Alec Mccowen
About
Biography
Filmography
Bibliography
Notes
Named Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Biography
Alec McCowen was a lauded British stage and screen actor who appeared in dozens of movies throughout his 50-year career. Born and raised in the English town of Tunbridge Wells, McCowen always had a desire to perform. His mother was a dancer and early on instilled in young Alec a passion for entertaining others. Thus, when it came time to receive his formal acting training, McCowen enrolled in London's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). McCowen excelled at the RADA and soon developed a passion for stage acting. Beginning in the early 1940s, he started appearing in numerous plays throughout England. McCowen quickly developed a reputation as a noteworthy stage actor and by the early 1950s he was appearing in plays both in London and in New York City. In addition to his stage acting, McCowen landed his first film role in 1953 in the adventure drama "The Cruel Sea." Several more film roles in the 1950s followed, including "The Deep Blue Sea" (1955), "Time Without Pity" (1957) and "The Silent Enemy" (1958). Then in 1962 McCowen joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he began appearing in the playwright's most important work, thus adding further prestigious to his already remarkable stage-acting career. Over the course of the next several decades McCowen successfully juggled both film and stage work, appearing consistently in both films and plays throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. His more notable film work during this period included roles in Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V" (1989), Martin Scorsese's Edith Wharton adaptation "The Age of Innocence" (1993), and a small role in Scorsese's Oscar-nominated historical epic "Gangs of New York," which would also be his last film appearance. McCowen died at his home in London on February 7, 2017. He was 91.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1942
Stage debut as Micky in "Paddy, the Next Best Thing"
1945
Toured Indian and Burmese cities in "Love in a Mist"
1950
First role in London, Maxim in "Ivanov"
1951
Accompanied Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh to New York, making his Broadway debut as a messenger in "Anthony and Cleopatra"
1953
Film debut in "The Cruel Sea"
1954
Portrayed Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Barnaby Tucker in English stage versions of "Moulin Rouge" and Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker"
1958
Appeared as a passenger on board the Titanic in "A Night to Remember"
1959
Nabbed a recurring role on the TV series "Love and Mr Lewisham"
1962
Delivered a nice turn as a psychiatrist in Tony Richardson's "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner", adapted to the screen by Alan Silitoe from his short story
1962
Joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing the Fool to Paul Scofield's Lear in "King Lear"
1964
Reprised "Lear" role opposite Scofield in RSC production at NYC's State Theatre
1965
Played the title character on the TV series "Alexander Graham Bell"
1970
Played title role in Birmingham Repertory Theatre production of "Hamlet"
1972
Acted in the films of two giants, George Cukor's "Travels With My Aunt" and Alfred Hitchcok's "Frenzy"
1972
Directed London stage production of "While the Sun Shines"
1973
Partnered opposite Diana Rigg in Tony Harrison's inspired reworking of Moliere's "The Misanthrope"
1975
Reprised Alceste for Broadway production of "The Misanthrope"
1977
Performed the role of Martin Dysart on Broadway in "Equus", reprising the role he had played at the Old Vic in 1973
1978
Starred in one-man-show, "St Mark's Gospel", in both London and NYC; adapted the script and directed all incarnations; received third Tony nomination
1983
As Q, 007's favorite science expert, displayed the latest gadgetry to Sean Connery in "Never Say Never Again"
1987
Delivered a thoroughly enjoyable turn as the Wing Commander, one of Julie Walters' bizarre menage, in the film "Personal Services"
1987
Played Acting High Commissioner in Richard Attenborough's "Cry Freedom"
1989
Interrupted tour of his one-man-show "Shakespeare, Cole and Company" to play the Bishop of Ely in Kenneth Branagh's film version of "Henry V"
1993
Portrayed Sillerton Jackson in Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence", adapted from the Edith Wharton novel
1993
Provided narration for HBO's "Shakespeare: The Animated Tales" version of "Macbeth"
1996
Narrated HBO's "Shakespeare: The Animated Tales" version of "King Richard III"
2000
Had supporting role in the acclaimed British miniseries "Longitude"
2000
Made cameo appearance in the BBC adaptation of "David Copperfield"
2002
Final screen film role as Reverend Raleigh in "Gangs of New York"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Bibliography
Notes
Named Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
