Malcolm McDowell

Malcolm McDowell
McDowell at the 2007 Jules Verne Adventure Film Special Awards Presentation
Born	Malcolm John Taylor 13 June 1943 (1943-06-13) (age 66) Horsforth, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Margot Bennett (1975-1980) Mary Steenburgen (1980-1990) Kelley Kuhr (1991-present)

Malcolm McDowell (born 13 June 1943) is an English actor. McDowell's career has spanned more than forty years and includes notable roles in if...., A Clockwork Orange, O Lucky Man!, Tank Girl, Star Trek Generations, the TV serial Our Friends in the North, Entourage, Heroes, Metalocalypse, the 2007 remake of Halloween and the 2009 sequel Halloween II.

Early life

McDowell was born Malcolm John Taylor in Horsforth, Leeds, the son of Edna (née McDowell), a hotelier, and Charles Taylor, a pub owner.^[1][2][3] However, six weeks after McDowell was born, his family relocated to the east coast of Yorkshire because his father was in the Royal Air Force.^[4]

Career

McDowell began his professional life serving drinks in his parents' pub and then as a coffee salesman (the latter job providing inspiration for the movie O Lucky Man!). While enrolled in Cannock House School, he began taking acting classes, and eventually secured work as an extra with the Royal Shakespeare Company. McDowell made his screen debut as school rebel Mick Travis in If.... (1968) by British director Lindsay Anderson. This was followed by Figures in a Landscape (1970) and The Raging Moon (1971). His performance in if.... caught the attention of Stanley Kubrick, who cast McDowell as the lead in A Clockwork Orange, adapted from the novel of the same name by Anthony Burgess. He won great acclaim (nominated for a Golden Globe and an award by the New York Film Critics Circle in the category of Best Actor) for his role as Alex, a young sociopath brainwashed by an authoritarian British government.

McDowell worked with Anderson again for O Lucky Man! (1973), which was based on his own idea, and Britannia Hospital (1982). McDowell regularly turned up on British television productions in the 1970s in adaptations of theatre classics, one example being with Laurence Olivier in The Collection (1976), as part of the series Laurence Olivier Presents, as Olivier's younger lover. He starred in Aces High (1975) and co-starred in Voyage of the Damned (1976), and as Dornford Yates' gentleman hero Richard Chandos in She Fell Among Thieves (1977). He made his Hollywood debut as H. G. Wells in Time After Time (1979).

McDowell mainly portrayed antagonists in the late 1970s and 1980s — none more notorious than the title character in the controversial Caligula (1979). He later remarked upon his career playing film villains: "I suppose I'm primarily known for that but in fact, that would only be half of my career if I was to top [sic] it all up".^[5]

In his biography Anthony Burgess: A Life, author Roger Lewis commented on McDowell's later career; "his pretty-boy looks faded and he was condemned to playing villains in straight-to-video movies that turn up on Channel 5."^[6]

McDowell also appeared in the 1983 action film Blue Thunder as F.E. Cochrane, and the 1982 remake of Cat People. In 1983, he starred in Get Crazy as Reggie Wanker, a parody of Mick Jagger. Also in 1983, McDowell starred as The Wolf (Reginald von Lupen) in Faerie Tale Theatre's rendition of "Little Red Riding Hood" (his wife at that time, Mary Steenburgen, played Little Red Riding Hood). In 1984, he narrated the documentary The Compleat Beatles.

McDowell is well known in Star Trek circles as "the man who killed Captain Kirk" in the 1994 film Star Trek Generations, in which he played the mad scientist Dr. Tolian Soran (Incidentally, he shares the distinction of playing one of Kirk's nemeses with Ricardo Montalban, with whom he also shares the distinction of portraying Mr. Roarke in respective versions of Fantasy Island). McDowell has also appeared in several computer games, most notably as Admiral Tolwyn in the Wing Commander series of computer games. His appearance in Wing Commander III marked the series transition from 2D pre-rendered cutscenes to live-action cutscenes. His appearance in Wing Commander IV was during the final days of PC driven cutscene/action.

In 1995, McDowell co-starred with actress and artist Lori Petty in the action/sci-fi/comedy film Tank Girl. Here, he played the villain Dr. Kesslee, the evil director of the global Water and Power Company, whose main goal in the story was to control the planet's entire water supply on a future desert-like, post-apocalyptic Earth.

McDowell played himself in Robert Altman's The Player, in which he chastises protagonist Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) for badmouthing him behind his back. He worked with Altman once again in 2003 for The Company as Mr. A. the fictional director of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. His character was based on real-life director Gerald Arpino.

