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Malcolm McDowell (born Malcolm John Taylor; 13 June 1943) is an English actor. He first became known for portraying Mick Travis in
Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered fo ...
's '' if....'' (1968), a role he later reprised in ''
O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderso ...
'' (1973) and '' Britannia Hospital'' (1982). His performance in ''if....'' prompted
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
to cast him as
Alex Alex is a given name. Similar names are Alexander, Alexandra, Alexey or Alexis. People Multiple * Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Cook (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Forsyth (disambiguation), multiple people * Al ...
in '' A Clockwork Orange'' (1971), the role for which McDowell became best known. McDowell's other notable film credits include ''
The Raging Moon ''The Raging Moon'' (released in the US as ''Long Ago, Tomorrow'') is a 1971 British romantic drama film starring Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman and based on the book by British novelist Peter Marshall. Adapted and directed by Bryan Forbe ...
'' (1971), ''
Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama (film and television), drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an Ensemble cast, all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, Lynne Frederick and Malco ...
'' (1976), '' Time After Time'' (1979), ''
Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...
'' (1979), '' Cat People'' (1982), '' Blue Thunder'' (1983), '' The Caller'' (1987), ''
Star Trek Generations ''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the Star Trek (film series), ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek: The Original Ser ...
'' (1994), ''
Tank Girl Tank Girl is a British comic created by Alan Martin (writer), Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett. It first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline (magazine), Deadline'', and then in the solo comic book series ''Tank Girl' ...
'' (1995), '' Mr. Magoo'' (1997), '' I'll Sleep When I'm Dead'' (2003), '' The Company'' (2003), '' Evilenko'' (2004), '' The Artist'' (2011) and '' Bombshell'' (2019). He also played Dr. Samuel Loomis in the 2007 remake of ''
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
'' and its sequel, '' Halloween II'' (2009). On television, McDowell appeared as
Dornford Yates Cecil William Mercer (7 August 1885 – 5 March 1960), known by his pen name Dornford Yates, was an English writer and novelist whose novels and short stories, some humorous (the ''Berry'' books), some Thriller (genre), thrillers (the ''Chandos ...
's gentleman hero Richard Chandos in the 1978 BBC adaptation of '' She Fell Among Thieves''. He had recurring roles on '' Entourage'' (2005–2011) ''
The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, t ...
'' (2008-2015) and '' Heroes'' (2006–2007), starring roles on ''
Franklin & Bash ''Franklin & Bash'' is an American legal comedy drama television series created by Kevin Falls and Bill Chais. The series starred Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as unconventional lawyers and longtime friends. A Turner Broadcasting exec ...
'' (2011–2014) and ''
Mozart in the Jungle ''Mozart in the Jungle'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Alex Timbers, and Paul Weitz for the video-on-demand service Amazon Prime Video. It received a production order in March 20 ...
'' (2014–2018), and has played Patrick "Pop" Critch on the Canadian series '' Son of a Critch'' since 2022. He has also voiced characters in various animated shows, films and video games, including
Metallo Metallo () is the name of different supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an List of Superman enemies, adversary of Superman. All versions of the character are powered by kryptonite and are partially ...
on '' Superman: The Animated Series'' and ''
Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is an American superhero animated series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and ...
'', Vater Orlaag in ''
Metalocalypse ''Metalocalypse'' is an American Musical film, musical adult animated television series created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha for Adult Swim. It premiered on August 6, 2006. The television program centers on the larger-than-life melodic deat ...
'', Dr. Calico in '' Bolt'', President Eden in ''
Fallout 3 ''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...
'', Molag Bal in ''
The Elder Scrolls Online ''The Elder Scrolls Online'', abbreviated ''ESO'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is a part of the '' Elder Scrolls'' series. It was ...
'', and Dr. Monty in '' Call of Duty: Black Ops III.'' McDowell is the recipient of an Evening Standard British Film Award, alongside nominations for
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
and
Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
. He received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 2012.


