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Prisoner's Patrick McGoohan is dead at 80
Patrick McGoohan, the Emmy-winning actor who created and starred in the cult classic television show The Prisoner, has died, the Associated Press reported. He was 80.
McGoohan died Tuesday in Los Angeles after a short illness, his son-in-law, film producer Cleve Landsberg, told the AP.
McGoohan, who had a long career in film and TV, was perhaps best known to sci-fi fans as the character known only as Number Six in The Prisoner, the 1960s British series that he also produced and created.
McGoohan came up with the concept and wrote and directed several episodes of the show, which has kept a devoted following in the United States and Europe for four decades. It is being turned into a miniseries by AMC, which will air later this year.
The series ran just one season and 17 episodes in 1967, but its cultural impact remains.
McGoohan voiced his Number Six character in an episode of The Simpsons in 2000.
"His creation of The Prisoner made an indelible mark on the sci-fi, fantasy and political thriller genres, creating one of the most iconic characters of all time," AMC said in a statement Wednesday. "AMC hopes to honor his legacy in our re-imagining of The Prisoner."
By Number 5 --Ha! In Your Face Number 6 at 4:08 PM ON 01/14/09
I have just one thing to say: I am not a number -- I am a free man!
By mredder4 at 4:26 PM ON 01/14/09
Wouldn't it be more polite to say "has died" rather than "is dead"?
By Marty B. at 5:23 PM ON 01/14/09
A lot of journalist style manuals suggest "is dead", mredder4.
At least Mr. McGoohan won't have to endure the conspiracy theorists linking his death to the remake.
All this and (SciFi asleep at the wheel) Ricardo Montalban dead too! KHAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!
By agsb at 5:43 PM ON 01/14/09
Can't believe "The Prisoner and KHan are dead!
By delawaregoodguy at 6:20 PM ON 01/14/09
Montalban's passing is a bigger story than McGoohan. Although McGoohan was the voice of the Cylon leaders in the original Battlestar Galactica (I can't bring myself to type BG:TOS)
By Mandy at 7:34 PM ON 01/14/09
My God.
That's so tragic. With all the new talk about The Prisoner that he should pass away now. I loved The Prisoner.
By Number_Seven at 7:43 PM ON 01/14/09
It is truly a sad day as both Patrick McGoohan and Ricardo Montalbon have died. Both left an indelible mark on the world of SciFi. Both will be greatly missed
By Mandy at 7:49 PM ON 01/14/09
Scifi wire's article about The Prisoner from a few days ago called the show obscure and said not many had even heard of it. They later 'corrected' the article but it bothers me a little that they said that less than a week before his death.
By Rick 5 at 9:28 PM ON 01/14/09
Very sad. Loved that show and enjoyed his work in Secret Agent / Danger Man and on Columbo.
And it was Patrick MacNee (sp?) who was the voice of the Cylon leaders in the original series. Still alive as far as I know.
By yeahyeah at 10:14 PM ON 01/14/09
aw so sad. i have a box set of the original that's been waiting around to be watched. time to break it out.
on the "obscure" front it even the NYTimes calls it a cult hit, so that's not far from the mark....but glad they changed it anyway.
By LividEmerald at 1:41 AM ON 01/15/09
I will always remember him as the sophisticated but evil art dealer in the film "Silver Streak."
By IsoTek at 2:24 AM ON 01/15/09
To Delawaregoodguy. I think you mean Patrick McNee as the voice of the Cylon Leader in the original Galactica.
I will aways remember the first time I saw the Prisoner. Back in 87 on a PBS channel. It was like some surreal hallucination. When I found out my friend saw it, we became instant fans seeking out all Prisoner related material. Thank you for the memories Patrick.
By PNC at 8:20 AM ON 01/15/09
Don't forget Patrick's role as the King in Braveheart. He was great as the King.
By Astro666 at 9:33 AM ON 01/15/09
He also stole the show in Ice Station Zebra, a film the infamous and eccentric Howard Hughes watched incessantly.
Patrick, “Be Seeing You.”
By DebbyS at 9:54 AM ON 01/15/09
I've been feeling lousy for a while; maybe unconsciously feeling this was why. I've been a big fan of McGoohan ever since Secret Agent ran as Jackie Gleason's summer replacement back in the mid 1960s. McGoohan was an intensely private but equally intensely creative man who stood by his principles and though I hadn't seen anything from him in the last several years and wished he'd come roaring out of hiding... well, I'll miss him very much.
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DebbyS:
I've been feeling lousy for a while; maybe unconsciously feeling this was why. I've been a big fan of McGoohan eve...More »