Alexander Duncan McCowen, (26 May 1925 – 6 February 2017) was an English actor. He was known for his work in numerous film and stage productions.

Early life

McCowen was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the son of Mary (née Walkden), a dancer, and Duncan McCowen, a shopkeeper. He attended

The Skinners' School The Skinners' School (formally The Skinners' Company's Middle School for Boys and commonly known as Skinners'), is a British Grammar School with academy status for boys located in the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. Established in ...

in Tunbridge Wells - he was known as 'Squeaker' McCowan by his friends - and the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

Career

Early theatre work

McCowen first appeared on stage at the Repertory Theatre, Macclesfield, in August 1942 as Micky in ''Paddy the Next Best Thing''. He appeared in repertory in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

and

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

1943–45, and toured

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

in a production of Kenneth Horne's West End comedy '' Love in a Mist'' during 1945 with the Entertainments National Service Association (

ENSA The Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, ...

). He continued in repertory 1946–49, during which time he played a season at St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. He made his London debut on 20 April 1950 at the Arts Theatre as Maxim in Anton Chekhov's '' Ivanov'', and made his first appearances on the New York City stage at the Ziegfeld Theatre on 19 December 1951 as an Egyptian Guard in '' Caesar and Cleopatra'', and on 20 December 1951 as the Messenger in '' Antony and Cleopatra''. Following a series of roles at the Arts and with the Repertory Players, he had rising success as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in ''Moulin Rouge'' at the then New Theatre,

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, c ...

, and appeared as Barnaby Tucker in '' The Matchmaker'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, both 1954. After appearances as Dr Bird in '' The Caine Mutiny Court Martial'' at the London Hippodrome in 1956, and Michael Claverton-Ferry in T. S. Eliot's '' The Elder Statesman'', first at the Edinburgh Festival in 1958, then at the Cambridge Theatre, he joined the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

Company for its 1959–60 season, among several parts taking the title role in '' Richard II'', then stayed on for the 1960–61 season to play Mercutio in '' Romeo and Juliet'', Oberon in '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' and Malvolio in '' Twelfth Night''. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in September 1962, appearing at Stratford-upon-Avon playing Antipholus of Syracuse in ''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. ...

'' and the Fool to

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was a British actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the US Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony for his work. He won the three awards in a seve ...

's ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'', subsequently appearing in both plays at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

in December 1962 – performing these roles again for a

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

tour of the

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, Europe and the United States from February to June 1964. With the RSC he also played "the gruelling role" of Father Riccardo Fontana in

Rolf Hochhuth Rolf Hochhuth (; 1 April 1931 – 13 May 2020) was a German author and playwright, best known for his 1963 drama '' The Deputy'', which insinuates Pope Pius XII's indifference to Hitler's extermination of the Jews, and he remained a controversial ...

's controversial play '' The Representative'' at the Aldwych in December 1963.

Later theatre work

He enjoyed a career breakthrough at the

Mermaid Theatre The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site of Puddle Dock and Curriers' Alley at Blackfriars in the City of London, and the first built in the City since the time of Shakespeare. It was, importantly, also one of the first new the ...

in April 1968 as Fr. William Rolfe in '' Hadrian the Seventh'', winning his first ''Evening Standard'' Award as Best Actor for the London production and a Tony nomination after the transfer to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. At the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

in August 1970, McCowen was cast to play the title role in Christopher Hampton's sophisticated comedy, '' The Philanthropist''. If a philanthropist is literally someone who likes people, McCowen's Philip was a philologist with a compulsive urge not to hurt people's feelings – the inverse of

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

's ''The Misanthrope''. Following enthusiastic reviews the production played to packed houses and transferred to the Mayfair Theatre where it ran for a further three years, making it the Royal Court's most successful straight play. McCowen and his co-star

Jane Asher Jane Asher (born 5 April 1946)The International Who's Who of Women, 3rd edition, ed. Elizabeth Sleeman, Europa Publications, 2002, p. 29 is an English actress and author. She achieved early fame as a child actress and has worked extensively in f ...

