Patrick Macnee, 1922-2015
by Doc on Jun.25, 2015, under Television
Veteran British-American actor Patrick Macnee passed away earlier today at his home in Rancho Mirage, CA from natural causes. He was 93.
First and foremost he is remembered as John Steed, the James Bond-esque secret agent in The Avengers opposite the tight-suit-wearing Diana Rigg in the 60s, turning the simple Bowler hat into a weapon. But he was no stranger to genre and non-genre TV all over the map. With his distinctive voice he provided the opening narration for the original Battlestar Galactica (listen to the long form version of the narration – it still gives me chills) as well as the Cylon Emperor, and later appeared in person in a memorable guest role as Count Iblis (along with Baltar recognizing the voice of the Emperor.) No role seemed too small for him either, guesting on shows from War of the Worlds and The Love Boat to even starring in voice-only on Super Force (aside from a brief in-person appearance in the pilot). He even provided his voice to Invisible Jones in the 1998 feature film version of The Avengers.
A tip of the hat to you, sir.