T.P. McKenna(1929-2011)
- Actor
- Writer
Character actor Thomas Patrick McKenna was born in Mullagh, County
Cavan, Ireland, in 1929. A prolific theatre actor throughout his
career, he made his stage debut in "Summer and Smoke" byTennessee Williamsat the
Pike Theatre in Dublin in 1954.
He made his film debut in the IRA-Nazi dramaA Terrible Beauty (1960)and from this uncredited beginning he moved up to tenth billing inThe Siege of Sidney Street (1960).His next major movie was in 1964'sGirl with Green Eyes (1964),by which time he had started a successful television career.
He made his TV debut inEspionage (1963)and over the next few years appeared in several more TV shows. His versatility enabled him to play three characters inThe Avengers (1961).He was also featured in such well-regarded shows asAdam Adamant Lives! (1966),Dixon of Dock Green (1955)andThe Saint (1962).
Meanwhile, his film career was developing along literary lines, and he was featured inBrendan Behan'sThe Quare Fellow (1962),theSean O'CaseybiopicYoung Cassidy (1965)and James Joyce'sUlysses (1967).He took smaller parts in such epics asThe Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969).
British films such asPerfect Friday (1970)andVillain (1971)allowed him to showcase his suave, urbane persona before trying something different in the controversialStraw Dogs (1971).He appeared alongside a youngAnthony HopkinsinAll Creatures Great and Small (1975) before starring withJohn Gielgudfor the second time, this time inA Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1977). Over the next few years his co-stars were as diverse asLeonard Rossiter (Britannia Hospital (1982)),Timothy Dalton(The Doctor and the Devils (1985)),Ben Kingsley(Pascali's Island (1988)) andDolph Lundgren(Red Scorpion (1988)). Not all of these films were successes, but McKenna always gave good value for the money and developed themes of his, such as an interest in Irish issues, inThe Outsider (1979).His last released film wasValmont (1989),which was unfortunately completely overshadowed byDangerous Liaisons (1988),which was based on the same novel.
Over the years he made numerous guest appearances in TV series such asMinder (1979),Casualty (1986),Lovejoy (1986),Inspector Morse (1987),Heartbeat (1992)andBallykissangel (1996).McKenna has also been prominent in TV movies and series, featuring inCharles Dickens' Bleak House (1985),Stendhal'sScarlet and Black (1993)and most recently an adaptation ofHenry James' The American (1998).
McKenna is up there with the greats of character acting such as Lionel Jeffries,Dennis Price,Richard Wattis,Wilfrid Hyde-WhiteandJohn Le Mesurier.
He made his film debut in the IRA-Nazi dramaA Terrible Beauty (1960)and from this uncredited beginning he moved up to tenth billing inThe Siege of Sidney Street (1960).His next major movie was in 1964'sGirl with Green Eyes (1964),by which time he had started a successful television career.
He made his TV debut inEspionage (1963)and over the next few years appeared in several more TV shows. His versatility enabled him to play three characters inThe Avengers (1961).He was also featured in such well-regarded shows asAdam Adamant Lives! (1966),Dixon of Dock Green (1955)andThe Saint (1962).
Meanwhile, his film career was developing along literary lines, and he was featured inBrendan Behan'sThe Quare Fellow (1962),theSean O'CaseybiopicYoung Cassidy (1965)and James Joyce'sUlysses (1967).He took smaller parts in such epics asThe Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969).
British films such asPerfect Friday (1970)andVillain (1971)allowed him to showcase his suave, urbane persona before trying something different in the controversialStraw Dogs (1971).He appeared alongside a youngAnthony HopkinsinAll Creatures Great and Small (1975) before starring withJohn Gielgudfor the second time, this time inA Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1977). Over the next few years his co-stars were as diverse asLeonard Rossiter (Britannia Hospital (1982)),Timothy Dalton(The Doctor and the Devils (1985)),Ben Kingsley(Pascali's Island (1988)) andDolph Lundgren(Red Scorpion (1988)). Not all of these films were successes, but McKenna always gave good value for the money and developed themes of his, such as an interest in Irish issues, inThe Outsider (1979).His last released film wasValmont (1989),which was unfortunately completely overshadowed byDangerous Liaisons (1988),which was based on the same novel.
Over the years he made numerous guest appearances in TV series such asMinder (1979),Casualty (1986),Lovejoy (1986),Inspector Morse (1987),Heartbeat (1992)andBallykissangel (1996).McKenna has also been prominent in TV movies and series, featuring inCharles Dickens' Bleak House (1985),Stendhal'sScarlet and Black (1993)and most recently an adaptation ofHenry James' The American (1998).
McKenna is up there with the greats of character acting such as Lionel Jeffries,Dennis Price,Richard Wattis,Wilfrid Hyde-WhiteandJohn Le Mesurier.
