Devon Aoki
American actress and fashion model
Roddy McDowall was a British and American actor who had a prolific career spanning over 60 years and 270 screen and stage roles. He achieved prominence as a child actor in films like How Green Was My Valley, My Friend Flicka, and Lassie Come Home, and later transitioned to adult roles, including playing Cornelius and Caesar in the original Planet of the Apes film series. McDowall was also a photographer, journalist, and contributed to various charities and film preservation efforts.
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About the Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowallwas a British and American actor, whose career spanned over 270 screen and stage roles across over 60 years. Born in London, he began his acting career as a child in his native England, before moving to the United States at the outbreak of World War II. He achieved prominence for his starring roles in How Green Was My Valleyand its sequel Fright Night Part 2and A Bug’s Life (1998). He was a frequent guest star on many television series, and won an Emmy Award for a 1961 episode of NBC Sunday Showcase.
McDowall served in various positions on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Selection Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors, contributing to various charities related to the film industry and film preservation. He was a founding Member of the National Film Preservation Board in 1989, and represented the Screen Actors Guild on that Board until his death. Aside from his acting career, McDowall was active as a photographer and journalist, particularly of celebrities.
For his contributions to the film and television industry, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Roddy McDowall was a British and American actor who had a long and successful career in film, television, and theater, spanning over 60 years and 270 screen and stage roles.
Roddy McDowall achieved prominence as a child actor, starring in films like How Green Was My Valley, My Friend Flicka, and Lassie Come Home. As an adult, he was known for playing Cornelius and Caesar in the original Planet of the Apes film series.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Roddy McDowall was able to successfully transition his child stardom into adulthood, appearing on Broadway and in films, and even winning a Tony Award for his performance in The Fighting Cock.
Roddy McDowall’s other notable film and TV appearances included Orson Welles’ Macbeth, The Longest Day, The Greatest Story Ever Told, That Darn Cat!, Inside Daisy Clover, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Poseidon Adventure, Funny Lady, The Black Hole, and the Fright Night films.
Roddy McDowall served on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Selection Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors, and was a founding member of the National Film Preservation Board, representing the Screen Actors Guild until his death.
In addition to his acting career, Roddy McDowall was also active as a photographer and journalist, particularly of celebrities.
For his contributions to the film and television industry, Roddy McDowall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
7 Quotes by Roddy McDowall
- 1.
They said I couldn’t play anything but an English boy. I knew I could. So I went to New York.
Roddy McDowallBritish actor (1928-1998)
- 2.
My whole life I’ve been trying to prove I’m not just yesterday.
Roddy McDowallBritish actor (1928-1998)
- 3.
I can’t say I was unhappy as a child actor in films. I had a particularly wonderful time.
Roddy McDowallBritish actor (1928-1998)
- 4.
I still have the actor’s disease. I always think I’ll never get another job.
Roddy McDowallBritish actor (1928-1998)
- 5.
I enjoyed being in movies when I was a boy. As a child you’re not acting – you believe.
Roddy McDowallBritish actor (1928-1998)
- 6.
I started to study, because I knew I had to learn a lot about myself as an actor; you can’t act the same as you did as a child.
Roddy McDowallBritish actor (1928-1998)
- 7.
Fortunately, I happened to go east at a time when live television was centered in New York.
Roddy McDowallBritish actor (1928-1998)