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John McLiam
Actor

John McLiam

24 Jan 1918Born
16 Apr 1994Died
76Age at death
102Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John McLiam (born John Williams; January 24, 1918 – April 16, 1994) was a Canadian actor noted for his skill at different accents. His film appearances include My Fair Lady (1964), In Cold Blood (1967), John Frankenheimer's movie of The Iceman Cometh (1973), The Missouri Breaks (1976), and First Blood (1982). He was a guest star in numerous television series and wrote a Broadway play, The Sin of Pat Muldoon.

Early life

He attended St. Mary's College of California (Moraga, California). During World War II he served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer, having received a Bronze Star.

Read the full biography

After the war he worked briefly as a journalist for the San Francisco Examiner.

He took McLiam, the Gaelic form of his real surname Williams, as a stage name.

Acting career

His acting career began in Maxwell Anderson's Winterset in San Francisco in 1946. After a few roles in plays in California he moved to New York. His first Broadway role was as a guard in Maxwell Anderson's Barefoot in Athens in 1951. His other stage roles include Shaw's Saint Joan, and Tiger at the Gates, Christopher Fry's version of a Jean Giraudoux play, which ran 1959–60 on Broadway. He appeared in the original Broadway cast of One More River (1960).

He moved to California in 1960 to work in film and television. His film roles included a cockney ne'er-do-well in My Fair Lady (1964), Boss Kean in Cool Hand Luke (1967), In Cold Blood (1967) as murder victim Herbert Clutter, John acted as the pilot/flight instructor for Aunt Bee in Season 8 of The Andy Griffith Show, "Aunt Bee's Big Moment" Halls of Anger (1970), Woody Allen's Sleeper (1973), rancher David Braxton in The Missouri Breaks (1976), and Orval in First Blood (1982). He played Jimmy Tomorrow in John Frankenheimer's American Film Theater movie of The Iceman Cometh (1973), alongside Fredric March, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan and Jeff Bridges.

Personal life

McLiam and his wife Roberta had a daughter, Claire. He died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California in 1994 from melanoma and Parkinson's disease. McLiam was interred at the Santa Barbara Cemetery at Santa Barbara, California. CLR

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 102 credits.

