Patrick McGoohan (Prisoner) dies

[izzix]

Patrick McGoohan: The Prisoner actor dies aged 80
Read an obituary of Patrick McGoohan
Comments (18)

* Leigh Holmwood
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 14 January 2009 17.49 GMT
* Article history

Patrick McGoohan

Patrick McGoohan: appeared in The Prisoner and Columbo. Photograph: Allstar

Patrick McGoohan, the Emmy award-winning actor who created and starred in 1960s TV show The Prisoner, has died at the age of 80.

The actor's son-in-law, film producer Cleve Landsberg, said today that McGoohan had died yesterday in Los Angeles after a short illness.

McGoohan was best known as the title character Number Six in surreal drama The Prisoner, which aired on ITV in the UK. He played a former spy who is held captive in a small village and constantly tries to escape.

He also won two Emmys for detective drama Columbo, playing different characters, with the first coming in 1974 and the other 16 years later.

More recently, McGoohan appeared as individual Edward Longshanks in the 1995 Mel Gibson film Braveheart.

McGoohan, who was born in New York but raised in England and Ireland, came to screen prominence in ITV's early 1960s drama series Danger Man, in which he played a secret agent.

He was also considered for the lead role in the first James Bond movie, Dr No, before Sean Connery was cast.

However, it was The Prisoner, which aired originally on ITV between 1967 and 1968, with which he was chiefly associated, writing some of the episodes himself under a different name.

His character, Number Six, spent the entire time attempting to escape from a prison – which was disguised as a holiday camp – and trying to find out the identity of his captor, the elusive Number One. He repeatedly declared: "I am not a number - I am a free man!"

In 2000, McGoohan reprised his most famous role in an episode of The Simpsons. His last acting job came in 2002, voicing a character in animation Treasure Planet.

ITV is currently remaking The Prisoner in conjunction with American cable channel AMC.It is due to air later this year.

McGoohan's other film acting credits include Ice Station Zebra, Escape from Alcatraz, Scanners and A Time to Kill.

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[izzix]

sad news indeed

[izzix]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/ja ... actor-dies

[jackspratt]

Prisoner star McGoohan dies at 80

New postby Astana on January 15, 2009, 12:48 am
Emmy-winning actor Patrick McGoohan, best known for starring in cult 1960s TV show The Prisoner, has died at the age of 80. Trivia Question: Does anyone know the name of white balloon that stooped the prisoner escaping across the sands.

[beer monkey]

I think i know the answer...was it 'Rover'..?

[747man]

I think i know the answer...was it 'Rover'..?

Looked like a GIANT Condom !!! Sad News really,But I guess it was " Come in number 6 Your time is up "

[JimboPSM]

The opening sequence and theme music of “The Prisoner” as a bit of a memory jerker for those who may have forgotten:

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[bigwavedave]

I was going to say " i bet they dont make cars like that any more!!! was it a Morgan or a Lotus??? I had a real night,are problem when i was a kid, that effing ball coming out of the sea was to me serious petrifying!!

[arjay]

It was a Lotus, I believe a Lotus 7.

I preferred Danger Man to The Prisoner.

The Prisoner was filmed in Portmeirion, North Wales.

[JimboPSM]

It was a Lotus, I believe a Lotus 7.

I preferred Danger Man to The Prisoner.

The Prisoner was filmed in Portmeirion, North Wales.

My earliest holiday memory is playing in the "concrete boat" in the village of Portmeirion, the primary location for the filming of “The Prisoner”.

Originally I was going to put a link to the Danger Man theme, but I thought that in most peoples minds he would be remembered for The Prisoner; anyway this is one of the “Danger Man” theme tunes (like many TV series the theme tune varied from season to season).

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[Prenders88]

I was going to say " i bet they dont make cars like that any more!!! was it a Morgan or a Lotus??? I had a real night,are problem when i was a kid, that effing ball coming out of the sea was to me serious petrifying!!

Dave,
The car is a Lotus Seven SII

http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/seven/d ... soner.html

[beer monkey]

Both shows before my time.
But fondly remember the Persuaders, with Roger 'Eyebrow' Moore and Tony Curtis.

Particularly the opening titles.

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Great cars in that one too..A Dino and an Aston....Brrrrrroooom Brrrrroooom.