Richard McMillan (also known as Richard MacMillan; 20 March 1951 – 19 February 2017) was a Canadian film, television and stage actor.
Richard McMillan | |
|---|---|
 McMillan in 2014 | |
| Born | Richard John Lawrence McMillan[1] 20 March 1951 Beaverton, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 19 February 2017 (aged 65)[1][2][3] Toronto, Ontario. Canada |
| Other names | Richard MacMillan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977 – 2014 |
| Known for | Best known as Pooh-Bah in the Stratford Festival production of The Mikado (1982-1984). |
| Spouse |
Anne Louise Bannon (m. 1991) |
Early life
editMcMillan was born in Beaverton, Ontario, Canada on 20 March 1951 and, as an infant, was adopted by Frank and Mary McMillan. His parents ran the Beaverton Hotel, and provided McMillan and his younger brother, Frank ("Cooch"), a worthy home and surroundings in which to grow up as youngsters. Later in life, McMillan met his biological mother who refused to acknowledge him as her child, which was profoundly felt, and influenced his onstage performances, according to his actress/wife, Anne Louise Bannon. After high school, McMillan moved to Toronto, Ontario and studied theater at Ryerson University but did not graduate, and instead, soon afterwards, joined the Stratford Festival as a young actor.[1]
Career
editIn 1982, McMillan became well known for his role as Pooh-Bah ("Lord High Everything Else") in an adaptation, by Brian MacDonald, of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, The Mikado. In the 1980s and 1990s, McMillan was a well regarded Shakespearean actor at the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, as well as an actor in other related stage productions in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.[4] In 1989, while there, McMillan met his wife, Anne, then a graduate student at the University, who was playing Ophelia to his Hamlet on stage. They married in 1991, in her hometown of Windsor, Ontario, and afterwards, in 1993, the couple had a daughter Maggie.
During this time, McMillan also performed in stage productions in and around Toronto,[5] which included a featured role in Inexpressible Island, a three-act dramatic play by David Young, in 1997.[6] In 2000, McMillan performed as Scar in the Canadian production of The Lion King, a duplicate of the Broadway version, at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. In addition, McMillan later played the wizard Saruman in a production of Lord of the Rings. Between performances, McMillan enjoyed painting, playing the piano, kayaking, and, having earned a private pilot's license, flying.[1]
Over the years, McMillan was awarded honors for his acting performances. These honors included several Dora Mavor Moore Awards, a Canadian Screen Award and a Toronto Theatre Critics Award.[1]
According to Richard Rose, artistic director of the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, and a close personal friend of McMillan, "In the roles he took on, he was noted for presenting fiercely passionate characters that he illuminated with compassion and, conversely, he was a master of the clown — roles that were at once humorous and sad ... As an actor he understood the absurd and the contradictory. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone quite that sad on the stage, and for that the audiences just loved him. You couldn’t take your eyes off him.”[2][3]
McMillan was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009 and after a remission later died of the disease on 17 February 2017 in Toronto at Princess Margaret Hospital at the age of 65.[1][2][3]
Filmography
editFilms (selected)
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Mikado | Pooh-Bah | |
| 1983 | The Wars | Harris | |
| 1988 | Family Reunion | Desk Clerk | |
| 1993 | M. Butterfly | Embassy Colleague | |
| 1994 | Trapped in Paradise | Agent #1 | |
| 1995 | The Michelle Apartments | Ernie | |
| 1996 | The Legend of Gator Face | Skeeter | |
| 1998 | Shadow Builder | Father Finler | |
| 1998 | Babyface | Leo | |
| 1998 | All I Wanna Do | Bert Chubb | |
| 1998 | Sleeping Dogs Lie | Rainville | |
| 1999 | A Map of the World | Lloyd | |
| 1999 | External Affairs | Ilya Trefonich | |
| 1999 | New Blood | Young | |
| 2004 | Slow Jam King | Buck Garvey's security | |
| 2004 | The Day After Tomorrow | Dennis | |
| 2004 | Zeyda and the Hitman | Superintendent | |
| 2004 | A Different Loyalty | Angus Petherbridge | |
| 2004 | Cube Zero | Bartok | |
| 2006 | The Fountain | Henry | |
| 2012 | Please Kill Mr. Know It All | Actor #4 | |
| 2014 | How to Build a Better Boy | Principal Fragner |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f Morrow, Martin (21 February 2017). "Richard McMillan: Acclaimed theatre star excelled at both comedy and drama". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Vlessing, Eton (21 February 2017). "Richard McMillan, Canadian Stage and Screen Veteran, Dies at 66 - His film credits included Darren Aronofsky's 'The Fountain,' Roland Emmerich's 'The Day After Tomorrow' and David Cronenberg's 'M Butterfly.'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ a b c La Rose, Lauren (21 February 2017). "Richard McMillan, Canadian theatre star, dead at 65 - Richard McMillan, a fixture in Canadian theatre, died on Feb. 19 after a struggle with thyroid cancer". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Staff (2023). "The Richard McMillan Fund". University of Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Staff (3 January 2019). "Shakespeare in Performance: Person - Richard McMillan - Credited in Cast". Internet Shakespeare Live. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Staff (17 April 2020). "Inexpressible Island". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
External links
edit- Richard McMillan at IMDb
- Richard McMillan at MUBI
- Richard McMillan – Interview (100:37)
- Richard McMillan in The Mikado (CBC;1982)
