Patrick Macnee: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:AvengersBook1.jpg|thumb|Patrick Macnee and [[Diana Rigg]] on the cover of a 1994 reprint of an ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|Avengers]]'' novel co-written by Macnee.]]

'''Patrick Macnee''', born on [[February 6]], [[1922]], in [[London, England]] as '''Daniel Patrick Macnee''', is a British-born [[actor]], probably best known for his [[television]] roles. He is not of Irish extraction despite his Gaelic sounding name. His parents divorced after his mother, Dorothea, declared her lesbianism, and had a live-in partner who helped pay for young Patrick's schooling. After nurturing his acting career in [[Canada]], Macnee became an American citizen in [[1959]].

Despite numerous roles in theatre, on television and in cinema, Macnee is still best known as the inimitable secret agent [[John Steed]] in the series ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]''. Initially a secondary character — the series was conceived as a vehicle for Ian Hendry, who played an associate of Steed's — Steed (and Macnee) became the centre of the show after Hendry's departure at the end of the first season, playing opposite a succession of female partners that included [[Honor Blackman]], [[Diana Rigg]], and, finally, the little known Canadian-born actress [[Linda Thorson]]. Steed was also the central character of a revival, ''[[The New Avengers]]'', in which he was teamed with characters Purdey played by [[Joanna Lumley]] and Mike Gambit ([[Gareth Hunt]]).