Patrick Macnee, Dashing Spy On ‘The Avengers,’ Has Died — Co-Stars, Fans Mourn Passing


Dashing, dapper, and always polite, British actor Patrick Macnee — aka John Steed on The Avengers — has died at age 93.

He died peacefully at his home in California’s Rancho Mirage.

Macnee was the star of the popular 1960s spy show, which developed a cult following, BBC News reported. Patrick’s Steed was known for dressing smartly, wearing a bowler hat (lined with steel to stop bullets), carrying an umbrella (which hid a sword), and disarming his opponents with wit rather than violence.

“(The Avengers) was beautifully written, the ideas were very good, way ahead of their time and they incorporated fantasies for people who dreamed of doing exciting things,” he said in 2014 of the series.

It premiered in 1961 in Britain (and came to America in 1966) and began as a tale of revenge; the fiancée of Dr. David Keel, Macnee’s character’s boss, is murdered, the New York Times reported. Gradually, the program’s focus turned to solving crimes, and when the actor who played Keel left, Patrick took the lead role.

And The Avengers’ creators dreamed up a new formula: Pairing Steed with lovely female sidekicks just as formidable and intelligent as him. The most famous of them was Emma Peel, who could kick serious butt, didn’t take any guff from anyone, and helped John keep everyone safe from criminals, CNN added.

The writing, plot lines, and its rather forward-thinking inclusion of a strong female put The Avengers ahead of its time, the actor once said in an interview.

“It was the first show that put its leading man and leading lady on an equal footing, and showed a woman fighting and kicking and throwing men around. That was a radical departure in its time.”

Most notably, Macnee’s character never used a gun. This was due in part to his service during World War II; he joined the Royal Navy in 1941 and ultimately became a lieutenant and earned an Atlantic Star.

Patrick told an interviewer once, when asked why he wasn’t armed, that “I’d just come out of a world war in which I’d seen most of my friends blown to bits.”

After service in the war, he took roles in plays and films in England and Canada, and became an American citizen in 1959. Originally from London, his father claimed Robin Hood as an ancestor. Patrick himself was expelled from the prestigious Eton College for gambling and selling porn, then went on to theater school.

But acting began early. He started at 11 when he starred in Henry V alongside the late Sir Christopher Lee, he appeared in the West End as a teen, and he had small roles in films throughout his life in addition to the one that made the actor famous, The Avengers.

Married three times, Macnee’s third wife died in 2007. He had two children and a grandson. Former co-star Linda Thorson told BBC News that his family was devoted to his care to the very end. They were by his side when he died.

“He was always upbeat. He had great stories and great detail and wonderful energy. (He had) a very happy and long life and the most wonderful children who took the greatest of care of him, in the last decade in particular.”

[Photo Courtesy Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]

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