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Kenneth McMillan 1932 - 1989

Kenneth McMillan of New York, New York United States was born on July 2, 1932 in Brooklyn, Kings County, and died at age 56 years old on January 8, 1989 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, CA.

Kenneth McMillan

New York, New York United States

July 2, 1932

Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, United States

January 8, 1989

Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, United States

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Kenneth McMillan Kenneth McMillan (1932 - 1989)

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Kenneth McMillan's History: 1932 - 1989

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Introduction

Kenneth McMillan was a hugely successful character actor in films and on television. I only met him once but he was warm and friendly and very cheerful. Career McMillan made his film debut at age 41 with a small role in Sidney Lumet's police drama Serpico. The actor played a borough commander in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, but often was cast as characters such as a cowardly small town sheriff in Tobe Hooper's 1979 TV mini-series Salem's Lot, a similar law enforcement officer in the 1987 Burt Reynolds film Malone, William Hurt's bitter paraplegic father in Eyewitness, a wily safe cracker in The Pope of Greenwich Village, and a racist fire chief in Ragtime who is memorably told off by the New York City police commissioner, James Cagney. In 1985, he played this city's newly appointed police commissioner in the short lived television crime drama Our Family Honor. He portrayed the grotesquely obese and gleefully psychotic Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune, the pathetic drunken pop of Aidan Quinn in Reckless and a sleazy high roller gambler in "The Ledge," a segment of the horror anthology film Cat's Eye. Yet he did sometimes end up on the right side of the law, playing Robert Duvall's detective partner in True Confessions and a judge who must rule whether Richard Dreyfuss has the right to die in Whose Life Is It Anyway?. McMillan was also adept at comedy, giving performances as a baseball club manager in Blue Skies Again, Meg Ryan's corrupt security guard captain dad in Armed and Dangerous and a dotty senile veterinarian in Three Fugitives. McMillan had a recurring role in 1977–78 as Valerie Harper's irate boss Jack Doyle on the TV sitcom Rhoda. Among the TV shows McMillan did guest spots on are Dark Shadows, Ryan's Hope, as a 53rd precinct lieutenant on Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, The Rockford Files, Moonlighting, Lou Grant, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote. Outside of his film and TV credits, McMillan also frequently performed on stage at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He acted in the original Broadway productions of Streamers and American Buffalo. He won an Obie for his performance in the Off-Broadway play Weekends Like Other People. McMillan died of liver disease at age 56.
07/2

1932

Birthday

July 2, 1932

Birthdate

Brooklyn, Kings County, New York United States

Birthplace

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Professional Career

Filmography Serpico (1973) – Charlie (uncredited) The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) – Harry – Borough Commander The Stepford Wives (1975) – Market Manager Dog Day Afternoon (1975) – Commissioner (uncredited) A Death in Canaan (1978) – Sgt. Tim Scully Girlfriends (1978) – Cabbie Bloodbrothers (1978) – Mikey Banion Oliver's Story (1978) – Jamie Francis Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979) – Pete Salem's Lot (1979; TV) – Constable Parkins Gillespie Hide in Plain Sight (1980) – Sam Marzetta Little Miss Marker (1980) – Brannigan Carny (1980) – Heavy St. John Borderline (1980) – Malcolm Wallace Eyewitness (1981) – Mr. Deever True Confessions (1981) – Frank Crotty Ragtime (1981) – Willie Conklin Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981) – Judge Wyler Heartbeeps (1981) – Max Partners (1982) – Chief Wilkins In the Custody of Strangers (1982; TV) – Albert C. Caruso The Clairvoyant (1982) – Detective Cullum Blue Skies Again (1983) – Dirk Packin' It In – Howard Estep Reckless (1984) – John Rourke Sr The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) – Barney Amadeus (1984; 2002 Director's Cut only) – Michael Schlumberg (2002 Director's Cut) Dune (1984) – Baron Vladimir Harkonnen Protocol (1984) – Senator Norris Cat's Eye (1985) – Cressner Runaway Train (1985) – Eddie MacDonald Armed and Dangerous (1986) – Captain Clarence O'Connell Malone (1987) – Hawkins Three Fugitives (1989) – Horvath
Personal Life & Family