  1. 1990Northern ExposureSeries: Soapy Sanderson (1 episode)
  2. 1990Fall From GraceFilm: Rev. Aubrey Sara
  3. 1988Split DecisionsFilm: Pop McGuinn
  4. 1987Star Trek: The Next GenerationSeries: Fento (1 episode)
  5. 1987Beauty and the BeastSeries: Sam Denton (1 episode)
  6. 1987Walk Like a ManFilm: H.P. Truman
  7. 1987J. Edgar HooverFilm: A. Mitchell Palmer
  8. 1985Hell TownSeries: Fast Louie (1 episode)
  9. 1984Murder, She WroteSeries: Harry Stevens (1 episode)
  10. 1984Highway to HeavenSeries: Ted Simpson, Carl Fred Simms (1 episode)
  11. 1984HunterSeries: Dr. Harry Montclair (1 episode)
  12. 1984Voyager from the UnknownFilm: Dr. Bernard
  13. 1983DempseyFilm: Hyrum Dempsey
  14. 1983The A-TeamSeries: George Nemchek (1 episode)
  15. 1982GavilanSeries: Streblov (1 episode)
  16. 1982First BloodFilm: Orval the Dog Man
  17. 1982Richard IIFilm: John of Gaunt
  18. 1982T. J. HookerSeries: Father DeMarco, John P. Hooker (1 episode)
  19. 1982The Ambush MurdersFilm: Judge Collier
  20. 1981Falcon CrestSeries: Carl Beck, Commissioner Harold Witken (1 episode)
  21. 1981Bret MaverickSeries: Doc Holliday (2 episodes)
  22. 1981The End of AugustFilm: Colonel
  23. 1981Mistress of ParadiseFilm: Nathan MacKay
  24. 1981The Five of MeFilm: Father
  25. 1980Magnum, P.I.Series: Johnnie Wells (1 episode)
  26. 1980Farewell to the Planet of the ApesFilm: Gahto
  27. 1979Freedom RoadFilm: President Ulysses S. Grant
  28. 1979Archie Bunker's PlaceSeries: Vinnie Mulvaney (1 episode)
  29. 1979The Legend of the Golden GunFilm: Jake Powell
  30. 1979Shadow of FearFilm
  31. 1978DallasSeries: Wally Kessel (1 episode)
  32. 1977The Return of the Incredible HulkFilm: Michael
  33. 1977The Incredible HulkSeries: Michael (1 episode)
  34. 1977Delta County, USAFilm: Cap McCain
  35. 1977Kingston: ConfidentialSeries: Douglas White (1 episode)
  36. 1976The Food of the GodsFilm: Mr. Skinner
  37. 1976The Call of the WildFilm: Prospector
  38. 1976The Missouri BreaksFilm: David Braxton
  39. 1975Lucky LadyFilm: Rass Huggins
  40. 1975The Secret of the PondFilm: Uncle Ben
  41. 1975Bite the BulletFilm: Gebhardt
  42. 1975Matt HelmSeries: Charlie Wendell (1 episode)
  43. 1975Starsky & HutchSeries: Lionel 'Gramps' Fitzgerald Sr (1 episode)
  44. 1975Three for the RoadSeries: Thurman Parsons (1 episode)
  45. 1975The Invisible ManSeries: Blind Man (1 episode)
  46. 1975Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux KlanSeries: Jailer Sutton (2 episodes)
  47. 1975Rafferty and the Gold Dust TwinsFilm: John Beechwood
  48. 1974Harry OSeries: The Old Salt (1 episode)
  49. 1974The DoveFilm: Lyle Graham
  50. 1973SleeperFilm: Dr. Agon
  51. 1973Legend in GraniteFilm: Dom Olejnickzak
  52. 1973The Iceman ComethFilm: Jimmy Tomorrow
  53. 1973Runaway!Film: Conductor
  54. 1973ShowdownFilm: F.J. Wilson
  55. 1973A Chant of SilenceFilm: Father Richards
  56. 1973HitchedFilm: Pete Hunter
  57. 1973Barnaby JonesSeries: Dwight Hopkins, Sheriff Coyle (1 episode)
  58. 1972M*A*S*HSeries: Col. Woody Cooke (1 episode)
  59. 1972Ghost StorySeries: Titus Paul (1 episode)
  60. 1972The Culpepper Cattle Co.Film: Thorton Pierce
  61. 1971If Tomorrow ComesFilm: Father Miller
  62. 1971Big JakeFilm: Army Officer (uncredited)
  63. 1970Monte WalshFilm: Fightin' Joe Hooker
  64. 1970R.P.M.Film: Rev. Blauvelt
  65. 1970Halls of AngerFilm: Boyd Wilkerson
  66. 1969The ReiversFilm: Van Tosch
  67. 1969Hawaii Five-OSeries: Ralph Hastings (1 episode)
  68. 1968RiverrunFilm: Jeffries
  69. 1968The Mod SquadSeries: Sam (1 episode)
  70. 1968Gallegher: The Mystery of Edward SimsFilm: Ephrem Killigrew
  71. 1968MadiganFilm: Dunne (uncredited)
  72. 1967In Cold BloodFilm: Herbert Clutter
  73. 1967Cool Hand LukeFilm: Boss Keen
  74. 1967MannixSeries: Harry Forrest, Frank Blaney, Tim Fogarty (1 episode)
  75. 1967IronsideSeries: Father Holt, Trash (1 episode)
  76. 1967The InvadersSeries: Hotel Clerk (1 episode)
  77. 1966Mission: ImpossibleSeries: Dr. Wilson Cardel, Anton Usakos (1 episode)
  78. 1966DaktariSeries: Sean Murphy (1 episode)
  79. 1965The F.B.I.Series: David Callander (1 episode)
  80. 1965Get SmartSeries: Seidlitz (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.