Kenneth McMillan (actor)

Kenneth McMillan (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 1989) was an American actor. McMillan was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters due to his rough image. However, he was sometimes cast in some lighter comic roles that highlighted his gentler side. He was perhaps best known as Jack Doyle in Rhoda (1977–1978), and as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in David Lynch's Dune.

Kenneth McMillan
Valerie Harper, Kenneth McMillan, and Nancy Walker on TV's Rhoda (1977)
Born(1932-07-02)July 2, 1932
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 8, 1989(1989-01-08) (aged 56)
OccupationActor
Years active1969–1989
Spouse
Kathryn McDonald
(m. 1969)
Children1

Biography

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Personal life

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McMillan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Margaret and Harry McMillan, a truck driver.[1] He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Prior to becoming an actor, McMillan was employed at Gimbels Department Store first as a salesman, then as a section manager, and then a floor superintendent managing three floors.[2] At age 30, McMillan decided to pursue an acting career, and took acting lessons from Uta Hagen and Irene Dailey. He was married to Kathryn McDonald (20 June 1969 – 8 January 1989) (his death) with whom he had one child, actress Alison McMillan.

Career

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McMillan made his film debut at age 41 with a small role in Sidney Lumet's police drama Serpico. The actor played a borough commander in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, but often was cast as characters such as a cowardly small town sheriff in Tobe Hooper's 1979 TV mini-series Salem's Lot, a similar law enforcement officer in the 1987 Burt Reynolds film Malone, William Hurt's bitter paraplegic father in Eyewitness, a wily safe cracker in The Pope of Greenwich Village, and a racist fire chief in Ragtime who is memorably told off by the New York City police commissioner, played by James Cagney. In 1985, he portrayed New York City's newly appointed police commissioner in the short-lived television crime drama Our Family Honor.

He portrayed the grotesquely obese and gleefully psychotic Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune, the pathetic drunken pop of Aidan Quinn in Reckless and as Cressner, a sleazy high roller gambler in "The Ledge," a segment of the horror anthology film Cat's Eye. Yet he did sometimes get cast opposite the villain, playing Robert Duvall's detective partner in True Confessions, a judge who must rule whether Richard Dreyfuss has the right to die in Whose Life Is It Anyway?, as well as a lead detective investigating a serial killer in the 1982 film The Clairvoyant.

McMillan was also adept at comedy, giving performances as a baseball club manager in Blue Skies Again, Meg Ryan's corrupt security guard captain dad in Armed and Dangerous and a dotty senile veterinarian in Three Fugitives.

McMillan had a recurring role in 1977–78 as Valerie Harper's irate boss Jack Doyle on the TV sitcom Rhoda. Among the TV shows McMillan did guest spots on are Dark Shadows, Ryan's Hope, as a 53rd precinct lieutenant on Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, The Rockford Files, Moonlighting, Lou Grant, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote.

Outside of his film and TV credits, McMillan also frequently performed on stage at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He acted in the original Broadway productions of Streamers and American Buffalo. He won an Obie for his performance in the Off-Broadway play Weekends Like Other People.

McMillan died of liver disease at age 56.[2]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1973 Serpico Charlie Uncredited
1974 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Harry (Borough Commander)
1975 The Stepford Wives Market Manager
Dog Day Afternoon Commissioner Uncredited
1978 Girlfriends Cabbie Credited as Ken McMillan
Bloodbrothers Mikey Banion
Oliver's Story Jamie Francis
1979 Chilly Scenes of Winter Pete
1980 Hide in Plain Sight Sam Marzetta
Little Miss Marker Branigan
Carny Heavy St. John
Borderline Malcolm Wallace
1981 Eyewitness Mr. Deever
True Confessions Frank Crotty
Ragtime Willie Conklin
Whose Life Is It Anyway? Judge Wyler
Heartbeeps Max
1982 Partners Chief Wilkins
The Clairvoyant Detective Cullum
1983 Blue Skies Again Dirk
1984 Reckless John Rourke Sr.
The Pope of Greenwich Village Barney
Amadeus Michael Schlumberg Director's Cut (2002)
Dune Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Protocol Senator Norris
1985 Cat's Eye Cressner
Runaway Train Eddie MacDonald
1986 Armed and Dangerous Captain Clarence O'Connell
1987 Malone Hawkins
1989 Three Fugitives Horvath
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1969 Dark Shadows Jack Long Episode #899
1970 Dark Shadows Bartender at the Eagle Episode #991
1975–76 Ryan's Hope Charlie Ferris 17 episodes
1976 Kojak Lieutenant Becker Season 4 Episode 9: "A Shield for Murder: Part 1"
Season 4 Episode 10: "A Shield for Murder: Part 2"
1977 Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye Softy McNamara TV movie
The Rubber Gun Squad Captain Egan TV pilot movie
1977–78 Rhoda Jack Doyle Recurring (24 episodes) (also performer on "Blue Moon" and "As Time Goes By" in 2 episodes)
1978 Kojak Lieutenant George O'Mara Season 5 Episode 17: "No License to Kill"
Breaking Up Vancrier TV movie
King Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor Miniseries (Season 1 Episodes 1, 2, 3) (credit only for Episode 3)
A Death in Canaan Sergeant Tim Scully TV movie
Starsky & Hutch Lieutenant Daniel E. Slate Season 4 Episode 6: "Strange Justice"
The Rockford Files Morry Hawthorne Season 5 Episode 10: "A Fast Count"
1979 Lou Grant Jack Riley Season 2 Episode 20: "Convention"
Salem's Lot Constable Parkins Gillespie Miniseries (Season 1 Episodes Part 1, Part 2)
1980 The Hustler of Muscle Beach Joseph Demec TV movie
1982 In the Custody of Strangers Albert C. Caruso
1983 Packin' It In Howard Estep
Dixie: Changing Habits Tony Marchesso
Murder 1, Dancer 0 Lieutenant Herbie Quinlan
1984 When She Says No Mr. Michaels
Maggie Briggs Walter Holden Main (5 episodes)
Concrete Beat Marion Kaiser TV movie
Destination Dune Self / Baron Vladimir Harkonnen TV documentary short promoting Dune
1985–86 Our Family Honor Commissioner Patrick McKay Main (13 episodes)
1986 Acceptable Risks Wes Boggs TV movie
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Judge Paul Magrew Season 1 Episode 21: "Four O'Clock"
Moonlighting Baptista Season 3 Episode 7: "Atomic Shakespeare"
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Harry Gunz Season 1 Episode 19: "Sons of Gunz"
Murder, She Wrote Season 4 Episode 2: "When Thieves Fall Out"
Magnum, P.I. Joe Hatten Season 8 Episode 3: "Innocence... A Broad"
Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's Lew Carteret TV movie
1988 Frank's Place Mitch Torrance Season 1 Episode 22: "The King of Wall Street" (credited as Ken McMillan)
Favorite Son Henry O'Brien Season 1 Episode 1: "Part One"
1989 Top of the Hill Steele Cooley Season 1 Episode 1: "Top of the Hill"
1997 Welcome to Twin Peaks Baron Vladimir Harkonnen Archive footage; uncredited
2013 The Calm Before the Chaos: Kyle T. Heffner Reflects on Runaway Train Eddie MacDonald Archive footage; uncredited

References

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  1. ^ Kenneth McMillan Biography (1932-)
  2. ^ a b Collins, Glenn (January 10, 1989). "Kenneth McMillan, 56, Actor In Numerous Stage and Film Roles". The New York Times.
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