In the 2003 film, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, he played a straight married man who rapes a young drug dealer to "teach him a lesson". The film also starred Clive Owen as the victim's older brother. It has become something of a cult classic.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, McDowell portrayed radio mogul Jonas Slaughter on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, In 2007, he portrayed the wealthy, conspiratorial villain Mr. Linderman during the first season of the NBC hit series Heroes, a role he reprised in the third season premiere. He has starred in Jerry Was a Man, which has appeared as an episode of Masters of Science Fiction, on ABC^[7] and Sky. He also portrayed Terrence McQuewick on Entourage and Julian Hodge on Monk.

McDowell appeared as Dr. Sam Loomis in Rob Zombie's 2007 remake of the horror film Halloween, and its sequel Halloween II^[8]. He also played Desmond LaRochette in Robert Whitlow's The List, and Irish patriarch Enda Doyle in 2008's Red Roses and Petrol.^[9] His next film is Canadian vampire comedy rock and roll movie Suck with director and actor Rob Stefaniuk and the upcoming Alex Wright film Two Wolves.^[10]

Voice work

McDowell recently provided his voice for the "Dr. Calico" character in Disney's Bolt.

Some of McDowell's other recent voice work has been as the Superman villain Metallo in Superman: The Animated Series, Mad Mod in the cartoon Teen Titans, a character in, and the narrator of an episode of South Park, known simply as "A British Person", and even as the voice of a Death Star commander in a Robot Chicken episode parodying Star Wars. He is also a regular on the second season of the Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse as Vader Orlaag and other characters.

In 2006 and 2007, he contributed spoken word to two Pink Floyd tribute albums produced by Billy Sherwood: Back Against the Wall, and Return to the Dark Side of the Moon.

In 2008, McDowell began a recurring role as Grandpa Fletcher on Phineas and Ferb.

In 2008, McDowell narrated the award-winning documentary Blue Gold: World Water Wars.

McDowell provided his voice for the character "President John Henry Eden" in the video game Fallout 3.

McDowell reprised his role of Metallo in the video-game Superman: Shadow of Apokolips and an episode of Justice League Unlimited.

McDowell voiced the character of Rupert Pelham in the video game WET.

Personal life

McDowell was married to actress Margot Bennett from 1975 to 1980. He then married actress Mary Steenburgen, whom he had first met while filming Time After Time and they had two children together: Lily Amanda (born 21 January 1981), and Charles Malcolm (born 10 July 1983), before divorcing in 1990. In 1991, McDowell married Kelley Kuhr, with whom he has three children: Beckett Taylor McDowell (born 29 January 2004), Finnian Anderson McDowell (born 23 December 2006) and Seamus Hudson McDowell (born 7 January 2009). He currently resides in Ojai, California. He is the maternal uncle of actor Alexander Siddig, who appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Kingdom of Heaven, Syriana and 24. He and his nephew both appeared in the movie Doomsday by director Neil Marshall.

