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Alec McCowen

Highest Rated: 100% The Cruel Sea (1953)

Lowest Rated: 50% Travels With My Aunt (1972)

Birthday: May 26, 1925

Birthplace: Tunbridge Wells, England, UK

Alec McCowen was a lauded British stage and screen actor who appeared in dozens of movies throughout his 50-year career. Born and raised in the English town of Tunbridge Wells, McCowen always had a desire to perform. His mother was a dancer and early on instilled in young Alec a passion for entertaining others. Thus, when it came time to receive his formal acting training, McCowen enrolled in London's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). McCowen excelled at the RADA and soon developed a passion for stage acting. Beginning in the early 1940s, he started appearing in numerous plays throughout England. McCowen quickly developed a reputation as a noteworthy stage actor and by the early 1950s he was appearing in plays both in London and in New York City. In addition to his stage acting, McCowen landed his first film role in 1953 in the adventure drama "The Cruel Sea." Several more film roles in the 1950s followed, including "The Deep Blue Sea" (1955), "Time Without Pity" (1957) and "The Silent Enemy" (1958). Then in 1962 McCowen joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he began appearing in the playwright's most important work, thus adding further prestigious to his already remarkable stage-acting career. Over the course of the next several decades McCowen successfully juggled both film and stage work, appearing consistently in both films and plays throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. His more notable film work during this period included roles in Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V" (1989), Martin Scorsese's Edith Wharton adaptation "The Age of Innocence" (1993), and a small role in Scorsese's Oscar-nominated historical epic "Gangs of New York," which would also be his last film appearance. McCowen died at his home in London on February 7, 2017. He was 91.

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Highest rated movies

100% 83% The Cruel Sea
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100% 91% A Night to Remember
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98% 89% Henry V
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91% 78% Frenzy
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88% 75% The Age of Innocence Watchlist
73% 87% Cry Freedom
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73% 85% The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
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72% 81% Gangs of New York
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71% 37% Never Say Never Again
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70% 31% The Devil's Own
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
72% 81% Gangs of New York Reverend Raleigh (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Midsomer Murders: Electric Vendetta Sir Christian Aubrey (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cruel Train Supt. Fish (Character) - 1994
88% 75% The Age of Innocence Sillerton Jackson (Character) $31.9M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Maria's Child Father Eugene McCarthy (Character) - 1992
98% 89% Henry V Ely (Character) $10.2M 1989
73% 87% Cry Freedom Acting High Commissioner (Character) $4.9M 1987
67% 80% Personal Services Wing Commander Morten (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Assam Garden Mr. Philpott (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Squaring the Circle Rakowski (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Forever Young Father Vincent (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Young Visiters J. M. Barrie (Character) - 1984
71% 37% Never Say Never Again `'Q'` Algy (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet 50% Twelfth Night Malvolio (Character) - 1980
70% 40% Hanover Street Maj. Trumbo (Character) - 1979
60% 70% Stevie Freddy (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Private Lives Elyot Chase (Character) - 1976
50% 47% Travels With My Aunt Henry Pulling (Character) - 1972
91% 78% Frenzy Chief Inspector Oxford (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet 52% The Hawaiians Micah Hale (Character) - 1970
70% 31% The Devil's Own Alan Bax (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet 33% In the Cool of the Day Dickie Bayliss (Character) - 1963
73% 85% The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Brown, House Master (Character) - 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Doctor's Dilemma Redpenny (Character) - 1958
100% 91% A Night to Remember Harold Thomas Cottam (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet The One That Got Away Duty Officer, Hucknall (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet 43% Town on Trial Peter Crowley (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Good Companions Albert Oakroyd (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet 73% The Deep Blue Sea Ken Thompson (Character) - 1955
100% 83% The Cruel Sea Tonbridge (Character) - 1953

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 85% Midsomer Murders Sir Christian Aubrey (Character) 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bergerac Unknown (Character) 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet BBC Television Shakespeare Unknown (Character) 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet What's My Line? Guest 1969