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PATRICK MACNEE

JOHN STEED in "THE AVENGERS"

To be leading man of the most warmly regarded British TV series in the world is a position that carries both rewards and responsibilities, especially if, like PATRICK MACNEE, you are the kind of star who depends on wit, style and sophistication.

The rewards include, besides fame and money, a wealth of affection from viewers everywhere who have come to regard Steed and Emma almost as personal friends. The responsibilities include a ceaseless demand for autographs, photographs, personal appearances and publicity sessions, most of which have to be satisfied in his leisure time. Then there is the strain of keeping up appearances as one of the world's Best Dressed Men, with no relaxing in old clothes permissible when there are onlookers around.

The new series of THE AVENGERS, the first to be filmed in colour, with its U.S. network sale and world-wide distribution, also means a heavily increased shooting schedule and the need for constant discipline to keep fit and look good.

PATRICK MACNEE has been living the character of John Steed in THE AVENGERS since January 1961, through 76 out of 78 episodes in four series, three on videotape and one on black and white film.

The role of Steed was created specially for Patrick Macnee and has developed around his own background and personality. Many of Steed's tastes and habits of speech and dress are Macnee's, while others are dream projections of the man he would like to be: an unashamed romantic who would have enjoyed the life of a Regency buck in the time of King George III.

The swashbuckling tradition runs in the family for Patrick Macnee, whose mother is a member of the Hastings family, Earls of Huntingdon - and they claim Robin Hood as an ancestor. On his father's side Macnee is a Scot from the Stirling area, the family also belong to Edinburgh, and Patrick's grandfather, Sir Daniel Macnee, was President of the Scottish Royal Academy, where his best-known painting, "The Lady in Grey", still hangs.

Patrick's father, another Daniel Macnee, moved south to Lambourn in Berkshire, England, where he became a racehorse trainer famous in sporting circles as "Shrimp" Macnee. As a small boy Patrick often rode gallops at Lambourn with Gordon Richards and other celebrated jockeys; at that age his dearest wish was to follow the profession himself, and he was bitterly disappointed when he grew too tall.

Patrick Macnee was born in London on 6th February 1922 and educated at Eton. His acting career began there when he played Queen Victoria in the annual school play. His first professional job was a year with Bradford repertory company, after which he came to London to play Laurie in "Little Women". In 1941 he joined the Navy and spent the rest of the war in the North Sea area. As commander of a motor torpedo boat he had traditional adventurer's luck by being ill with bronchitis (his only night off sick throughout the war years) when the boat was blown up with heavy casualties.

When the fighting ended, Macnee returned to the London stage in "The White Devil" and other plays. He was a courtier in Olivier's "Hamlet" film, and later played Laertes in the production of "Hamlet" which won Britain's first Gold Medal for television drama. A veteran of the post-war TV revival, Macnee appeared in some 30 to 40 plays on the small screen. His film career also blossomed with his cousin David Niven in "The Elusive Pimpernel".

After this he spent two years in repertory at Wind or, followed by more London stage roles. Then a phone call from an old friend, actor David Greene, who had become a top TV director in Canada, took Macnee to Toronto to star in a TV series of "The Moonstone". There he stayed for two years from 1952 - a pioneer of Canadian television and a leading man in theatre productions like "The Lady's Not For Burning".

From 1954 to 11959,- Patrick commuted frequently between the United States, Britain and Canada. He toured the whole of the U.S.A. as Demetrius in the Old Vic production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", with Moira Shearer and Stanley Holloway. A role in "The Battle of the River Plate" strengthened his feature film prestige in Britain, and then a New York television production of "Caesar and Cleopatra" won him a year's work on top New York tele-shows, as a result of which he went to Hollywood for his best film role in "Les Girls". He stayed in the film capital for four years, appearing in all the top television drama programmes, and still owns a house on Malibu Beach.

In 1960, Macnee was invited by producer Jack Le Vien to return to Britain and organise the London interviews for the Churchill TV series "The Valiant Years". He enjoyed this stint in the production field, and would like to return to it if ever he decides to retire from acting.

It was at this time that ABC Television asked Patrick Macnee to become one of the two male stars of a new videotape television series to be called THE AVENGERS. For Macnee, ABC devised the role of a suave secret agent of aristocratic birth and tastes who hid the professionalism of a dedicated under cover agent beneath the dilettante facade of a wealthy sophisticate.

As co-star to Ian Hendry, Macnee went on the air in January 1961 for a 26-episode series. When this ended at New Year 1962, Hendry left to make a feature film and Macnee remained to head a new 1962-3 series of THE AVENGERS with a female assistant, Honor Blackman, whose role as Cathy Gale created a legend with her judo fights and booted leather combat suits.

In 1963-4, Macnee and Blackman made a second 26-episode series of THE AVENGERS. These two videotape series have sold to date to seventeen countries, including Canada, Australia and Italy. Patrick Macnee became a household favourite in Britain, drawing fanmail from many parts of the world, while Honor Blackman's success earned her the role of Pussy Galore in the James Bond film "Goldfinger". Then, at the end of 1964, production began at Associated British Elstree Studios on a fourth AVENGERS series, the first to be made on film.

Macnee's new leading lady was DIANA RIGG, an actress who made a considerable reputation during five years with the Royal Shakespeare Company. As Emma Peel, the new character created to succeed Cathy Gale, Diana made a warm and witty partner for Macnee's nonchalant Steed. Their relationship brought added humour to a series already noted for its tongue-in cheek handling of the thriller formula - and a vital element of freshness to the dangerous adventures of Steed and his helpmate.

As Steed, Patrick Macnee has set a whole new style in male fashions with his elegant tailoring and impeccable grooming, symbolised by the bowler hat and furled umbrella which are Steed's trademarks. In the first four series, Macnee designed and chose all Steed's clothes himself creating a Regency flavour inspired by the gay waistcoats, cravats, skirted jackets and narrow trousers worn by his father the racehorse trainer, who was a notable buck in his day. Now the Steed fashions are coming from the Paris house of Pierre Cardin and can be bought by the public, but the distinctive Steed emblems are being preserved.

Patrick Macnee was married on the outbreak of war to actress Barbara Douglas, who retired to have his children, Rupert (just beginning in university at Princeton, U.S.A.) and Jenny, who finished her schooling this year. The Macnees divorced while he was in America, but have remained good friends and shared the care of their children. At Easter 1965, Macnee was married again to actress Catherine Woodville, whose murder in the first AVENGERS episode in 1961 sparked off the motive for the series.

Interior decorating is a hobby of which, like designing clothes, Macnee might easily have made a successful career; his taste and flair in both these fields is outstanding.

There is nothing of the intellectual about Patrick Macnee, although he is voracious reader of contemporary books, newspapers and international magazines, and is well-informed on a wide variety of subjects. He enjoys the theatre, although the cinema is his favourite form of entertainment, and likes to gossip over a drink or a meal with congenial people.

Like Steed, he is a connoisseur of food and wine, and can cook very well if he chooses. But his work leaves him little energy for using the smart, pine-pannelled kitchen of his apartment, and he prefers to eat out at one of a select group of quiet gourmets' restaurants.

Although Macnee has little time when he is working for outdoor leisure activities, he maintains his youthful interest in horses and goes riding whenever he can. He enjoys driving into the country in his green Jaguar saloon, but his years in California made him into a sun-worshiper, and he still talks of retiring some day to his beloved Malibu.

PATRICK MACNEE is six feet one inch tall and has dark brown hair and hazel eyes.