Kenneth McMillan (actor)


Kenneth McMillan was an American actor. McMillan was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters due to his rough image. However, he was sometimes cast in some lighter comic roles that highlighted his gentler side. He was perhaps best known as Jack Doyle in Rhoda, and as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in David Lynch's Dune.

Personal life

McMillan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Margaret and Harry McMillan, a truck driver.
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. 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 with whom he had one child, actress Alison McMillan.

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, played by James Cagney. In 1985, he portrayed New York 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 as Cressner, a sleazy high roller gambler in "The Ledge," a segment of the horror anthology film Cat's Eye. Yet he did sometimes get cast opposite the villain, playing Robert Duvall's detective partner in True Confessions, a judge who must rule whether Richard Dreyfuss has the right to die in Whose Life Is It Anyway?, as well as a lead detective investigating a serial killer in the 1982 film The Clairvoyant.
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.

Filmography

;Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1973SerpicoCharlieUncredited
1974The Taking of Pelham One Two ThreeHarry
1975The Stepford WivesMarket Manager
1975Dog Day AfternoonCommissionerUncredited
1978GirlfriendsCabbieCredited as Ken McMillan
1978BloodbrothersMikey Banion
1978Oliver's StoryJamie Francis
1979Chilly Scenes of WinterPete
1980Hide in Plain SightSam Marzetta
1980Little Miss MarkerBranigan
1980CarnyHeavy St. John
1980BorderlineMalcolm Wallace
1981EyewitnessMr. Deever
1981True ConfessionsFrank Crotty
1981RagtimeWillie Conklin
1981Whose Life Is It Anyway?Judge Wyler
1981HeartbeepsMax
1982PartnersChief Wilkins
1982The ClairvoyantDetective Cullum
1983Blue Skies AgainDirk
1984RecklessJohn Rourke Sr.
1984The Pope of Greenwich VillageBarney
1984AmadeusMichael SchlumbergDirector's Cut
1984DuneBaron Vladimir Harkonnen
1984ProtocolSenator Norris
1985Cat's EyeCressner
1985Runaway TrainEddie MacDonald
1986Armed and DangerousCaptain Clarence O'Connell
1987MaloneHawkins
1989Three FugitivesHorvath

;Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1969Dark ShadowsJack LongEpisode #899
1970Dark ShadowsBartender at the EagleEpisode #991
1975–76Ryan's HopeCharlie Ferris17 episodes
1976KojakLieutenant BeckerSeason 4 Episode 9: "A Shield for Murder: Part 1"
Season 4 Episode 10: "A Shield for Murder: Part 2"
1977Johnny, We Hardly Knew YeSofty McNamaraTV movie
1977The Rubber Gun SquadCaptain EganTV pilot movie
1977–78RhodaJack DoyleRecurring
1978KojakLieutenant George O'MaraSeason 5 Episode 17: "No License to Kill"
1978Breaking UpVancrierTV movie
1978KingTheophilus Eugene "Bull" ConnorMiniseries
1978A Death in CanaanSergeant Tim ScullyTV movie
1978Starsky & HutchLieutenant Daniel E. SlateSeason 4 Episode 6: "Strange Justice"
1978The Rockford FilesMorry HawthorneSeason 5 Episode 10: "A Fast Count"
1979Lou GrantJack RileySeason 2 Episode 20: "Convention"
1979Salem's LotConstable Parkins GillespieMiniseries
1980The Hustler of Muscle BeachJoseph DemecTV movie
1982In the Custody of StrangersAlbert C. CarusoTV movie
1983Packin' It InHoward EstepTV movie
1983Dixie: Changing HabitsTony MarchessoTV movie
1983Murder 1, Dancer 0Lieutenant Herbie QuinlanTV movie
1984When She Says NoMr. MichaelsTV movie
1984Maggie BriggsWalter HoldenMain
1984Concrete BeatMarion KaiserTV movie
1984Destination DuneSelf / Baron Vladimir HarkonnenTV documentary short promoting Dune
1985–86Our Family HonorCommissioner Patrick McKayMain
1986Acceptable RisksWes BoggsTV movie
1986Alfred Hitchcock PresentsJudge Paul MagrewSeason 1 Episode 21: "Four O'Clock"
1986MoonlightingBaptistaSeason 3 Episode 7: "Atomic Shakespeare"
1987CBS Summer PlayhouseHarry GunzSeason 1 Episode 19: "Sons of Gunz"
1987Murder, She WroteSeason 4 Episode 2: "When Thieves Fall Out"-
1987Magnum, P.I.Joe HattenSeason 8 Episode 3: "Innocence... A Broad"
1987Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro'sLew CarteretTV movie
1988Frank's PlaceMitch TorranceSeason 1 Episode 22: "The King of Wall Street"
1988Favorite SonHenry O'BrienSeason 1 Episode 1: "Part One"
1989Top of the HillSteele CooleySeason 1 Episode 1: "Top of the Hill"
1997Welcome to Twin PeaksBaron Vladimir HarkonnenArchive footage; uncredited
2013The Calm Before the Chaos: Kyle T. Heffner Reflects on Runaway TrainEddie MacDonaldArchive footage; uncredited