nobody Runs Forever]]'' (1968) – Flannery (uncredited)
* ''[[Decline and Fall... of a Birdwatcher]]'' (1968) – Captain Grimes
* ''[[Decline and Fall... of a Birdwatcher]]'' (1968) – Captain Grimes
* ''[[The Shoes of the Fisherman]]'' (1968) – Cardinal Leone
* ''[[The Shoes of the Fisherman (movie)|The Shoes of the Fisherman]]'' (1968) – Cardinal Leone
* ''[[Ryan's Daughter]]'' (1970) – Thomas Ryan
* ''[[Ryan's Daughter]]'' (1970) – Thomas Ryan
* ''[[Massacre in Rome]]'' (1973) – General Kurt Mälzer
* ''[[Massacre in Rome]]'' (1973) – General Kurt Mälzer
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* ''[[The Omen]]'' (1976) – Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)
* ''[[The Omen]]'' (1976) – Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)
* ''[[Candleshoe]]'' (1977) – Harry Bundage
* ''[[Candleshoe]]'' (1977) – Harry Bundage
* ''[[Damien: Omen II]]'' (1978) – Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)
* ''[[Damien - Omen II]]'' (1978) – Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)
* ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]'' (1978–1992, TV Series) – Horace Rumpole
* ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]'' (1978–1992, TV Series) – Horace Rumpole
* ''[[The Nativity (1978 film)|The Nativity]]'' (1978, TV Movie) – [[Herod the Great]]
* ''[[The Nativity (1978 film)|The Nativity]]'' (1978, TV Movie) – [[Herod the Great]]
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* ''[[Ladyhawke (film)|Ladyhawke]]'' (1985) – Imperius
* ''[[Ladyhawke (film)|Ladyhawke]]'' (1985) – Imperius
* ''[[Monsignor Quixote (1985 TV film)|Monsignor Quixote]]'' (1987) – Sancho Zancas
* ''[[Monsignor Quixote (1985 TV film)|Monsignor Quixote]]'' (1987) – Sancho Zancas
* ''[[Travelling North]]'' (1987) – Frank
* ''[[Travelling North (film)|Travelling North]]'' (1987) – Frank
* ''[[A Foreign Field]]'' (1993) – Cyril
* ''[[A Foreign Field]]'' (1993) – Cyril
* ''[[Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995 film)|Dad and Dave: On Our Selection]]'' (1995) – Dad (Joseph) Rudd
* ''[[Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995 film)|Dad and Dave: On Our Selection]]'' (1995) – Dad (Joseph) Rudd
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0571674}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{AllMovie name}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2146615.stm BBC Online: "''Rumpole'' Star McKern Dies"]
* {{TCMDb name}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1422476.stm BBC Online Obituary]
* {{IBDB name}}
*[http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=11702 Leo McKern](Aveleyman)


{{AACTA Award Best Actor in a Leading Role}}
{{AACTA Award Best Actor in a Leading Role}}
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[[Category:Male actors from Sydney]]
[[Category:Male actors from Sydney]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate actors]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate actors]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate male actors in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Australian emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Australian emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Australian male film actors]]
[[Category:Australian male film actors]]
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[[Category:Australian male voice actors]]
[[Category:Australian male voice actors]]
[[Category:Best Actor AACTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor AACTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Deaths from diabetes]]
[[Category:Deaths from diabetes in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:People educated at Sydney Technical High School]]
[[Category:People educated at Sydney Technical High School]]
[[Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members]]
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Latest revision as of 20:28, 27 October 2024

Leo McKern
AO
McKern in Ryan's Daughter (1970)
Born
Reginald McKern

(1920-03-16)16 March 1920
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died23 July 2002(2002-07-23) (aged 82)
Bath, Somerset, England
EducationSydney Technical High School
OccupationActor
Years active1944–1999
Known for
Television
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Spouse
Jane Holland
​
(m. 1946)​
Children2, including Abigail McKern
AwardsAustralian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (1987)

Reginald "Leo" McKern, AO (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002) was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. His notable roles include Clang in Help! (1965), Thomas Cromwell in A Man for All Seasons (1966), Tom Ryan in Ryan's Daughter (1970), Harry Bundage in Candleshoe (1977), Paddy Button in The Blue Lagoon (1980), Dr. Grogan in The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), Father Imperius in Ladyhawke (1985), and the role that made him a household name as an actor, Horace Rumpole, whom he played in the British television series Rumpole of the Bailey. He also portrayed Carl Bugenhagen in the first and second instalments of The Omen series and Number Two in the TV series The Prisoner.

