Malcolm McDowell (born June 13, 1943) is an English actor. He was born Malcolm John Taylor in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Possibly best known for his portrayal of Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange (1971), he 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 he secured work as an extra with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
McDowell made his screen debut in Poor Cow (1967) followed by The Raging Moon (1970), Figures in a Landscape (1970) and If... (1968) by British director Lindsay Anderson. His performances caught the attention of Stanley Kubrick, who cast McDowell as the lead in A Clockwork Orange. Despite winning great acclaim (nominated for Best Actor by the New York Film Critics Circle) for his role as the leader of a gang of futuristic toughs, the role created a characterization so unforgettable that the public had a hard time separating actor from character.
He rejoined Lindsay Anderson for the ambitious O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982), and starred in Royal Flash (1975). McDowell regularly turned up on British Television productions in the early 1970s in adaptations of theatre classics. He co-starred in Voyage of the Damned (1976), and made a favourable Hollywood-movie debut as H. G. Wells in Time After Time (1979).
McDowell played mainly villainous parts in the late 1970s and 1980s — none more notorious than the title character in the controversial Caligula (1979). He also appeared in the 1983 action film Blue Thunder as F.E. Cochrane, and the 1982 remake of Cat People.
He is also well known in Star Trek circles as "the man who killed Captain James T. Kirk" in the film Star Trek: Generations, in which he played the mad scientist Dr. Tolian Soran. McDowell is also the uncle of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine cast member Alexander Siddig.
McDowell played himself in Robert Altman's The Player, appearing in a cameo role in which he chastises protagonist Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) for badmouthing him behind his back.
McDowell also had a part in the computer games Wing Commander III and Wing Commander IV as Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn, co-starring next to Mark Hamill.
McDowell appeared in the short-lived 1996 - 1997 sitcom Pearl, opposite Rhea Perlman, and appeared in 1995's Tank Girl. He also played Mr. Roarke (formely played by Ricardo Montalban) in the short lived 1998 remake of Fantasy Island.
In 2005, McDowell lent his voice talent to the album Back Against The Wall
In 2005 McDowell played vicious agency owner Terence in the HBO Series Entourage. Terence returns from retirement to try to lure the show's main character, Vincent Chase, from his current agent and Terence's partner, Ari Gold.
In 2006 he was a special guest star on Law and Order: Criminal Intent as radio mogul Jonas Slaughter, who admits to killing one of his sons and manipulates the other into a dying declaration confession to save his own life. He also appeared in Monk as an arrogant fashion photographer who committed cold blooded murder.
Personal life
McDowell first met actress Mary Steenburgen while filming Time After Time. They married in 1980 and divorced 10 years later in 1990. Steenburgen and McDowell had two children together: Lily Amanda, born January 21, 1981 and Charles Malcolm born July 10, 1983. In 1991, McDowell married Kelley Kuhr, with whom he has one child, Beckett Taylor (born January 29, 2004).
Trivia
- McDowell is thus far the only actor to portray both King Arthur and Merlin in a movie based on Arthurian legend.
- McDowell has played a number of other famous roles, including legendary Roman emperor Caligula, John Lennon (on Saturday Night Live weeks before Lennon's death), H.G. Wells, infamous Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, Blade's mentor Whistler (voiced on the Spiderman animated series), Jack Cassidy, and Mr. Roarke on a short-lived remake of Fantasy Island.
- McDowell also portrayed 'a British person' on an episode of South Park.
- His height is 5'8" (1.73 m).
Partial filmography
- Evilenko (2004)
- In Good Company (2004)
- The Company (2003)
- Inhabited (2003)
- I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)
- Hidalgo (film) (2003)
- Tempo (film) (2002/I)
- I Spy (2002)
- Between Strangers (2002)
- Shadow Realm (2002) (TV)
- Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)
- Just Visiting (2001)
- Gangster No. 1 (2000)
- Mr. Magoo (1997)
- Our Friends in the North (1996) (TV)
- Tank Girl (1995)
- Star Trek: Generations (1994)
- Milk Money (1994)
- The Player (1992)
- Class of 1999 (1990)
- Moon 44 (1990)
- Disturbed (1990)
- Buy & Cell (1989)
- Sunset (1988)
- The Complete Beatles (1984)
- Blue Thunder (1983)
- Cross Creek (1983)
- Get Crazy (1983)
- Britannia Hospital (1982)
- Cat People (1982)
- Caligula (1979)
- The Passage (1979)
- Time After Time (1979)
- Voyage of the Damned (1976)
- Aces High (1976)
- Royal Flash (1975)
- O Lucky Man! (1973)
- A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- If... (1969)
- Poor Cow (1967)
External links
- Malcolm McDowell at IMDb
- MalcolmMcDowell.net: An extensive tribute site
- What if... - The Guardian, April 24, 2004.
- In-depth profile and interview.