Roddy McDowall

Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) was an English - American actor, film director, photographer, and voice artist. His roles included Cornelius, Caesar, and Galen in the Planet of the Apes film and television series. He began his acting career as a child in England, and then in the United States, in How Green Was My Valley, My Friend Flicka, and Lassie Come Home, and as an adult appeared most frequently as a character actor on radio, stage, film, and television. He served in several positions on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the Selection Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors, as well as contributing to various charities related to the film industry and film preservation.

Early life and career

McDowall was born at 204 Herne Hill Road, Herne Hill, London, the son of Winifriede Lucinda (née Corcoran), an Irish-born aspiring actress, and Thomas Andrew McDowall, a merchant seaman of Scottish descent. Both of his parents were enthusiastic about the theatre. He had an older sister, Virginia, who was an occasional actress. He was educated at St. Joseph's College, a Roman Catholic secondary school, in Upper Norwood in London.