Christopher Malcolm

Christopher Malcolm was a Scottish actor best known for his involvement in the first theater production of "The Rocky Horror Show" (1973) and his roles in "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Absolutely Fabulous" (BBC One 1992-2012). Although he was born on August 19, 1946 in Aberdeen, Scotland, Malcolm and his family immigrated to British Columbia just a few years after he was born. He displayed an earnest interest in acting and he eventually enrolled at the University of British Columbia where he studied theater. His start as an actor began at the Royal Shakespeare Academy, where he appeared in numerous productions over the span of two years from 1966-68. He first gained notice when he starred as the straitlaced Brad Majors in the first production of the groundbreaking stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show" in 1973. While he continued focusing on stage work, Malcolm also began to develop a film career. Fans of George Lucas' science fantasy series "Star Wars" recognized Malcolm as one of the rebel fighters who went up against the massive Imperial AT-ATs Walkers in "The Empire Strikes Back." He also appeared alongside other notable actors in massive blockbusters, such as Christopher Reeve in "Superman III" (1983), a young Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie in the fantasy hit "Labyrinth" (1986), and Sean Connery in Russell Mulcahy's original "Highlander" (1986). Malcolm also worked on several British television series, most notably as Justin, the gay ex-husband of Jennifer Saunders' character Edina in the hit sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous," a recurring role he revisited throughout the show's several revivals and specials. On February 15, 2014, Malcolm died cancer at the age of 67. He was survived by his wife, Judy, and their three children.