Fulton Mackay
Biography
Fulton Mackay was a Scottish actor and playwright who became best known for playing the prison officer Mr Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge. Born in Paisley and raised in Clydebank, he trained at RADA and began his stage career at the Citizens' Theatre in Glasgow, where he appeared across nine seasons from 1949 to 1958. He worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic, and the National Theatre, taking roles in Peer Gynt, The Alchemist, and Nicholas Nickleby. On television he was a strong character actor, appearing in The Avengers, Special Branch, Coronation Street, Z-Cars, and Doctor Who and the Silurians. His film work included Porridge (1979), Local Hero (1983), Gumshoe (1971), Britannia Hospital (1982), and Defence of the Realm (1985). He also wrote plays for the BBC under the pseudonym Aeneas MacBride.
64years old at death
- Born Paisley
- Died London
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Also credited as William Fulton Beith Mackay
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 32 years1953 to 1985
First and latest
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Behind the camera
Fulton Mackay wrote plays for the BBC under the pseudonym Aeneas MacBride, including Dalhousie's Luck, a drama about the 1644 siege of Aberdeen broadcast on BBC2 Playhouse in 1980.
A role that slipped away
After Doctor Who producer Barry Letts saw him as the misguided scientist Doctor John Quinn in the 1970 Silurians story, Letts seriously considered Mackay to play the Fourth Doctor when Jon Pertwee said he was leaving.
Early training
After he was demobbed, Mackay trained as an actor at RADA. He first worked with the Citizens' Theatre in Glasgow, performing in nine seasons between 1949 and 1958.
Behind the camera
Mackay served as a director of the Scottish Actors' Company. In 1981 he helped found the Scottish Theatre Company, where he played Willie Souden in Bill Bryden's play Civilians, set in wartime Greenock.
Fulton Mackay movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Dick Clement directed two of these films. Four actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Robbie Coltrane's page
Leonard Rossiter's page
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Officer of the Order of the British Empire | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.