Patrick McNee: biography, filmography, photo

Many talented people often remain behind the scenes. They can do their job well, be talented and persistent. But they do not have the grasp that, as a rule, those who crave fame and recognition have. If to judge objectively, it turns out that the stars, seemingly gaining respect, love and veneration of the viewer, still are inferior to those who are gifted with universal attention. Unfortunately, it's only possible to learn about such people by chance, collecting bits of information, like beads of a scattered necklace. Patrick McNee, interesting facts about which will be presented below, was a man of the matter, going all his life to his goal. And only by the end of his life he achieved what he wanted.

Introduction

One of the outstanding people of the last century was Patrick McNee, an actor and producer from Britain. The peak of his popularity fell on the 60th, when he starred in the series "The Avengers." Acting and producing career lasted from 1946 to 2015. Patrick McNee lived an interesting and rich life, continuing to work until his death.

Father

Born future actor February 6, 1922 in London. Great-grandfather boy Daniel McNee was a famous artist. His work is known throughout the world, and the picture "Lady in Gray" is in the gallery of Edinburgh. The boy's father was a military man, he went through the First World War. After the horror of the war ended, McNee Sr. worked as a horse racing trainer. He was in good standing, so he often took his son with him, teaching him lessons in riding. Interestingly, my father had a nickname Shrimp, the origin of which has not yet been known. But McNee-senior had a strong drawback - a predilection for alcohol, which appeared after the war. Deprived of this position, he left for India.

Mother

Dorothy Hastings was shocked that her husband left the family. Soon she moved with her good friend, who lived in a spacious chic mansion. By the time Patrick was already 8 years old. An influential friend could fully take care of the provision of mom and son. With her light hand Patrick McNee entered the prestigious Eton School. However, because of absenteeism caused by the combination of work and study, the boy was almost ruled out.

First creative experience: Patrick McNee

His biography says that Patrick began his career at the age of five. Then he went to the theater scene of the school in the form of a policeman in Charles Dickens's play "Nicholas Nickleby". The second half of the 1930s he spends, participating in various extras. Among the works of this period, one can mention the film Pygmalion.

Return of the father

In the late 1930s, his father decided to return to his homeland, an old woman, England. He decided to seek happiness in Berkshire, where a large number of horse lovers gathered. The son did not see this as a solution to the problem, since his father went to find work without a penny to his heart. However, to everyone's surprise, McNee Sr. in a short time became a respected coach.

As a young boy, Patrick McNee often visited his father. There he, along with famous jockeys, talked about the intricacies of riding. In a sense, he saw himself as a jockey in the future, but it turned out that he was not suitable for this work: as they say, he did not go up.

Theater School

In 1939, Patrick graduated from Eton School. Soon after, he entered the Royal Navy. Then another 9 months spent at the Academy of Dramatic Art Webber Douglas. 1940 became a debut for a young actor: he played in the production "When we are married" on the stage of the Saint Francis Theater.

After that, he was offered several lucrative contracts, and eventually he concluded an annual deal, performing several key roles. In 1941, there was a slight rise in the career, caused by the role in the play "Little Women". The game McNee received the approval of viewers, critics and the press, and he soon began to play in the best theaters of the capital. Soon, McNee signed a contract to shoot in the movie "Child of Thursday", but due to circumstances (service) refused the role.

Service and wedding

In 1942, Patrick went to the fleet. He showed excellent results. Even before the preparatory course ended, McNee was enrolled aboard the frigate. However, before the service, he was able to spend some time in London. Then he married Barbara Douglas, with whom they studied together at the academy.

Work on TV

Since 1946, Patrick McNee has begun to appear more and more on television. His first work was the movie "Morning Train". In 1947, he played Edgar Linton in the drama "Wuthering Heights" based on the novel by Emilia Bronte. It was thanks to this small role that he was noticed. After the shooting, the actor was offered the lead role. And although it was a low-budget tape, Patrick still started solo climbing.

After the release of the "Fatal Night" tape, critics noticed such a rising star as Patrick McNee. Films with his participation became more popular. At the same time, both specialists and spectators reacted to the young actor with equal benevolence. However, a big breakthrough in his career and dizzying glory did not follow.

After a while Patrick received a call from his longtime companion. He suggested that he move to Canada and start working together on television. After thinking and weighing his prospects, the ambitious young man quickly gathered and set out on his journey.

Canada and America

Patrick McNee, whose filmography is full of background roles, played the main character in the production of the series "Moon Stone" (Wilkie Collins). During his work he met many influential people who had an important influence on his career. And Patrick lived in the usual room of a small hostel, dividing his territory with a film critic. Standing on his feet, Patrick began to flutter more and more in television programs and on the radio. Together with other actors in Canada, he gradually gained the status of "face TV." Archives of the Canadian library indicate that Patrick McNee was the most popular actor on TV in the period 1952-1959.

Tired of Canada, the actor returned to London. There he became a member of the theatrical company, which traveled, showing the performance "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Together with colleagues at work, he visited Broadway and Athens. Seeing America, I wanted to stay in it forever. In speed, the artist concludes a deal for a year, according to which he takes part in various television projects. Earning a decent amount, he gets a cozy house in Malibu, the windows of which go directly to the beach.

In 1957, the actor was invited to shoot in the musical "Girls" in Hollywood. Unfortunately, Patrick's small role was not appreciated. In the same year he starred in the film "Before sailing." However, all the scenes with McNee were subsequently cut. Because of this, the artist had to continue working on television. In 1958 they were filming the TV series "Veil", which was very promising, but did not appear on the television screens.

Patrick McNee, whose photo was already familiar to almost everyone in the country, received US citizenship. Since 1959, he began his career as a stage director and produced several plays in various states.

Homecoming

In 1960, McNee returned to his homeland. Here, very few people knew him, but behind him was a worthy experience. It was necessary to start from scratch, but past developments allowed to do this very quickly. Soon he received a proposal to jointly create a documentary series about Winston Churchill. We had to agree, because there was no special success in the acting career.

Having worked in this area, Patrick realized that this is a very profitable occupation. Based on these reflections, he decided to devote all his time to the career of the producer. Soon he was invited to star in the series. Realizing that the prospects for him to become famous, and having estimated his income from the current work, McNee went on a trick. He agreed, but asked for too much money. To his great surprise, the creators of the series agreed. It was the cult project "The Avengers", which finally brought Patrick McNee long-awaited glory and success.

The last scene

That was the kind of person - actor Patrick McNee. Photos, films with his participation, roles in the series - all this will remain in the memory of those who knew the talented artist. He died of old age in 2015 in California, on his own Mirage ranch, surrounded by close and dear people.