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About Jack MacGowran: Wedding, Nationality, Age, Measurements

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Known for movies

Burke Dennings

The Exorcist (1973)
as Burke Dennings

Professor Abronsius

Dance of the Vampires (1967)
as Professor Abronsius

Petya

Doctor Zhivago (1965)
as Petya

Partridge

Tom Jones (1963)
as Partridge

Short Info

DiedJanuary 31, 1973, New York City, New York, United States
SpouseAileen Nugent
FactBorn in Dublin, Jack MacGowran worked as an insurance assessor for eight years before becoming an actor with the Abbey Theatre. He made his film debut in John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952). He was also a noted stage actor specialising in works by Sean O'Casey and Samuel Beckett. He appeared in "Waiting For Godot" at the Royal Court Theatre London, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company in "Endgame" at the Aldwych Theatre. He released an LP record, "MacGowran Speaks Beckett", to coincide with Samuel Beckett's 60th birthday. While Jack MacGowran was making Dance of the Vampires (1967), it was suggested by Roman Polanski and Gérard Brach, who wrote the original story for Wonderwall (1968), that he play the part of Professor Collins.


Jack MacGowran was an Irish character actor of stage and screen. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, on October 13, 1918, to Edward and Winifred (nee Byrne) MacGowran. His father was a civil servant and his mother was a homemaker. He had two brothers, Edward and Maurice. He was educated at St. Vincent’s C.B.S. in Glasnevin and at the National University of Ireland, where he studied English and Irish. He began his career as a journalist with the Irish Press, but soon turned to acting.

He made his stage debut in 1941 in a production of Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars. He went on to appear in many other O’Casey plays, as well as works by Samuel Beckett, Brendan Behan, and Sean O’Faolain. He also appeared in several films, including The Quiet Man (1952), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), and The Exorcist (1973).

He married actress Siobhan McKenna in 1954. They had three children: Siobhan, Aonghus, and Cathal. McKenna died in 1986.

MacGowran died of a heart attack in New York City on January 31, 1973, at the age of 54.

General Info

Full NameJack MacGowran
DiedJanuary 31, 1973, New York City, New York, United States
ProfessionActor
NationalityIrish

Family

SpouseAileen Nugent
ChildrenTara MacGowran

Accomplishments

AwardsDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance, Obie Award for Best Performance By An Actor
MoviesThe Exorcist, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Cul-de-sac, The Quiet Man, Age of Consent, Doctor Zhivago, Wonderwall, How I Won the War, Start the Revolution Without Me, Darby O'Gill and the Little People, Tom Jones, The Giant Behemoth, Lord Jim, Young Cassidy, King Lear, The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go...

Social profile links

IMDBhttp://imdb.com/name/nm0532290

Quotes

#Quote
1[on working with Roman Polanski]: Both "Cul-de-Sac" and "Dance Of The Vampires" suffered from awkward translations of the original French scripts. After we had struggled on for a while, Roman said, "Throw away the script and say what you want to say." In my opening scene in "Cul-de-Sac", where I am marooned in the flooded car, I originally had a speech half-a-page long - completely unnecessary. I cut it completely and spoke one line only, off my own bat.

Facts

#Fact
1He was awarded the 1972 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Performance for the play, "The Works of Beckett," at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
2Has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Quiet Man (1952), Tom Jones (1963), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and The Exorcist (1973). Of those, Tom Jones (1963) is a winner in the category.
3Won the 1970-1971 Obie for Best Performance By an Actor in the off-Broadway play "Beckett".
4Born in Dublin, Jack MacGowran worked as an insurance assessor for eight years before becoming an actor with the Abbey Theatre. He made his film debut in John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952). He was also a noted stage actor specialising in works by Sean O'Casey and Samuel Beckett. He appeared in "Waiting For Godot" at the Royal Court Theatre London, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company in "Endgame" at the Aldwych Theatre. He released an LP record, "MacGowran Speaks Beckett", to coincide with Samuel Beckett's 60th birthday. While Jack MacGowran was making Dance of the Vampires (1967), it was suggested by Roman Polanski and Gérard Brach, who wrote the original story for Wonderwall (1968), that he play the part of Professor Collins.
5Shortly after completing his role in The Exorcist (1973), he died in New York (He was appearing as Fluther in "The Plough and the Stars" with Siobhan McKenna at the time.
6Father of Tara MacGowran.

