Fulton Mackay

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Fulton Mackay

Born
William Fulton Beith Mackay

(1922-08-12)12 August 1922
Died6 June 1987(1987-06-06) (aged 64)
London, England
Resting placeEast Sheen Cemetery, London
NationalityScottish
Occupation(s)Actor, playwright
Years active1952–1987
SpouseSheila Manahan (−1987; his death)

William Fulton Beith Mackay OBE (12 August 1922 – 6 June 1987) was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s television sitcom Porridge.

Early life[edit]

Mackay was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was brought up in Clydebank by a widowed aunt after the death of his mother from diabetes. His father was employed by the NAAFI.[1]

On leaving school, he trained as a quantity surveyor and later volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1941 but was not accepted because of a perforated eardrum. He then enlisted with the Black Watch and he served for five years during the Second World War, which included three years spent in India.

Career[edit]

Theatre work[edit]

After being demobbed, Mackay began training as an actor at RADA. His first work was with the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, where he performed in nine seasons between 1949 and 1958. He also worked at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh before gaining notice at the Arts Theatre Club, London, where in 1960, he played the part of Oscar in The Naked Island, a play about POWs in Singapore.

In 1962, he appeared at the same theatre, in Russian playwright Maxim Gorki's play The Lower Depths for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He then acted with the Old Vic company and the National Theatre, performing in such productions as Peer Gynt and The Alchemist. Other roles for the RSC included Mr Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby and the drunken gaoler in Die Fledermaus. In 1972, he played the part of Hughie in the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company's production of Bill Bryden's play, Willie Rough.

Mackay was a director of the Scottish Actors' Company and, in 1981, a founder of the Scottish Theatre Company, playing Willie Souden in the company's production of Bill Bryden's play, Civilians, set in wartime Greenock.[2] Surprisingly, despite his status, he appeared in few films. After his screen debut in the 1952 film I'm a Stranger, his most notable roles were those in Gumshoe, Britannia Hospital, Local Hero and Defence of the Realm.

Television work[edit]

Mackay was acknowledged as a strong character actor in various television series.

He is best remembered for his namesake role from 1973 to 1977 as the comically ferocious prison officer, Mr Mackay, in the British sitcom Porridge alongside the comedian and comedy actor Ronnie Barker.[3] He also appeared in the film version of the series. The ensemble playing of Mackay, Barker, Richard Beckinsale and Brian Wilde, and the writing by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, made Porridge one of the most successful comedy series of the 1970s.[4] He returned to the role of Mr Mackay, now nearing retirement from HM Prison Service, in the first episode of Going Straight (1978), the sequel series to Porridge.

Before coming to prominence in Porridge, Mackay made several appearances in The Avengers, one particular episode being Return of the Cybernauts in which he played Professor Chadwick; he also played DI Inman in Special Branch (1969–71).[5] His other work included Coronation Street and Z-Cars. He appeared as RAF psychiatrist Fowler in an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and as a doctor in Doctor at Large in 1971.

He played John Everett in The Saint (1968) "The Best Laid Schemes" and Willie, a poacher in The Saint (1966) - Episode (S5, E6) "The Convenient Monster". He was cast as misguided scientist Doctor John Quinn in the 1970 Doctor Who story Doctor Who and the Silurians and was later seriously considered by producer Barry Letts to play the Fourth Doctor when Jon Pertwee announced he was leaving the role in 1973.[6]

He played a regular officer running a training course in the Dad's Army episode "We Know Our Onions" (1973), a doctor in "The Miser's Hoard" (1977), and a detective in a Wodehouse Playhouse episode (1978).[5]

He often stayed true to his Scottish roots, acting in productions such as Three Tales of Orkney and The Master of Ballantrae, and as former Prime Minister Bonar Law in the 1981 TV series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. He played the Captain in the British version of the Jim Henson children's series, Fraggle Rock (1984–1987). In one of his last performances, Mackay portrayed an art forger in the Lovejoy episode "Death and Venice".[5]

Playwriting[edit]

Under the pseudonym of Aeneas MacBride, he wrote plays for the BBC.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Mackay and his wife's Sheila's grave in East Sheen Cemetery, Richmond upon Thames, London

Mackay was married to Irish actress Sheila Manahan.

He did much work for the Glasgow children's charity Child and Family Trust.

He was awarded the OBE in 1984 and greatly enjoyed oil painting.[8]

Mackay died on 6 June 1987 at the age of 64,[9] from stomach cancer. He was buried at East Sheen Cemetery in southwest London.[10] His widow, Sheila, died in 1988 and was buried with her husband.

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role Company Director Notes
1972 Willie Rough Hughie Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Bill Bryden
1981 Civilians Willie Souden Scottish Theatre Company Bill Bryden

Partial filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Film Year Character
I'm a Stranger 1952 Alastair Campbell
The Brave Don't Cry 1952 Dan Wishart
Laxdale Hall 1953 Andrew Flett
Private Potter 1962 Soldier
A Prize of Arms 1962 Corporal Henderson
Mystery Submarine 1963 McKerrow
Vendetta for the Saint 1969 Euston
Gumshoe 1971 John Straker
Nothing But The Night 1973 Cameron
Porridge 1979 Mr Mackay
If You Go Down in the Woods Today 1981 Colonel Norris
Going Gently 1981 Austin Miller
Britannia Hospital 1982 Chief Superintendent Johns
Local Hero 1983 Ben Knox
Night Train to Murder 1984 Mackay
Sleepwalker 1984 Restaurant Proprietor
Water 1985 Reverend Eric
Defence of the Realm 1985 Victor Kingsbrook
Dreamchild 1985 Gryphon (voice)
Mann's Best Friends 1985 Hamish James Ordway
Slip-Up 1986 McColl

TV[edit]

Play Year(s) Character Note
The Saint 1966 Willie The Convenient Monster (S5, E6)
The Avengers 1967 Professor Chadwick Return of the Cybernauts
Doctor Who 1970 Dr. John Quinn S7, Doctor Who and The Silurians
Porridge 1974-1977 Mr Mackay Was also in the sitcom's 1979 film
Willie Rough 1976 Hughie Performed as part of Play for Today, the play was written by Bill Bryden
Going Straight 1978 Mr Mackay Porridge Spin-off
Tales of the Unexpected 1982 (1979-1988) Edward The Moles
Shelley 1983 (1979-1984) The Tramp S6 E3
Fraggle Rock 1983-1984 The Captain
Lovejoy 1986 Luciano S1 E10

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cox, Brian (1992). Salem to Moscow: An Actor's Odyssey. Methuen Drama. p. 28. ISBN 978-0413664501.
  2. ^ Stevenson, Randall (1981), Scottish Theatre Company: First days, First Nights, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 7, Winter 1981 - 82, pp. 10 - 13.
  3. ^ "Fulton Mackay profile". Porridge.org.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  4. ^ Fulton Mackay's role in the TV comedy series "Porridge", porridge.org.uk; Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Fulton Mackay at IMDb
  6. ^ Westthorp, Alex (24 April 2008). "Who could've been Who? An alternate history of Doctor Who". Den of Geek. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  7. ^ Donaldson, Anne (8 December 1979). "What's on his plate after 'Porridge' ?". The Herald. Glasgow.
  8. ^ "No. 49583". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1983. p. 11.
  9. ^ "No. 50975". The London Gazette. 24 June 1987. p. 8105.
  10. ^ richmond.gov.uk

External links[edit]