Roddy McDowall

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Roddy McDowall at the 1988 Academy Awards

Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall (born September 17, 1928 in London , England - † October 3, 1998 in Studio City , Los Angeles , California ) was a British actor . He began his film career as a child actor and continued it successfully as an adult. McDowall lived most of his life in the United States .

life and work

Roddy McDowall made his debut as a child in the 1938 film Murder in the Family. His breakthrough came in 1941 when he starred in John Ford's drama The Storming Weather , which is about the break-up of a Welsh family of miners and won five Academy Awards. In Heimweh (1943) he played alongside Elizabeth Taylor , with whom he was friends until the end of his life. He became well known for the Planet of the Apes films; later he also appeared in the television series Planet of the Apes .

Especially in the 1960s and 1970s, McDowall was seen in several Disney films, for example, he played the title role in the western comedy Bullwhip Griffin or Gold Rush in California . McDowall was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Octavian in the movie Cleopatra . He was part of the board of directors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . He was also in demand as a voice actor for animation and film, among other things, as the voice of the robot VINCENT. in The Black Hole and in The Great Crawling , one of his last works. He has also made many guest appearances on television programs over the years.

In 1974, McDowall was charged with illegally distributing copies of films. The FBI ransacked his house and confiscated his extensive film collection of 16mm reels and videotapes that he had made as a film fan and collector. At that time there was no market for video cassettes because players were not yet freely available. No charges were brought against him because McDowall was cooperating with the FBI.

Roddy McDowall died of lung cancer in his Los Angeles home in 1998 at the age of 70 . The actor was unmarried and had no children, but was known for his large circle of friends.

Filmography (selection)

Awards

  • 1960: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his television work
  • 1961: Emmy Award - Best Guest Actor Award for Sunday Showcase
  • 1963: Emmy Award nomination for Best Guest Actor for Arrest and Trial
  • 1964: Golden Globe Award - Nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Cleopatra
  • 1985: Saturn Award - Best Supporting Actor for Die ravenenschwarze Nacht

Web links

Commons : Roddy McDowall  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files
personal data
SURNAME McDowall, Roddy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES McDowall, Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actor
DATE OF BIRTH September 17, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH London , England , UK
DATE OF DEATH October 3, 1998
Place of death Studio City , Los Angeles , California , United States