John Steed acted in all seasons. He was an adventurer, an epicure also known as a man with a good taste, liked champagne and female beauty. But more than that he was a real gentleman always correctly dressed with his inseparable bowler and umbrella. Once proclaimed as the best dressed man on Earth. He found his own life unimportant but was prepared to give his life to save his partners. He liked to take risks and had a good sense of humour.

Born Daniel Patrick Macnee February 6, 1922 Paddington, London, England. Passed away June 25, 2015 at Rancho Mirage (California)

Film, television actor, best known for his role as secret agent John Steed in the series The Avengers.

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Early Life

Macnee, the son of Dorothea Mary and Daniel Macnee, a race horse trainer. His maternal grandmother was Frances Alice Hastings, descended from the Earls of Huntingdon - Macnee has long suggested that he was a distant relation of Robin Hood, sometimes said to be a black sheep of the family Huntingdon. Macnee's great grandfather was Scottish portrait painter Sir Daniel Macnee.

His parents divorced after his mother said to be lesbian. He was educated at Eton College, was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and was awarded the Atlantic Star for his service during World War II. After feeding his acting career in Canada, appeared Macnee in supporting roles in several films, notably as an extra in Sir Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (1948), the Gene Kelly vehicle Les Girls (as an Old Bailey lawyer) and opponent Anthony Quayle de1956 of war The Battle of the River Plate. He had a small role in the 1951 version of Scrooge (A Christmas Carol in the U.S.) as the young Jacob Marley.

The Avengers

Despite the many roles in the theater, on television and in cinema, Macnee is still best known as John Steed in The Avengers series (aired 1961-1969). In the first series played the starring Ian Hendry. Steed was the secondary character, the assistant of David Keel. Macnee took the lead after the departure of Hendry at the end of the first season. He played against a succession of female partners including Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Linda Thorson and finally. Steed was also the central character of a revival, The New Avengers, where he played together with Purdey (Joanna Lumley) and Mike Gambit (Gareth Hunt).

During the 1960s, co-wrote two novels Macnee based on the original Avengers, titled Dead Duck and Deadline. In 1988 he wrote his autobiography in 1995, a documentary, The Avengers: The Journey Back, directed by Clyde Lucas.

Other roles

Other notable roles Macnee are Sir Godfrey Tibbett opposite Roger Moore in the James Bond film A View to a Kill, as Major Crossley in The Sea Wolves (again with Moore), guest roles in Encounter, Alias Smith and Jones, Heart to Heart, Murder , She Wrote, Battlestar Galactica and The Love Boat. He appeared in episode 10 of series one of The Twilight Zone in 1959 ("Judgement Night"). While fame had Macnee as Steed heroic, most of his guest appearances villainous roles have been. He also presented the American paranormal series, mysteries, magic and miracles. Macnee made his Broadway debut as the star of the mystery Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth in 1972

On television, in 1975, Macnee appeared as captain of the ship with Peter Falk and Robert Vaughn in the Columbo episode "Troubled Waters". He had recurring roles in the crime series with Robert Urich and Gavilan in the 1984 satire on big business, Empire, MD as the impending Calvin Cromwell. In the original version of the 1970 Battlestar Galactica, Macnee was the voice of the evil leader of the Cylons compelling, and appeared on the screen as the evil Count Iblis.

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson

In 1984, Macnee appeared in Magnum, P.I. as a retired British officer who believes he is Sherlock Holmes (in a season four episode entitled "Holmes is Where the Heart is"). He played Watson three times: once to Roger Moore's Sherlock Holmes in a 1976 TV movie, Sherlock Holmes in New York and twice with Christopher Lee (Incident at Victoria Falls and Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady). He played Holmes in another TV movie, The Hound of London (1993).

Later roles

He also appeared in several cult movies: in The Howling as' Dr. George Waggner "(named after the quirky director of 1941's The Wolf Man) and as" Sir Denis Eton-Hogg "in the comedy rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. In 1981 he played Dr. Stark in The Creature. He took Leo G. Carroll's role as head of UNCLE in The Return of the Man from UNCLE: The Fifteen-years-later Affair, produced by Michael Sloan, in 1983, his role was different from Carroll's Alexander Waverly. Patrick played in the 1990 science fiction series Super Force as EB Hungerford (the 'H MR. "Through lab assistant FX) in the pilot and his counter-part computer, his character was slain. Macnee also appeared as a supporting character in the 1989 science fiction parody, Lobster Man From Mars, such as Prof. Plocostomos and Frasier, Season 8, episode 11. He was also a cameo appearance in the Sci-Fi American television series like garbage Doctor Walton, a psychiatrist

Macnee serves as the narrator for several "behind-the-scenes" featurettes, listed on the James Bond series of DVDs. He lent his voice in a cameo as Invisible Jones "in de1998 film version of The Avengers (which Steed was played by Ralph Fiennes), and he also appeared in two pop videos as Steed in The Avengers original images in the video The Pretenders Do not Get Me Wrong, and the video of her song Oasis Do not Look Back in Anger in 1996 , as the driver of the band, a role similar to that in which he played in the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill

He is also in several TV commercials, including one in 1990 for the Swiss Chalet, the Canadian restaurant chain, and many audio books, especially for the audio book business of many novels set by Jack Higgins. He also recorded the children's books the musical life of Gustav Mole, and the sequel, The Lost Music (Gustav Mole's War on Noise), both written by Michael Twinn.

Personal life

Macnee has two children, Rupert and Jenny, from his first marriage to Barbara Douglas (1942-1956). His second marriage (1965-1969) was actress Katherine Woodville. His third marriage was with Baba Majos the Nagyzsenye (from 1988 until her death in 2007).

Macnee was an avid nudist, sometimes to the dismay of his friends and co-stars:. He once invited Honor Blackman from him naked playing tennis, she refused an invitation

Macnee became an American citizen in 1959.