Early life

McDowell was born Malcolm John Taylor on 13 June 1943 in
Horsforth Horsforth is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, five miles north-west of Leeds city centre. Historically a village within the West Riding of Yorkshire, it had a population of 18,895 ...
,
West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...
, the son of hotelier Edna (née McDowell of Clan MacDowall) and RAF officer (and later pub owner) Charles Taylor. He has an older sister named Gloria and a younger sister named Judy. Gloria later had a son, actor
Alexander Siddig Siddig el-Fadil (born 21 November 1965) is a British actor and director, known professionally as Alexander Siddig. Siddig is best known for his roles as Dr. Julian Bashir in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', former terrori ...
, alongside whom McDowell would appear in the film ''
Doomsday Doomsday may refer to: * Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions. * Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
'' (2008). The family moved to Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, where McDowell's father was stationed at the nearby RAF Carnaby. They then moved to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, where McDowell grew up and as a teenager took a job in a Planters nut factory in nearby
Aintree Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, northeast of Liverpool city centre. In 2011 the parish had a p ...
, as well as working at his father's pub, The Bull and Dog, in Burscough, Lancashire. He began taking acting classes while in school, later moving to London in order to train as an actor at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In ...
(LAMDA).


Career


Acting

McDowell initially secured work as an extra with the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
. He made his film debut as school rebel Mick Travis in '' if....'' (1968) by British director
Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered fo ...
. A landmark of British countercultural cinema, the BFI named ''if....'' the 12th-greatest British film of the 20th century. McDowell's next roles were in '' Figures in a Landscape'' (1970) and ''
The Raging Moon ''The Raging Moon'' (released in the US as ''Long Ago, Tomorrow'') is a 1971 British romantic drama film starring Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman and based on the book by British novelist Peter Marshall. Adapted and directed by Bryan Forbe ...
'' (1971). His performance in ''if....'' caught the attention of
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
, who cast McDowell for the lead in '' A Clockwork Orange'' (1971), adapted from the novel by
Anthony Burgess John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993) who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer. Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his Utopian and dystopian fiction, dy ...
. He gained massive acclaim for his performance as Alex DeLarge, a young, antisocial hoodlum who undergoes
brainwashing Brainwashing is the controversial idea that the human mind can be altered or controlled against a person's will by manipulative psychological techniques. Brainwashing is said to reduce its subject's ability to think critically or independently ...
by the British government in a near future society. He was nominated for a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
, a
National Society of Film Critics The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2024, ...
Award, and a
New York Film Critics Circle The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film scho ...
Award as Best Actor. He worked with Anderson again for ''
O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderso ...
'' (1973, also wrote), which was inspired by McDowell's experience working as a coffee salesman, and '' Britannia Hospital'' (1982). McDowell regularly appeared on British television productions in the 1970s in adaptations of theatre classics, one example being with
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
in '' The Collection'' (1976), as part of the series ''
Laurence Olivier Presents ''Laurence Olivier Presents'' is a British television anthology series made by ITV Granada, Granada Television which ran from 1976 to 1978. The plays, with the exception of ''Hindle Wakes (play), Hindle Wakes'', all starred Laurence Olivier. S ...
''. He starred in ''
Aces High Aces High may refer to: *Aces High (comics), ''Aces High'' (comics), a comic book series by EC Comics *Aces High (video game), ''Aces High'' (video game), a combat flight simulator/massively multiplayer online game *Aces High (film), ''Aces High'' ...
'' (1976) and co-starred in ''
Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama (film and television), drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an Ensemble cast, all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, Lynne Frederick and Malco ...
'' (1976), and as
Dornford Yates Cecil William Mercer (7 August 1885 – 5 March 1960), known by his pen name Dornford Yates, was an English writer and novelist whose novels and short stories, some humorous (the ''Berry'' books), some Thriller (genre), thrillers (the ''Chandos ...
' gentleman hero Richard Chandos in '' She Fell Among Thieves'' (1978) and the
title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
in ''
Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...
'' (1979). He made his Hollywood debut as
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
