Fulton Mackay
| Fulton Mackay | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
William Fulton Beith Mackay 12 August 1922 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
| Died | 6 June 1987 (aged 64) London, England |
| Cause of death | Stomach Cancer |
| Resting place | East Sheen and Richmond Cemeteries, Surrey |
| Occupation | Actor, playwright |
| Years active | 1952-1987 |
| Spouse(s) | Sheila Manahan (-1987; his death) |
William Fulton Beith Mackay OBE (12 August 1922 – 6 June 1987) was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.
Mackay was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was brought up in Clydebank by a widowed aunt after the death of his mother from diabetes. His father was in the NAAFI.
On leaving school, he trained as a quantity surveyor and later volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1941 but was not accepted because of a perforated ear drum. He then enlisted with the Black Watch and he served for five years during the Second World War, which included three years spent in India.
After being demobbed, Mackay began training as an actor at RADA. His first work was with the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, where he performed in nine seasons between 1949 and 1958. He also worked at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh before gaining notice at the Arts Theatre Club, London, where in 1960, he played the part of Oscar in The Naked Island, a play about POWs in Singapore.
In 1962, he appeared at the same theatre, in Russian playwright Maxim Gorki's classic The Lower Depths for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He then acted with the Old Vic company and the National Theatre, performing in such productions as Peer Gynt and The Alchemist. Other roles for the RSC included Mr Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby and the drunken gaoler in Die Fledermaus.
...
Wikipedia