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Ian Hendry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ian Hendry (b. January 13, 1931 in Ipswich; d. December 24, 1984, London, England) was an English film and television actor best known for his work on several British TV series of the early 1960s.
Educated at Culford School, Suffolk, Hendry's film and TV career began in 1959 and within a year he had landed the lead role of Dr. Geoffrey Brent in the crime series Police Surgeon. The series only ran for twelve episodes, but Hendry was next cast in the very similar role of Dr. David Keel in a new action-adventure series entitled The Avengers. Initially, Hendry was the star of this series, which co-starred Patrick Macnee as John Steed. However, production of the first season was curtailed by a strike, and Hendry used the opportunity to depart the series and begin a film career. (The Avengers subsequently continued for the rest of the decade with Macnee as its star.)
Ian Hendry went on to become a major British star, taking the lead role in films such as Live Now - Pay Later (1962) (in a role very similar to Alfie four years later), The Hill (opposite Sean Connery), and in Roman Polanski's Repulsion. He remained active on television, appearing in such series as Armchair Theatre, Danger Man and The Saint.
As the 1970s began, Hendry took lead roles in several TV series such as The Adventures of Don Quick and The Lotus Eaters, while making frequent film appearances, including a number of Hammer Horror entries such as Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter. Among the more widely seen films he appeared in during this time was Get Carter (1971) (for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and 1978's Damien: Omen II. He also reunited with Patrick Macnee as a guest star on The New Avengers, although he did not reprise the role of David Keel.
In 1983 he had a semi-regular role in the crime series Jemima Shore Investigates as the eponymous heroine's literary agent.
In 1984, Hendry joined the cast of the Channel Four soap opera Brookside but died on Christmas Eve of that year of a stomach haemorrhage. He had had a long standing and well-publicised alcohol problem.
His last public appearance was as a guest on This Is Your Life which profiled his friend Patrick Macnee.