in '' Time After Time'' (1979). He has often portrayed
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Anthony Burgess: A Life'', author
Roger Lewis Roger Lewis may refer to: * Roger Lewis (biographer) (born 1960), Welsh academic, biographer and journalist * Roger Lewis (American football) (born 1993), American football player * Roger Lewis (businessman) (1912–1987), American business exec ...
commented on McDowell's later career: "his pretty-boy looks faded and he was condemned to playing villains in straight-to-video films that turn up on Channel 5". McDowell appeared in the action film '' Blue Thunder'' (1983) as F.E. Cochrane, and the horror remake '' Cat People'' (1982). In 1983, he starred in '' Get Crazy'' as Reggie Wanker, a parody of
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
. Also in 1983, McDowell starred as the Wolf (Reginald von Lupen) in ''
Faerie Tale Theatre ''Faerie Tale Theatre'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre'') is an American award-winning live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series created and presented by actress Shelley Duvall. The series originally ...
''s rendition of "
Little Red Riding Hood "Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European Fable, folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Broth ...
" (his wife at that time, Mary Steenburgen, played Little Red Riding Hood). In 1984, he narrated the documentary ''
The Compleat Beatles ''The Compleat Beatles'', released in 1982, is a two-hour documentary chronicling the career of the Beatles. Narrated by actor Malcolm McDowell, it includes extensive interviews with a number of sources close to the Beatles. Some of the people ...
''. He is known in ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' circles as "the man who killed
Captain Kirk James Tiberius Kirk, often known as Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterp ...
", appearing in the film ''
Star Trek Generations ''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the Star Trek (film series), ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek: The Original Ser ...
'' (1994) in which he played the mad scientist Dr. Tolian Soran, and several overzealous ''Star Trek'' fans even issued death threats for this. McDowell appeared in several computer games, most notably as Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn in the ''
Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...
'' series of computer games. His appearance in ''
Wing Commander III ''Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger'' is the third main game in Chris Roberts' '' Wing Commander'' science fiction space combat simulation video game series, developed and released by Origin Systems in December 1994. It was a departure f ...
'' marked the series transition from 2D pre-rendered cutscenes to live-action cutscenes. His appearance in ''
Wing Commander IV ''Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom'' is the fourth main game in the ''Wing Commander'' science fiction space combat simulator video game series, produced by Origin Systems and released by Electronic Arts for the PC in 1996 and the Sony ...
'' was during the final days of video game live action cutscenes. In 1995, he co-starred with actress and artist Lori Petty in the science fiction/action comedy film ''
Tank Girl Tank Girl is a British comic created by Alan Martin (writer), Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett. It first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline (magazine), Deadline'', and then in the solo comic book series ''Tank Girl' ...
''. Here, he played the villain Dr. Kesslee, the evil director of the global Water and Power Company, whose main goal in the story was to control the planet's entire water supply on a future desert-like, post-apocalyptic Earth. McDowell appeared in a 2000 episode of the animated series ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'', which was a comedic retelling of the
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
novel ''
Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...
''. In the episode, McDowell played the real-life narrator of the story in live action, introducing himself simply as "a British person", in a parody of ''
Masterpiece Theatre ''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these ...
'', and its ex-host,
Alistair Cooke Alistair Cooke, Order of the British Empire, KBE (né Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the Unite ...
. McDowell played himself in
Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...
's '' The Player'', in which he chastises protagonist Griffin Mill (
Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and Jacob Singer in '' Jacob's Ladder'' (1990), as well as winning an Academy ...
) for badmouthing him behind his back. He worked with Altman once again for '' The Company'' (2003) as "Mr. A.", the fictional director of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. His character was based on real-life director Gerald Arpino. McDowell had a brief but memorable role as the psychopathic Gangster in the British crime film '' Gangster No. 1'' (2000). In the film '' I'll Sleep When I'm Dead'' (2003), he played a straight married man who rapes a young drug dealer to "teach him a lesson". The film also starred
Clive Owen Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series '' Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...