went with it to Broadway in March 1971 where he won the 1971 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance. His next big successes were in

National Theatre Company The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. In ...

productions at the

. In February 1973 he co-starred with

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On H ...

in Molière's '' The Misanthrope'' for which he won his second ''Evening Standard'' award; followed in July 1973 by the role of psychiatrist Martin Dysart ("played on a knife edge of professional skill and personal disgust by McCowen", according to Irving Wardle reviewing for ''The Times'') in the world premiere of

Peter Shaffer Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (; 15 May 1926 – 6 June 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He wrote numerous award-winning plays, of which several were adapted into films. Early life Shaffer was born to a Jewish family in L ...

's '' Equus''. McCowen devised and directed his own solo performance of the complete text of the St. Mark's Gospel, for which he received international acclaim and another

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

nomination. It opened first at the Riverside Studios in January 1978 before beginning a long West End season at the

then at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

. Taking the production to New York, he appeared at the Marymount Manhattan and Playhouse theatres. Christopher Hampton's stage adaptation of George Steiner's novel '' The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H.'' at the Mermaid in 1982 gave McCowen a great final speech, an attempted vindication of racial extermination delivered by

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

, which for '' Guardian'' critic Michael Billington was "one of the greatest pieces of acting I have ever seen: a shuffling, grizzled, hunched, baggy figure, yet suggesting the monomaniac power of the

Nuremberg Rallies The Nuremberg Rallies (officially ', meaning ''Reich Party Congress'') refer to a series of celebratory events coordinated by the Nazi Party in Germany. The first rally held took place in 1923. This rally was not particularly large or impactful; ...

, inhabiting the frail vessel of this old man's body." It was a performance that also won him his third ''Evening Standard'' Best Actor award, a record equalled only by Laurence Olivier and

. Two years later, again at the Mermaid, McCowen gave a portrayal of the British poet

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

in a one-man play by Brian Clark, performed in a setting that exactly matched Kipling's own study at Bateman's (his Jacobean rustic haven in Sussex) "and turning", as Michael Billington wrote, "an essentially private man into a performer." McCowen appeared in the play on Broadway and on television for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

Directing

While preparing to co-star as Vladimir to

John Alderton John Alderton (born 27 November 1940) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'', '' Thomas & Sarah'', '' Wodehouse Playhouse'', ''Little Miss'' (original television series), '' Please Sir!'', '' No, Hones ...

's Estragon in Michael Rudman's acclaimed production of '' Waiting for Godot'' at the National Theatre in November 1987, McCowen also spent a busy autumn staging

Martin Crimp Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Aust ...

's trilogy of short plays ''Definitely the Bahamas'' at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond upon Thames, having previously enjoyed Crimp's style of writing in a BBC radio version of ''Three Attempted Acts''. As Charles Spencer wrote in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'': "As a director McCowen captures both the subtlety and the richness of these three original and beautifully written plays." At the

Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. Roxana Silbert has been the artistic director since ...

in December 1972 he directed a revival of

Terence Rattigan Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...

's wartime London comedy ''While the Sun Shines''.

Film and television

McCowen made his film debut in '' The Cruel Sea'' released in 1953. His other film credits include roles in ''

Town on Trial ''Town on Trial'' is a 1957 British mystery film directed by John Guillermin and starring John Mills, Charles Coburn, Barbara Bates and Derek Farr. A whole town comes under suspicion when two grisly murders are carried out—particularly membe ...

'' (1957), '' A Night to Remember'' (1958), '' The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner'' (1962), '' The Witches'' (1966), Alfred Hitchcock's '' Frenzy'' (1972), '' Travels with My Aunt'' (1972, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination), '' Never Say Never Again'' (1983), '' Personal Services '' (1987) and '' Henry V'' (1989). Television roles included the BBC's four-part adaptation of

J. B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...

's ''

Angel Pavement ''Angel Pavement'' is a novel by J. B. Priestley, published in 1930 after the enormous success of ''The Good Companions'' (1929). It is a social panorama of the city of London, seen largely through the eyes of the employees of the firm Twigg & ...