Early life

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Reginald McKern was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the son of Vera (née Martin) and Norman Walton McKern. Known as "Leo" from a young age, he attended Sydney Technical High School.[1] On leaving school, he initially worked in a factory, where at the age of 15, he suffered an accident which resulted in the removal of his left eye.[2] He first worked as an engineering apprentice, then as an artist, followed by service as a sapper with the Australian Army's Royal Australian Engineers during World War II.[3] In 1944, in Sydney, he performed in his first stage role.

Career

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Theatre

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McKern fell in love with Australian actress Jane Holland, moved to the United Kingdom to be with her, and married her in 1946. He soon became a regular performer at London's Old Vic theatre and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (now the Royal Shakespeare Theatre) in Stratford-upon-Avon, despite the difficulties posed by his glass eye and Australian accent.

McKern's most notable Shakespearean role was as Iago in Othello, in 1952. In 1955 he appeared in "The Burnt Flower Bed" by Ugo Betti directed by Peter Hall at the Arts Theatre Club in London. He played Big Daddy in Peter Hall's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Comedy Theatre in 1958 and went on to play the German ambassador in another Peter Hall production, Brouhaha starring Peter Sellers at the Aldwych Theatre. He originated the role of Common Man in Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons in the West End in 1960, but for the show's Broadway production appeared as Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, a role he would reprise for the 1966 film version. He also portrayed Subtle in Ben Jonson's The Alchemist in 1962. In 1965, he played the lead in Bolt's The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew, and Disson in Harold Pinter's Tea Party.

He appeared at the Royal Exchange, Manchester in Uncle Vanya in 1977 and in Crime and Punishment in 1978.

In 1989, he played James Boswell in the one-man show, Boswell for the Defence in theatres in Melbourne, Hong Kong and London.[4]

Film

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McKern's film debut was in Murder in the Cathedral (1952). His more notable film appearances included the science-fiction classics X the Unknown (1956), The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), the World War I drama King and Country (1964), Help! (1965), the Academy Award-winning adaptation of A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Ryan's Daughter (1970), Massacre in Rome (1973), The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), The Omen (1976), The Blue Lagoon (1980), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) and Ladyhawke (1985). He was presented with the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Travelling North (1987). In Monsignor Quixote (1985), he co-starred as Sancho Zancas opposite Alec Guinness as Father Quixote.

Television

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One of McKern's earliest television roles was in the 1950s black-and-white series The Adventures of Robin Hood (as Sir Roger DeLisle, usurper of the Locksley manor and lands, and Herbert of Doncaster, a corrupt moneylender).

During the 1960s, he was one of several Number Twos in the TV series The Prisoner. Along with Colin Gordon, McKern was one of only two actors to play Number Two more than once. He first played the character in the episodes "The Chimes of Big Ben" and "Once Upon a Time", and reprised the role in the final episode, "Fall Out". The filming of "Once Upon a Time" was a particularly intense experience for McKern; according to one biographer, the stress caused him to suffer either a nervous breakdown or a heart attack (accounts differ), forcing production to stop for a time.[5]

In 1976, McKern narrated and presented The Battle of the Somme, a British Broadcasting Corporation documentary marking the 60th anniversary of the World War I battle.[6] He played the Earl of Gloucester in Granada Television's production of King Lear (1983). Also in 1983, he starred in episodes of the mini-series Reilly, Ace of Spies as Zaharov, director of Vickers.

