Gordon Jackson (actor)

Gordon Cameron Jackson (19 December 1923 – 15 January 1990) was a Scottish actor. He is best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' and as George Cowley, the head of CI5, in '' The Professionals''. He also portrayed Capt Jimmy Cairns in '' Tunes of Glory'', and Flt. Lt. Andrew MacDonald, "Intelligence", in '' The Great Escape''.

Early life

Jackson was born on 19 December 1923 in Glasgow, the youngest of five children. He attended Hillhead High School, and in his youth he took part in BBC radio shows including ''Children's Hour''. He left school aged 15 and became a draughtsman for Rolls-Royce.

Early career

Jackson's film career began in 1942, when producers from Ealing Studios were looking for a young Scot to act in '' The Foreman Went to France'' and he was suggested for the part. After this, he returned to his job at Rolls-Royce, but he was soon asked to do more films, and he decided to make acting his career. Jackson soon appeared in other films, including '' Millions Like Us'', '' San Demetrio London'', ''The Captive Heart'', ''Eureka Stockade'' and '' Whisky Galore!''. In the early years of his career, Jackson also worked in repertory theatre in Glasgow, Worthing and Perth.

In 1949, Jackson starred in the film '' Floodtide'', along with actress Rona Anderson. He and Anderson married two years later on 2 June 1951. They had two sons, Graham and Roddy. The same year, he made his London stage debut, appearing in the play '' Seagulls Over Sorrento'' by Hugh Hastings.

In the 1950s and 1960s Jackson appeared on television in programmes such as ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'', ''ABC of Britain'', ''Gideon's Way'' and '' The Avengers''. In 1955 he had a small part in '' The Quatermass Xperiment'', the film version of the BBC TV serial. He later had supporting roles in the films '' The Great Escape'', '' The Bridal Path'' and '' The Ipcress File''. In 1969, he and his wife had important roles in '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie''. That year, he played Horatio in Tony Richardson's production of ''Hamlet'' and he won a Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor, having also taken part in the film version.

Later career

Jackson became a household name playing the stern Scottish butler Angus Hudson in sixty episodes of the period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' from 1971 to 1975. In 1976, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor for the episode " The Beastly Hun". In 1974, he was named British Actor of the Year and in 1979 he was made an OBE. Jackson was cast opposite Bette Davis for the American television film '' Madame Sin'' (1972), which was released in overseas markets as a feature film.

Jackson's next big television role was in the hard-hitting police drama '' The Professionals'' from 1977. He played George Cowley in all 57 episodes of the programme, which ended in 1983, although filming finished in 1981. He played Noel Strachan in the Australian Second World War drama ''A Town Like Alice'' (1981), winning a Logie Award for his performance.

After ''A Town Like Alice'' and ''The Professionals'', Jackson continued his television work with appearances in ''Hart to Hart'', '' Campion'' and ''Shaka Zulu'' and the films '' The Shooting Party'' and '' The Whistle Blower.'' He also appeared in the theatre, appearing in ''Cards on the Table'', adapted from the novel by Agatha Christie at the Vaudeville Theatre in 1981 and in '' Mass Appeal'' by Bill C. Davis at the Lyric Hammersmith in 1982. From 1985 to 1986, Jackson narrated two afternoon cookery shows in New Zealand for TVNZ called ''Fresh and Fancy Fare'' and its successor ''Country Fare''. His last role before his death was in ''Effie's Burning'', and this was broadcast posthumously.

Death

In December 1989, Jackson was diagnosed with bone cancer; he died on 15 January 1990, aged 66, in London. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.

Filmography

Television credits

Theatre

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Gordon
1923 births
1990 deaths
20th-century Scottish male actors
Clarence Derwent Award winners
Deaths from bone cancer in England
Logie Award winners
Male actors from Glasgow
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People educated at Hillhead High School
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Scottish male film actors
Scottish male radio actors
Scottish male Shakespearean actors
Scottish male television actors