'' (1958), and his one-man stage performance of ''The Gospel According to Saint Mark'', transferred to television by

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

for Easter 1979. He appeared alongside Maureen Lipman and

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...

performing comic monologues in ''The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog'', which was recorded 1982, and broadcast by

in 1983. He appeared in the BBC Television Shakespeare series as Malvolio in '' Twelfth Night'' and as Chorus in '' Henry V''. In 1984 and 1985 McCowen starred in the ten episodes of the short-lived television series '' Mr Palfrey of Westminster'' as a "spy catcher" working for British intelligence under the direction of a female boss (played by Caroline Blakiston). His one-man performance as

was broadcast on television in 1984. His later appearances included playing Albert Speer and Rudolf Hess in the BBC docudramas ''The World Walk'' in 1984 and 1985, and as astronomer Sir Frank Dyson in ''

Longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east– west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lette ...

'' in 2000. He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1989, when he was surprised by

Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television newsreader and host of programmes such as '' Crackerjack'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', ''This is Your Life'', '' Strange but True?'' and ''Antiques Ro ...

at the Strand Theatre in London. He was annoyed when no mention was made of his long-term male partner, fellow actor Geoffrey Burridge and threatened to stop the show from being broadcast. The dispute was resolved by the host, Michael Aspel, adding a voiceover over the final credits acknowledging the relationship.

Literature

McCowen published his first volume of autobiography, ''Young Gemini'' in 1979, followed a year later by ''Double Bill'' (Elm Tree Books).

Personal life

His partner, the actor Geoffrey Burridge, died from AIDS complications in 1987.

Death

McCowen died, aged 91, on 6 February 2017.

Filmography

*'' The Cruel Sea'' (1953) – Tonbridge *'' The Divided Heart'' (1954) – Reporter *'' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1955) – Ken Thompson *'' Private's Progress'' (1956) – 2nd Medical Orderly (uncredited) *'' The Long Arm'' (1956) – House Surgeon *''

'' (1957) – Peter Crowley *'' Time Without Pity'' (1957) – Alec Graham *'' The Good Companions'' (1957) – Albert Oakroyd *'' The One That Got Away'' (1957) – Duty Officer, Hucknall *'' The Silent Enemy'' (1958) – Able Seaman Morgan *'' A Night to Remember'' (1958) – Wireless Operator Harold Thomas Cottam – Carpathia *'' The Doctor's Dilemma'' (1958) – Redpenny *'' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1959) – Bottom (voice) *'' The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner'' (1962) – Brown *'' In the Cool of the Day'' (1963) – Dickie Bayliss *'' The Agony and the Ecstasy'' (1965) – (uncredited) *'' The Witches'' (1966) – Alan Bax *'' The Hawaiians'' (1970) – Micah Hale *'' Frenzy'' (1972) – Chief Inspector Oxford *'' Travels with My Aunt'' (1972) – Henry Pulling *'' Stevie'' (1978) – Freddy *'' Hanover Street'' (1979) – Major Trumbo *'' Twelfth Night'' (1980) – Malvolio *'' Forever Young'' (1983) – Father Vincent *'' Never Say Never Again'' (1983) – 'Q' Algy *''The Young Visiters'' (1984) – J.M. Barrie *'' The Assam Garden'' (1985) – Mr. Philpott *'' Personal Services'' (1987) – Wing Commander Morten *'' Cry Freedom'' (1987) – Acting High Commissioner *'' Henry V'' (1989) – Bishop of Ely *''

The Age of Innocence ''The Age of Innocence'' is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine '' Pictorial Review''. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. App ...

'' (1993) – Sillerton Jackson *''

Gangs of New York ''Gangs of New York'' is a 2002 American epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book '' The Gangs of New York''. The film stars Le ...