Filmography

• if.... (1968)
• Figures in a Landscape (1970)
• The Raging Moon (1971)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• O Lucky Man!- also writer (1973)
• Royal Flash (1975)
• Voyage of the Damned (1976)
• Aces High (1976)
• Caligula (1979)
• The Passage (1979)
• Time After Time (1979)
• Look Back in Anger (1980)
• Britannia Hospital (1982)
• Cat People (1982)
• Blue Thunder (1983)
• Cross Creek (1983)
• Faerie Tale Theatre's Little Red Riding Hood (TV) (1983)
• Get Crazy (1983)
• The Compleat Beatles (1984)
• Merlin and the Sword (TV) (1985)
• Gulag (TV) (1985)
• The Caller (1987)
• Buy & Cell (1987)
• Sunset (1988)
• Mortacci (1989)
• II Maestro (1989)
• Buy & Cell (1989)
• Jezebel's Kiss (1990)
• Schweitzer (1990)
• Class of 1999 (1990)
• Moon 44 (1990)
• Disturbed (1990)
• The Assassin of the Tsar (1991)
• The Player (1992)
• Chain of Desire (1992)
• Vent d'est (1993)
• Happily Ever After (voice) (1993)
• Night Train to Venice (1993)
• Bopha! (1993)
• Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (VG) (1994)
• The Man Who Wouldn't Die (TV) (1994)
• Cyborg 3: The Recycler (1994)
• Star Trek Generations (1994)
• In The Eye of the Snake (1994)
• Dangerous Indescretion (1994)
• Milk Money (1994)
• Exquisite Tenderness (1995)
• Tank Girl (1995)
• Fist of the North Star (1995)
• The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (TV) (voice) (1996)
• Ringer (1996)
• Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (VG) (1996)
• Our Friends in the North (TV) (1996)
• The Little Riders (TV) (1996)
• Where Truth Lies (1996)
• Wing Commander Academy (TV) (voice) (1996)
• Pearl (TV) (1996-1997)
• Superman: The Animated Series (TV) (voice) (1996-2000)
• Kids of the Round Table (1995)
• Asylum (1997)
• 2103: The Deadly Wake (1997)
• Hugo Pool (1997)
• Mr. Magoo (1997)
• Lexx (TV, episode Giga Shadow) (1997)
• Fantasy Island (TV) (1998-1999)
• The Fairy King of Ar (1998)
• The Gardener (1998) (Also known as Garden of Evil and as Silent Screams)
• Fatal Pursuit (1998)
• The First 9 1/2 Weeks (1998)
• Can of Worms (TV) (voice) (1999)
• Southern Cross (1999)
• Love Lies Bleeding (1999)
• My Life So Far (1999)
• Y2K (1999) (Also known as Terminal Countdown)
• The David Cassidy Story (TV) (2000)
• Gangster No. 1 (2000)
• Island of the Dead (2000)
• St. Patrick: The Irish Legend (TV) (2000)
• South Park (TV) (voice) (2000)
• The Barber (2001) (Also known as Le Barbier)
• Pact with the Devil (2001)
• Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)
• Just Visiting (2001)
• Princess of Thieves (TV) (2001)
• The Void (2001)
• Firestarter 2: Rekindled (TV) (2002)
• I Spy (2002)
• Between Strangers (2002)
• Shadow Realm (TV) (2002)
• Superman: Shadow of Apokolips (VG) (voice) (2002)
• Tempo (2003)
• The Company (2003)
• Inhabited (2003)
• I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)
• Hidalgo (2004)
• Evilenko (2004)
• Bobby Jones: A Stroke of Genius (2004)
• Tempesta (2004)
• Pinocchio 3000 (voice) (2004)
• Chalkzone (TV) (voice) (2004)
• In Good Company (2004)
• Rag Tale (2005)
• Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone (voice) (2005)
• Mirror Wars: Reflection One (2005)
• The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (TV) (voice) (2005)
• Cut Off (2006)
• Bye Bye Benjamin (2006)
• Spooks (TV) (2006)
• The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (TV) (2006)
• Entourage (TV) (2005-2006, 2009)
• The List (2007)
• Exitz (2007)
• Robot Chicken: Star Wars (TV) (2007)
• Halloween (2007)
• Heroes (TV) (2007, 2008)
• War and Peace (TV) (2007)
• Metalocalypse (TV) (voice) (2007-2008)
• Phineas and Ferb (TV) (voice) (2007-2008)
• Red Roses and Petrol (2008)
• Doomsday (2008)
• Delgo (voice) (2008)
• Coco Chanel (TV) (2008)
• Fallout 3 (VG) (voice) (2008)
• Bolt (voice) (2008)
• The Evening Journey (2008)
• Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008)
• Bolt (VG) (voice) (2009)
• Super Rhino (short) (voice) (2009)
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising (VG) (2009)
• Halloween II (2009)
• Suck (2009)
• Pound of Flesh (2009)
• Barry Munday (2009)
• Wet (VG) (2009)
• Golf in the Kingdom (2010)
• Easy A (2010)
• The Book of Eli (2010)*
• The Texas Field Murders 2 (2010)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Malcolm McDowell

1. ^ Malcolm McDowell Biography (1943-)
2. ^ What if ... | | guardian.co.uk Arts
3. ^ 2005 Philadelphia Film Festival | Artistic Achievement Award - Malcolm McDowell
4. ^ HoboTrashcan - One on One with Malcolm McDowell
5. ^ Malcolm McDowell on Linderman and Dr. Loomis
6. ^ [Roger Lewis, Anthony Burgess: A Life, published 2002]
7. ^ Cast Set for 'Masters of Sci Fi'
8. ^ TRINITY OF TERRORS Guest Profile: Malcolm McDowell
9. ^ Red Roses and Petrol
10. ^ Malcom McDowell Scores Starring Role in 'Two Wolves'

External links

• Malcolm McDowell at the Internet Movie Database
• The authorized fansite
• Unofficial Site
• Malcolm McDowell at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Malcolm McDowell at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• An in-depth interview with Malcolm McDowell covering his entire career from HoboTrashcan.com
• Interactive video talk by McDowell on the British "Free Cinema" movement of the 50s, made for the British Film Institute
• What if... - The Guardian, 24 April 2004. In-depth profile and interview.
• O Lucky Man! Malcolm McDowell's journey from coffee salesman to movie star - The Times, 17 May 2008