Rumpole of the Bailey

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In 1975, McKern made his first appearance in the role that would make him a household name as an actor, Horace Rumpole, whom he played in Rumpole of the Bailey, originally an episode of the BBC's Play for Today. A series of the same name, comprising 44 episodes, was produced for ITV between 1978 and 1992. According to Rumpole's creator, author John Mortimer, McKern "not only played the character Rumpole—he added to it, brightened it and brought it fully to life."[7]

Although he enjoyed the role, McKern expressed doubts about its popularity and the extent to which his life was becoming intertwined with Rumpole's. "McKern was often unhappy, decrying his television fame as an "insatiable monster". He stressed that his Peer Gynt was a greater performance and lamented: "If I get an obit in any paper, they will say, '.. of course, known to millions as Rumpole.'"[8] In the later series, his daughter Abigail McKern joined the cast as Liz Probert.

Commercial work

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Starting in 1985, McKern appeared in a series of advertisements for Lloyds Bank, playing the upholder of quality standards.[9][10] In 1987, investment firm Smith Barney selected McKern to succeed John Houseman as its spokesman. The move was part of a broader shift in their TV commercials, including hiring Dinah Sheridan to play McKern's wife.[11] In 1989, Smith Barney again changed spokesmen, dropping McKern for American actor George C. Scott.[12]

Radio

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McKern wrote one radio play, London Story, which became the film Chain of Events (1958). He also provided the voice of Captain Haddock in the 1992 and 1993 BBC Radio adaptation of Hergé's The Adventures of Tintin.

Personal life and death

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In 1983, McKern was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the performing arts.[13]

He frequently travelled between England and Australia, both to visit family and friends and to appear in various films and plays. As he was frightened of flying, he booked tickets to travel on cargo ships. This gave him time and peace to read scripts and contracts, with the added benefit of feeling he was on holiday.

Worried that his stout frame would not appeal to audiences, McKern suffered from stage fright, which became harder to control with age.[14]

In 1997 he appeared in a party political broadcast for the United Kingdom Independence Party.[15]

McKern and his wife, fellow Australian actor Jane Holland (A Son Is Born, 1946), had two daughters, Abigail and Harriet.[16]

Suffering in his final years from ill health, McKern moved into a nursing home near Bath in Somerset in 2002, where he died a few weeks later, on 23 July, at the age of 82; his body was cremated at Haycombe Cemetery in Bath.[16]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Leo McKern Biography (1920–2002)
  2. ^ "Australian letters", Sun Books, 1: 1963, 1957, retrieved 18 September 2011
  3. ^ "World War Two Nominal Roll". World War Two Nominal Roll. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  4. ^ "SNIPPETS". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926–1995). 29 June 1989. p. 11. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  5. ^ Fairclough, Robert (2002). The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series. I Books. ISBN 978-0-7434-5256-4.
  6. ^ 'Battle of the Somme' television documentary, BBC (1976), British Film Institute catalogue (2020). [1]
  7. ^ Goldman, Ari L. (24 July 2002). "Leo McKern, 82, Veteran Actor Who Gave Voice to 'Rumpole'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Expat". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012.
  9. ^ Stewart-Hunter, Mary. "Lloyds Bank: How TV Advertising Helped Increase Customer Commitment". WARC. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  10. ^ "LLOYDS BANK TV ADVERT 1986 banking in the computer age LEO MCKERN PHILIP FRANKS HD 1080P". Youtube. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  11. ^ Smith Barney In Ad Change – The New York Times, 16 September 1987
  12. ^ Elliot, Stuart (25 August 1995). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Smith Barney summons the ghost of a haughty John Houseman in a revival of its 'timeless' ads". New York Times. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  13. ^ "It's An Honour search". Australian Honours search. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Obituary: Leo McKern". BBC News. 23 July 2002. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  15. ^ Daniel, Mark (2005). Cranks and Gadflies: The Story of Ukip. Timewell. ISBN 978-1857252095.
  16. ^ a b "Rumpole star McKern dies". BBC News. 23 July 2002. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
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