'' (2002) – Reverend Raleigh (final film role)

List of theatre roles

*Sir Henry Harcourt-Reilly in ''

The Cocktail Party ''The Cocktail Party'' is a play by T. S. Eliot. The play was the most popular of Eliot's seven plays in his lifetime, although his 1935 play, '' Murder in the Cathedral'', is better remembered today. It focuses on a troubled married couple who, ...

'', Phoenix Theatre, July 1986; *Nikolai in

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...

Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...

adaptation '' Fathers and Sons'', National Theatre, July 1987; *Vladimir in '' Waiting for Godot'', National Theatre, November 1987; *Harry Rivers in

Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist, life peer, convicted criminal, and former politician. Before becoming an author, Archer was a Member of Parliament (1969–1974), but did not ...

's ''Exclusive'', Strand Theatre, September 1989, *George in ''A Single Man'', Greenwich Theatre, June 1990; *Jack in Brian Friel's ''

Dancing at Lughnasa ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in County Donegal in Ulster in the north of Ireland in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Eva ...

'', Abbey Theatre, Dublin and National Theatre, October 1990; Phoenix Theatre, March 1991; and Garrick Theatre, December 1991; *Caesar in

Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

's '' Caesar and Cleopatra'', Greenwich Theatre, February 1992, *Michael in ''

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me ''Someone Who'll Watch over Me'' is a play written by Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness. The play focuses on the trials and tribulations of an Irishman, an Englishman and an American (Edward, Michael, and Adam) who are kidnapped and held hostage ...

'',

, July 1992; Vaudeville Theatre, September 1992; the

Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance ...

, New York, November 1992 to June 1993; *Edward Elgar in David Pownall's ''Elgar's Rondo'', RSC The Pit, May 1994; *Prospero in '' The Tempest'' RSC

Barbican Theatre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...

, July 1994; *Reginald Pager (a retired opera singer) in Ronald Harwood's '' Quartet'', Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and

Albery Theatre Albery is a name. It may refer to: ;People by given name *Albery Allson Whitman (1851−1901), African American poet, minister and orator ;People by surname: *A. S. Albery, British politician *Bronson Albery (1881−1971), English theatre director ...

, September 1999 – January 2000.

Honours

He was appointed Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the 1972

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

and promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1986 New Year Honours. On 2 May 2017 McCowen was accorded a memorial service at St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden (known as "the actors' church"), conducted by the Reverend Simon Grigg. McCowen's nephew, Reverend Nigel Mumford, read an affectionate remembrance from McCowen's sister Jean Mumford's memoirs titled "Childhood memories of Pantos". The tribute was read by Dame Penelope Wilton, followed by a tribute from the playwright Christopher Hampton. Rebecca Trehearn sang "Bill" from ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'', which was followed by a tribute from the theatre critic Michael Billington and a tribute by the actor Malcolm Sinclair. After final prayers a plaque to McCowen was dedicated by Grigg to the left of the altar.

Bibliography

Theatre Record ''Theatre Record'' is a periodical that reprints reviews, production photographs, and other information about the British theatre. Overview ''Theatre Record'' was founded in 1981 by Ian Herbert and has been published fortnightly since January 1 ...

and its annual Indexes * ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', 17th edition, ed Ian Herbert, Gale (1981) . *''Double Bill'' (autobiography) by Alec McCowen, Elm Tree Books (1980) . *''The National: The Theatre and its Work 1963–1997'' by Simon Callow, Nick Hern Books/NT (1997) . *''Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies'', 4th (and final) edition, ed John Walker, HarperCollins 2006 *''Halliwell's Television Companion'', 3rd edition, Grafton (1986) . * Memorial service notes added by Bryan Hewitt

References

External links

Selected performances in the Theatre Archive, University of Bristol
*
Alec McCowen on BFI
* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCowen, Alec 1925 births 2017 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Drama Desk Award winners English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English theatre directors English gay actors People educated at The Skinners' School People from Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Shakespeare Company members Male actors from Kent