Patrick McGoohan

Patrick McGoohan
McGoohan in All Night Long (1962)
Born
Patrick Joseph McGoohan

(1928-03-19)March 19, 1928
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 13, 2009(2009-01-13) (aged 80)
Other namesPaddy Fitz
Citizenship
  • Ireland
  • United States
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • screenwriter
Years active1948–2002
Spouse
Joan Drummond
(m. 1951)
Children3, including Catherine

Patrick Joseph McGoohan (/məˈɡ.ən/; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor, director and screenwriter of film, television, and theatre.

Born in New York City to Irish parents, he was raised in Ireland and England. He began his career in England during the 1950s and became well-known for the titular role of secret agent John Drake in the ITC/ITV espionage programme Danger Man (1960–1968). He then created and produced the surrealistic series The Prisoner (1967–1968), again for ITC and ITV, in which he starred as former British intelligence agent Number Six.

Beginning in the 1970s, McGoohan maintained a long-running association with the television series Columbo, writing, directing, producing, and acting in several episodes. His notable films include Ice Station Zebra (1968), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Scanners (1981), Braveheart (1995), and A Time to Kill (1996).

During the height of Danger Man, McGoohan was the highest-paid actor on British television. He won the 1960 BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor for Danger Man, and twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for Columbo.