as the victim's elder brother. In 2006, McDowell portrayed radio mogul Jonas Slaughter on '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent''. The following year, he portrayed the villainous Mr. Linderman on the first season of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
series '' Heroes'', a role he reprised in the third-season premiere. He starred in '' Jerry Was a Man'', which appeared as an episode of '' Masters of Science Fiction'' on
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...
. He portrayed Terrence McQuewick on '' Entourage'', and he made a special guest appearance as the icy fashion designer Julian Hodge in the ''
Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
'' season 4 episode, " Mr. Monk Goes to a Fashion Show". '' Never Apologize'' is a 2007 documentary film of Malcolm McDowell's one-man show about his experiences working with film director
Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered fo ...
. McDowell appeared as Dr. Samuel Loomis in
Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...
's remakes of ''
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
'' and '' Halloween II'' (in 2007 and 2009, respectively). Although the films were not well received critically, they performed better at the box office and McDowell was widely praised. He also played Desmond LaRochette in
Robert Whitlow Robert Whitlow is an American film-maker and a best-selling author of fifteen legal thrillers. He is also a contributor to a short story ''The Rescuers'', a story included in the book ''What The Wind Picked Up'' by The ChiLibris Ring. In 2001, h ...
's '' The List'' (2007), and Irish patriarch Enda Doyle in '' Red Roses and Petrol'' (2003). His next film was the Canadian vampire comedy rock and roll film ''
Suck Suck may refer to: *Suction, the force exerted by a partial vacuum * .sucks, an Internet top-level domain Arts and entertainment Music * Suck (band), a South African hard rock group * Suck, drummer for the 1990s Japanese punk band Teengenerat ...
'' (2009) with actor/director Rob Stefaniuk and the
Alex Wright Alexander Wright (born May 17, 1975) is a German former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promoter. He wrestled professionally in Germany and Japan before signing with World ...
film ''Two Wolves''. In December 2009, he made an appearance in the music video " Snuff" by the heavy metal band Slipknot. He appears, uncredited, as the curator Lombardi, in the film '' The Book of Eli'' (2010). McDowell portrayed
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
in the Christian comedy thriller film '' Suing the Devil'' (2011). In 2011, McDowell was cast in the role of Stanton Infeld on the
TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
original series ''
Franklin & Bash ''Franklin & Bash'' is an American legal comedy drama television series created by Kevin Falls and Bill Chais. The series starred Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as unconventional lawyers and longtime friends. A Turner Broadcasting exec ...
'' and appeared in the Academy Award-winning film '' The Artist''. In 2012, McDowell appeared in the horror films '' Vamps'' and '' Silent Hill: Revelation''. On 16 March 2012, he received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
, aptly outside the Pig n' Whistle British pub on
Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...
. His fellow British actor
Gary Oldman Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...
was in attendance and paid tribute to McDowell for inspiring him to become an actor. In 2013, he appeared as the title character in the psychological thriller '' The Employer'', for which he won Best Actor at the Los Angeles Movie Awards. In 2013, McDowell also ventured into the
Steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...
genre, starring in the short film ''Cowboys & Engines'' alongside Richard Hatch and
Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid-1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in '' Star Trek: The Original ...
. In 2013, he starred as King Henry II of England in the film ''
Richard the Lionheart Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
'', with Gregory Chandler as the title character. He portrayed Father Murder in the 2016
Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...
film '' 31''. McDowell also played Boogeyman in ''Abnormal Attraction'' (2018) co-starring
Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, best-known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York dialect, his squint, and his edgy, often-controversial, sense of humor. Hi ...
,
Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor who has appeared in more than 270 films, television and stage productions since his debut in 1968. His breakthrough role was as Willard Stiles in the 1971 cult horror film '' Willard' ...
,
Tyler Mane Daryl Karolat (born December 8, 1966) is a Canadian actor and retired professional wrestler, better known by the name Tyler Mane. He is known for playing supervillain Sabretooth in ''X-Men'' (2000), and '' X-Men: The Official Game'' (2006), Ajax ...
and
Leslie Easterbrook Leslie Easterbrook is an American actress and producer. She played Sgt./Lt./Capt. Debbie Callahan in the '' Police Academy'' films and Rhonda Lee on the television series ''Laverne & Shirley''. Early life Easterbrook was adopted when she was nin ...
. Since 2022, McDowell has played the grandfather of the protagonist in the Canadian TV series '' Son of a Critch''.


