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PATRICK MACNEE, THE British-born actor best known as dapper secret agent John Steed in the long-running 1960s TV series The Avengers, has died. He was 93.
Macnee died of natural causes with his family at his bedside in Rancho Mirage, his son Rupert said in a statement.
The clever spy drama began in 1961 and ran for eight seasons before continuing in syndication for decades afterward.
Macnee’s umbrella-wielding character appeared in all but two episodes, accompanied by a string of beautiful women who were his sidekicks.
The most popular was likely Diana Rigg, who played sexy junior agent Emma Peel from 1965 to 1968. Honor Blackman played Catherine Gale from 1962 to 1964, and Linda Thorson was Tara King from 1968 to 1969.
“The TV Beatles”
“We were in our own mad, crazy world,” Macnee told the Wichita Eagle in 2003 when The New Avengers was being issued on DVD. “We were the TV Beatles. We even filmed in the same studio.”
But while he made his name internationally playing a smart, debonair British secret agent, Macnee was never a fan of the James Bond movies.
“I think their stories aren’t that realistic,” he told Salt Lake City’s Deseret News in 1999. “I think the sadism in them is horrifying. … On the other hand, the books — the James Bond books — were fascinating”.
Macnee nearly lost the role of Steed because of his aversion to violence. In a 1997 interview with The Associated Press, he recalled being told by producers that he would have to pack a gun on The Avengers.
“I said, ‘No, I don’t. I’ve been in World War II for five years and I’ve seen most of my friends blown to bits and I’m not going to carry a gun.’ They said, ‘What are you going to carry?’ I thought frantically and said, ‘An umbrella’.”
The talented Macnee, who managed to make the improbable weapon seem probable, later became an outspoken opponent of the proliferation of privately owned guns.
In his droll 1992 autobiography, Blind in One Ear, Macnee noted that his early life matched that of his famed character, John Steed, in many ways.
Born Daniel Patrick Macnee on 6 February 1922 in London to a pair of eccentrics, he attended Eton, although he claimed to have been thrown out for dealing in horse race bets and pornography.
He also served in the military during World War II, captaining torpedo boats that sought to destroy German U-boats in French waters.
Before he left Eton, Macnee had discovered acting. He apprenticed in the British theatre, toured in provincial theaters and made his film debut as an extra in the 1938 film Pygmalion.
At 19, he married Barbara Douglas, and they had two children, Rupert and Jenny.
After the war, Macnee graduated from drama school, but he had trouble finding work, moving to Canada at one point to hunt for acting jobs.
He married actress Kate Woodville in 1965, and they divorced in 1969. His final marriage was to Baba Majos de Nagyzsenye in 1988. She died in 2007.
Macnee became an American citizen in 1959 and moved to Palm Springs in 1967, saying the dry desert air benefited his daughter, who suffered from asthma.
Among his films include Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Until They Sail, Les Girls, Young Doctors in Love, Sweet 16 and This Is Spinal Tap. He had a memorable comic turn in the latter film as British entrepreneur Sir Denis Eton-Hogg.
Before The Avengers, he had appeared in such TV shows as Twilight Zone, Rawhide and Playhouse 90, among many others.
But it was The Avengers that provided a permanent living for Macnee. He owned 2.5% of the profits, and the series continued to play worldwide into the 21st century.
He explained why in his interview with the Deseret News:
It’s a very simple reason: It’s extremely good. I feel very justified and delighted in seeing after all these years that the show works.
Besides his son and daughter, Macnee’s survivors include a grandchild.
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No one could pull off the bowler hat look better than Steed. RIP.
And yet another damning statistic for the hysteric anti smoking lobby, it was said that Patrick Macnee smoked up to 80 fags a day.
Dies at 93 of natural causes.
Great show that kept me entertained during my youth, purr Purdey.
Jesus Emma Peel was so hot – never seen her like again!
Yeah Gabbi she simply oozed sex appeal, and the casting of Joanna Lumley as Purdey for the New Avengers gave that show much needed sex appeal.
“hysteric anti-smoking lobby”?
Yes – hysterical alright. That COPD is nothing but a minor irritation. And don’t get me started on cancer… William, you do realise that smoking increases risk – it doesn’t mean a guarantee of cancer/COPD etc? McNee was fortunate in that regard, many are not.
Here they come, Tom, Patrick Macnee was smoking at 12 years of age so if smoking is as bad as they say it is he should’ve been dead at 13 such is the hysteria the half truths and downright lies pedaled by the moral superior.of the anti smoking lobby.
Macnee is far from a rare example I could be typing till tomorrow giving you examples.
If a person dies of cancer or heart disease and smoked then the statistic will read died of smoking related disease, when in fact it could have been something else that caused the cancer/heart disease or a combination of many different factors but once you smoke you come under the lazy diagnostic umbrella of “smoking related disease”.
I’m sure you’re aware that cancer and heart disease is not the sole domain of smokers?, non smokers die of these diseases everyday of every week of every year…..but of course they were just unfortunate and those who smoked and lived to very ripe old age were just lucky buggers?,, excuse me while I stub out my cigarette!.
It is all about risk. What is it about this concept that is beyond the grasp ( or gasp ) of the pro smoking nutters?
Ben any smoker will tell you that smoking is far from good for you but its dangers to people around them have been exaggerated beyond hysteria at times, passive smoke is the big stick for the anti smoking “nutters” to beat everyone around the head with, you say black is white often enough and you start to believe it.
As such people who never before gave smokers as much as a second thought now think of every smoker as walking Chernobyl’s, as for those precious moral superior ex smokers?, don’t get me started on them, just because they manged to quit the habit the way they go on you’d swear they had just saved the human race from total extinction, not all ex smokers mind you but quite a few.
“I’m sure you’re aware that cancer and heart disease is not the sole domain of smokers?”
It sure could have been something else that caused the conditions you listed above, but smoking vastly increases the risk of developing those symptoms. Like I said, some people are lucky.
Your study above talks about cancer – not lung-related symptoms which are 35% more likely in passive smokers compared to the general population.
I can’t tell if you’re trolling or not, but tell you what, keep smoking and let us know how you feel when you’re 70 years old, if you get that far.
I never troll Tom, as for me making 70? well I might or I might live to 93 and I only smoke 15 fags a day not 80 or I could be dead in the morning?, one day at a time with me Thomas.
My argument is simple Tom passive smoke is a load of old bollix.
R.I.P. Steed. I loved The Avengers, watched on a TV with a metal hanger and a broken pair of ‘Cats Ears’ for reception.
Rabbit ears?
Ah Gene you’re showing your youth ! Rabbits ears were little aerials with two elongated metal rods (hence the affectionate nickname) which could be moved in any direction to improve the TV signal. No cable or satellite in those days!
Rabbit ears a type ot indoor arial for a tv.
A true Gentleman Rip
Strange that he hated James Bond films … Yet still featured in one
It was the sometimes sadistic violence that he hated, not the stories.
What about Joanna Lumbley as Purdy, surely the best of beautiful sidekicks?
Diana Rigg way better.
New Avengers
Gambit was my favorite
Different show.
Christ they were the days love to do it all again RIP steed
I remember Patrick and Diana with fond memories, – I can see myself sitting at the table, ‘eating my tea’ all of my family are alive again, we are all happy, – except for my Auntie, who used to tell me to cover my eyes whenever Miss Peel would appear in a sexy, revealing outfit.
RIP. Patrick, it’s feels like I’ve lost yet another old friend.
RIP but I much preferred The New Avengers.
‘Count Iblis’ in the original Battlestar Galactica. RIP
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