Mark McManus
Mark McManus | |
---|---|
Born | Hamilton, Scotland | 21 February 1935
Died | 6 June 1994 Glasgow, Scotland | (aged 59)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1967-1994 |
Spouse |
Marion McManus
(m. 1985; died 1993) |
Relatives | Brian Connolly (adopted brother) |
Mark McManus (21 February 1935 – 6 June 1994) was a Scottish actor known for his roles in the British television series from 1983 until his death in 1994.
Career
McManus was born in Hamilton, Scotland, and moved to Hillingdon in London, England when he was three years old, until he moved again at the age of 16 to Australia, where he performed in amateur theatre groups that led him to becoming a professional actor. He appeared in the children's TV series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and had a guest appearance in the long-running Australian police drama Homicide. He also starred in Tim Burstall's feature film 2000 Weeks (1969), which was the first full-length Australian-produced feature made in Australia since Charles Chauvel's Jedda in 1954.
McManus also appeared in the American-produced historical drama Adam's Woman and co-starred with Mick Jagger in the Tony Richardson film version of the Ned Kelly story, Ned Kelly (both 1970).
McManus returned to the UK in 1971, and was known to a wider audience when he played roles such as Harry Carter in
McManus was also a boxer before he moved into acting.[3][2] He is not to be confused with the boxer of the same name (born 1974) from Basildon in England.
Taggart
McManus began playing the title character in the crime drama
Death
McManus drank heavily and, after several years of declining health, died from an alcohol-related illness.
McManus's final Taggart episode was "Prayer for the Dead" (1995). He was the first Taggart cast member to die; he was followed by Iain Anders (Jack McVitie) who died three years later in 1997, aged 64, from a heart attack.
After the death of McManus in 1994, his character was given an on-air funeral in the final episode of the 11th series, "Black Orchid". In the same episode the character of Michael Jardine was promoted to Taggart's rank of detective chief inspector.
Family
The McManus family adopted Brian Connolly, later of 1970s glam rock band The Sweet; both men perceived a resemblance between them, and supposed McManus's father to have also been Connolly's.[8]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | 2000 Weeks | Will Gardiner | Feature film |
1970 | Adam's Woman | Nobby | Feature film |
1970 | Ned Kelly | Joe Byrne | Feature film |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | Skippy the Bush Kangaroo | TV series | |
1970 | Homicide | TV series | |
1972 | The Brothers | Harry Carter | TV series |
1972 | Crown Court | TV series, episode: Regina vs Bryant | |
1973 | Sam | Sam Wilson | TV series |
1976 | Rogue Male |
TV movie | |
1978 | Strangers | Jack Lambie | TV series |
1983–1994 | Taggart | Jim Taggart | TV series |
1985-1987 | Bulman | Jack Lambise | TV series |
1987 | Double Scotch and Wry | Jim Taggart
|
|
1988 | Dramarama | TV series, episode: The Macramé Man |
References
- ^ McIver, Brian (3 October 2007). "25 Years of Taggart: Mark McManus Story". Daily Record.
- ^ a b c "Obituary: Mark McManus". The Independent. 7 June 1994.
- ^ "Mark McManus". TV Heroes. Transdiffusion Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 17 November 2009.
- ^ Quinn, Thomas (27 October 2007). "So much more than 'there's been a murder'". The Guardian.
- ^ McIver, Brian (2 October 2007). "Born To Be Taggart". Daily Record.
- ^ "Sweet star follows brother Taggart to grave". Daily Record. 11 February 1997.
- ^ "Mark McManus". The Scotsman. 14 February 2005.
- ^ Perrone, Pierre (11 February 1997). "Obituary: Brian Connolly". The Independent.
Sources
- No Matter What They Say - The Story of Sweet (HomeSweetHome Publishing, 2009).
External links
- Mark McManus at IMDb
- Taggart Fan Club Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine