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Split!
Season 6, Episode 5
The murders of several British agents seem to be the work of an infamous spy whom Steed killed years previously. Julian Glover guest stars
Detective/Thriller
Movie/Drama
Cast & Crew
Patrick Macnee
(Actor)
.. John Steed
Linda Thorson
(Actor)
.. Tara King
Julian Glover
(Actor)
.. Maj Peter Rooke
More Information
Did You Know..
Patrick Macnee
(Actor)
.. John Steed
Born:
February 06, 1922
in
London
Best Known For:
Playing John Steed in The Avengers.
Early-life:
Born Daniel Patrick Macnee on February 6, 1922, in London. His father was a successful racehorse trainer who gambled away his fortune and emigrated to India. His mother then divorced her husband and moved in with her lesbian lover in Wiltshire. Macnee attended Summer Fields prep school before enrolling at Eton. He made his film debut in 1938's Pygmalion, but his acting career was curtailed by a spell in the Navy during the Second World War.
Career:
On his return from service, Macnee studied at the Webber Douglas School of Dramatic Art. Small roles in several films followed but, frustrated at the lack of opportunity in Britain, he emigrated to Canada, then moved to the US. He appeared in numerous TV plays and films before returning to the UK in 1959. Producing Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years brought him to the attention of TV bosses who, to his surprise, offered him the role of John Steed in The Avengers in 1961. He stayed with the popular series until it ended in 1969, but returned to the role in The New Avengers in 1976. Macnee also appeared in such movies as A View to a Kill, This Is Spinal Tap and The Sea Wolves. He died on June 25, 2015.
Quote:
'I haven't really accomplished anything. The most accomplished thing I've done is to have lived this long.'
Trivia:
Macnee became a US citizen in 1959.
Linda Thorson
(Actor)
.. Tara King
Born:
June 18, 1947
in
Ontario, Canada
Best Known For:
The Avengers.
Early-life:
Born Linda Robinson on June 18, 1947, in Ontario, Canada, the second of four children. Her father was a teacher. She knew she wanted to be a performer from a young age, and began studying dance. At 18, she won a place at Rada, where she excelled in dance and voice. She was expected to begin her professional career on the stage and work up to leading roles, but her career took an unexpected twist.
Career:
At the tender age of 20, Thorson was chosen out of 200 actresses to replace Diana Rigg as Patrick Macnee's sidekick in The Avengers. Sadly, her character, Tara King, wasn't widely liked and falling ratings meant the show was axed in 1969. The actress then concentrated on theatre roles, and built a respected career on stage, appearing in the likes of Noises Off, Steaming, Shirley Valentine and Amy's View. She also appeared on TV and film in St Elsewhere, Sweet Liberty, Moonlighting, Dynasty, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Silent Witness. Since 2006, she has played scheming Rosemary King in Emmerdale.
Quote:
'I am dedicated to acting. I have a drive which sometimes I wish I didn't have.'
Trivia:
Thorson is bidialectal, speaking in her native Canadian accent when she is in North America, and a British accent when she is in the United Kingdom.
Julian Glover
(Actor)
.. Maj Peter Rooke
Born:
March 27, 1935
in
London
Best Known For:
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.
Early-life:
Julian Wyatt Glover was born in London on March 27, 1935. His father was a radio producer, while his mother mixed in literary circles. The acting bug bit him early, and he began appearing regularly with the National Youth Theatre. On leaving school (classmates included Timothy West and Dave Prowse) he started his professional career, eventually spending time with the Royal Shakespeare Company before making his name on TV and in films.
Career:
In 1960, Glover appeared in Androcles and the Lion and The Age of Kings, epic TV productions of classic works. His first movie was Tom Jones in 1963. Later in the decade he featured in numerous films and such classic TV shows as Z Cars, The Avengers, The Saint, Doctor Who and The Champions. Glover has rarely been out of work since. His most memorable parts have come in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, For Your Eyes Only and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. More recently he provided the voice of Aragog in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and has appeared in Waking the Dead, Trial and Retribution, and Game of Thrones.
Quote:
'Star Wars was not a very big part but I get more fan mail for that than anything else I've ever done. It comes in every day - unbelievable.'
Trivia:
He was awarded a CBE in 2013.