Voice acting

McDowell was the featured narrator in the documentary ''
The Compleat Beatles ''The Compleat Beatles'', released in 1982, is a two-hour documentary chronicling the career of the Beatles. Narrated by actor Malcolm McDowell, it includes extensive interviews with a number of sources close to the Beatles. Some of the people ...
'', released in 1982. He voiced Lord Maliss in '' Happily Ever After'' (1989), Zarm in the cartoon '' Captain Planet and the Planeteers'', the
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
villain
Metallo Metallo () is the name of different supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an List of Superman enemies, adversary of Superman. All versions of the character are powered by kryptonite and are partially ...
in '' Superman: The Animated Series'', Mad Mod on ''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'', Merlyn in '' DC Showcase: Green Arrow'' (2010), Arkady Duvall (son of
Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil, and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared ...
, voiced by McDowell's ''Time After Time'' co-star David Warner) on '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and a
Death Star The Death Star is a fictional space station and superweapon featured in the ''Star Wars'' space-opera franchise. Constructed by the autocratic Galactic Empire, the Death Star is capable of obliterating entire planets, and serves to enforce ...
commander on a ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...
'' episode parodying ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''. He is also a regular on the second season of the
Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
cartoon ''
Metalocalypse ''Metalocalypse'' is an American Musical film, musical adult animated television series created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha for Adult Swim. It premiered on August 6, 2006. The television program centers on the larger-than-life melodic deat ...
'' as Vater Orlaag and other characters. McDowell also voiced Dr. Calico in Disney's '' Bolt'' (2008) and the henchman Reeses II in the animated series '' Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys'', a show laced with references to many films, including his own role in ''A Clockwork Orange''. Once again McDowell starred alongside Warner in the episode "Rhesus Pieces". In 2006–07, he contributed spoken word to two
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
tribute albums produced by
Billy Sherwood William Wyman Sherwood (born March 14, 1965) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, record producer and mixing engineer. He is best known for his tenures in the English progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes as guitarist and ke ...
: '' Back Against the Wall'' and '' Return to the Dark Side of the Moon''. He has also provided voice-over work for
Borgore Yosef Asaf Borger (; born 20 October 1987), known professionally as Borgore, is an Israeli EDM producer, DJ, singer-songwriter and rapper. He is the founder of the label Buygore Records. Biography Yosef Asaf Borger was born to a Jewish fam ...
on his album ''#NEWGOREORDER'' (2014). In 2008, McDowell began a recurring role as Reginald Fletcher on ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
''. He also narrated the award-winning documentary '' Blue Gold: World Water Wars''. McDowell reprised his role of Metallo in the video game '' Superman: Shadow of Apokolips'' and an episode of ''
Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is an American superhero animated series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and ...
''. He also provided his voice for the character President John Henry Eden in the video game ''
Fallout 3 ''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...
'', Rupert Pelham in the game '' WET'',
Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...
in the Word of Promise Audio Bible, and the CEO of Stahl Arms in '' Killzone 3'', Jorhan Stahl. He also voiced
Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek language, Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin language, Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan language, Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. H ...
in '' God of War III''. He is the voice for the primary antagonist Molag Bal in the MMO ''
The Elder Scrolls Online ''The Elder Scrolls Online'', abbreviated ''ESO'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is a part of the '' Elder Scrolls'' series. It was ...
''. He is also the voice of Dr. Monty in '' Call of Duty: Black Ops III''. McDowell portrayed
Caiaphas Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was the High Priest of Israel during the first century. In the New Testament, the Gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John indicate he was an organizer of ...
in ''The Truth & Life Dramatised audio New Testament Bible'', a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, fully dramatised audio New Testament which uses the RSV-CE translation. McDowell is the host of ''
Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released i ...
's Dreadtime Stories'', a monthly series of radio dramas with a mystery, horror, science fiction and dark humour theme. Each month, a new episode is available for download, and scripts, as used by McDowell and the supporting actors, are also available at the Fangoria website. He provided the voice for Triton (Ship's Computer) in the 2015
science-fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, sp ...
short film, '' Oceanus: Act One''. In 2020, he interpreted Gabriele Tinti's poetry inspired by epigraphs collected in the National Roman Museum. He guest-starred in the ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'' episode "Pet the Rock" as Pervical.


Honours

Malcolm McDowell refused the degree of Commander of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
in 1984 and to be a
Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...
in 1995.


Personal life

McDowell met actress and publicist Margot Bennett in March 1969, and they married in April 1975. The couple divorced in September 1980. He met actress Mary Steenburgen in 1978 while filming '' Time After Time'', and they married in September 1980. They had two children together, Lilly (born 1981) and filmmaker Charlie McDowell (born 1983). The couple divorced in 1990. He and his third wife, Kelley Kuhr, had three sons in the 2000s, with the youngest born in 2009. McDowell became a fan of
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founded in ...
after moving to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
as a child; he spent much of his childhood at
Anfield Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
. McDowell continues to support the team."Never Apologize – An interview with Malcolm McDowell"
. Movie Mail. Retrieved 9 January 2013


List of performances


Awards and nominations


References


Interviews


N.P. Thompson's interview with Malcolm McDowell
for Slant/The House Next Door

* ttps://www.theguardian.com/weekend/story/0,3605,1201919,00.html "What if..."– ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', 24 April 2004. In-depth profile and interview.
"O Lucky Man! Malcolm McDowell's journey from coffee salesman to movie star"
– ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', 17 May 2008 * – ''The Bobbything'', 2010
"COWBOYS & ENGINES"
– by Bryn Pryor


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McDowell, Malcolm 1943 births 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors from Bridlington Actors from Horsforth Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Audiobook narrators English expatriate male actors in the United States English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male video game actors English male voice actors Living people Male actors from Liverpool Royal Shakespeare Company members