Personal life McMillan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Margaret and Harry McMillan, a truck driver.[1] He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Prior to becoming an actor, McMillan was employed at Gimbels Department Store first as a salesman, then as a section manager, and then a floor superintendent managing three floors.[2] At age 30, McMillan decided to pursue an acting career, and took acting lessons from Uta Hagen and Irene Dailey. He was married to Kathryn McDonald (20 June 1969 – 8 January 1989) (his death) with whom he had one child, actress Alison McMillan.
01/8

1989

Death

January 8, 1989

Death date

Liver Disease

Cause of death

Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California United States
Death location

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Obituary

Kenneth McMillan, 56, Actor In Numerous Stage and Film Roles By Glenn Collins, Jan. 10, 1989 Kenneth McMillan, the prolific character actor with a burly policeman's demeanor who won critical praise for his often lovable performances, died of liver disease Sunday at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 56 years old and lived in Studio City, Calif. Mr. McMillan's last film was the new comedy ''Three Fugitives,'' in which he played a dotty veterinarian. The Touchstone Pictures movie also stars Nick Nolte, Martin Short and James Earl Jones. and is to be released Jan. 27. Mr. McMillan appeared in more than two dozen other feature films, nine made-for-television movies, three television series and countless episodes of dramatic series. Tough Looks and Humanity ''His tough looks belied the underlying humanity he brought to all his acting,'' said Joseph Papp, founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival, for which Mr. McMillan played many roles, including in ''Henry IV, Part I'' (as Falstaff), ''Merry Wives of Windsor,'' ''Where Do We Go From Here?'' and ''Kid Champion.'' Mr. McMillan also played the boozy old sergeant, Rooney, in Mr. Papp's original production of ''Streamers,'' directed by Mike Nichols. Among his most memorable film roles were Frank Crotty, a cheerfully crooked detective in ''True Confessions,'' and Willie Conklin, the bigoted beer-bellied fire chief in ''Ragtime.'' Mr. McMillan's other films included ''Dune,'' ''Eyewitness,'' ''Reckless,'' ''The Pope of Greenwich Village,'' ''Runaway Train'' and ''Protocol.'' He made his movie debut in a small role as a cafeteria owner in ''Serpico'' in 1973. The contrast between Mr. McMillan's demeanor and his gentle performances ''was a contradiction that was always present in his acting and always surprising,'' Mr. Papp said. ''It's amazing how he could make audiences feel for him.'' On Broadway, Mr. McMillan appeared in ''Borstal Boy'' and in the original production of David Mamet's ''American Buffalo,'' in which he played Donny Dubrow, the junk-shop owner. His Off Broadway performances included ''Weekends Like Other People,'' for which he won an Obie in 1982 as well as ''Red Eye of Love,'' and ''Moonchildren.'' When He Became an Actor He was nearly 30 when he won his first major theater acting job and ''that was an advantage, since he brought all his life experience with him,'' Mr. Papp said. ''He went through a lot in his life and managed to hold himself up by the bootstraps.'' Born in Brooklyn, Mr. McMillan attended the High School for the Performing Arts in Manhattan. Upon graduation, he tried to find acting roles while working as a salesman at Gimbels in Manhattan. He was promoted to section manager, and then floor superintendent, and was managing three floors at Gimbels when he auditioned for a play on his lunch hour one day in 1960. When the department store would not give him a leave of absence, he joined a touring production of ''Sweet Bird of Youth.'' Subsequently, he acted in soap operas, worked Off Broadway and did regional theater until he landed his first full-time Hollywood acting assignment in the role of Jack Doyle, Valerie Harper's boss on the ''Rhoda'' television series. Mr. McMillan is survived by his wife, Kathryn, a former dancer on Broadway, and a daughter, Allison, an actress. A memorial service is to be held at 1 P.M. on Jan. 29 at the Debbie Reynolds Studio in Burbank, Calif., where Mr. McMillan taught acting classes.

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