Pictures

Jack MacGowran
Roman Polanski, Jack MacGowran
Roman Polanski, Jack MacGowran
Roman Polanski, Jack MacGowran

Movies

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Exorcist1973Burke Dennings
A Day at the Beach1972The Collector
The Shadow of a Gunman1972TV MovieSeumas Shields
Banacek1972TV SeriesMichele Lanier
King Lear1971Fool
The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go1970Leo Zimmerman (as Jack McGowran)
My Partner the Ghost1970TV SeriesJoe Hudson
Start the Revolution Without Me1970Jacques
Parkin's Patch1969TV SeriesDanny Shea
Age of Consent1969Nat Kelly
Beginning to End1968TV MovieUnnamed Man
The Champions1968TV SeriesBanner B. Banner
ITV Playhouse1968TV Series'Cheese & Egg' Petty
The Dustbinmen1968TV SeriesCheese & Egg [C.E.Petty]
Wonderwall1968Prof. Oscar Collins
BBC Play of the Month1968TV SeriesTrinculo
Half Hour Story1968TV SeriesAlec
How I Won the War1967Juniper
Sanctuary1967TV SeriesKevin Moriarty
The Avengers1967TV SeriesProfessor Poole
Dance of the Vampires1967Professor Abronsius
Eh, Joe?1966TV Movie
Cul-De-Sac1966Albie
The Wednesday Play1966TV SeriesBrother Michael
Thirty-Minute Theatre1966TV SeriesCoastes
Beginning to End1966TV Movie
The Stable Door1966Short
Doctor Zhivago1965Petya
Armchair Mystery Theatre1965TV SeriesAlbert Brady
Theatre 6251965TV SeriesJeremiah Hudson
Young Cassidy1965Archie
Lord Jim1965Robinson
Secret Agent1965TV SeriesShorty Pratt
Gideon C.I.D.1964TV Series'Happy' Roden
Thursday Theatre1964TV SeriesFather
Drama 61-671964TV SeriesHerbert Reynolds
Sergeant Cork1963TV SeriesDrummer
The Ceremony1963O'Brian
Espionage1963TV SeriesMatt Youghal
First Night1963TV SeriesKelly
Z Cars1963TV SeriesFenton
Tom Jones1963Partridge
24-Hour Call1963TV SeriesJoey
Zero One1962TV SeriesLonnie
The Brain1962Furber
Mix Me a Person1962Terence
Night Creatures1962Frightened Man
Two and Two Make Six1962Night Porter
ITV Play of the Week1958-1961TV SeriesMike Duffy / Huish / The Butler
Time Remembered1961/IITV MovieThe Taxl-Driver
Probation Officer1961TV SeriesLong-Ears
Danger Man1960TV SeriesLauncelot Prior
A Christmas Journey1959TV MovieStranger
The Rough and Ready Lot1959TV MovieCaptain Kelly
Chance Meeting1959Postman
The Boy and the Bridge1959Market Porter
Darby O'Gill and the Little People1959Phadrig Oge
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color1959TV SeriesPhadrig Oge
The Giant Behemoth1959Dr. Sampson, the Paleontologist
She Didn't Say No!1958William Bates
Sailor of Fortune1955-1958TV SeriesSean, Irish Deck Hand / Sean - Irish Deck Hand / Sean
Armchair Theatre1958TV Series
Rooney1958Joe O'Connor
Educated Evans1957TV SeriesTim Cooley
Overseas Press Club - Exclusive!1957TV SeriesJimmy Walsh
Stowaway Girl1957Tommy
The Rising of the Moon1957Mickey J. - the poitín maker (1st Episode)
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre1955-1957TV SeriesMichael Donovan / Eben, a pedlar
Panic in the Parlor1956Toddy (uncredited)
Jacqueline1956Campbell
Raiders of the River1956Alf Barber (as Jack McGowran)
The Prince and the Pauper1955TV SeriesPatch Eye
The Titfield Thunderbolt1953Vernon Crump (as Jack McGowran)
Terror on a Train1953Bearded Man in Hostel (uncredited)
The Gentle Gunman1952Patsy McGuire (as Jack McGowran)
The Quiet Man1952Ignatius Feeney (as Jack McGowran)
No Resting Place1951Billy Kyle

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Beginning to End1966TV Movie deviser - uncredited

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The David Frost Show1971TV SeriesHimself
Once More with Felix1968TV SeriesHimself
This Is Your Life1955TV Series documentaryHimself

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
George Harrison: Living in the Material World2011DocumentaryHimself
Edición Especial Coleccionista2010TV SeriesProfessor Abronsius
Samuel Beckett: Silence to Silence1984DocumentaryActor - Extract from Becketts Plays
Lionpower from MGM1967ShortProfessor Abronsius (uncredited)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

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