Patrick McGoohan

Best known for his starring role as Number 6 in the surreal science fiction allegory series, "The Prisoner" .

Used his real birthdate and publicity photo for the character he played ("No. 6") in the TV series "The Prisoner" .

He was the first choice for the roles of Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (which went to Ian McKellen ) and Dumbledore in the "Harry Potter" films (which went to Richard Harris and later to Michael Gambon after Harris death) but turned them down.

In 1977 he was considered to replace Peter Falk as Columbo. However, McGoohan turned the part down because he was a close friend of Falk, and believed that only Falk should play Columbo. In addition he did not want to be the star of another TV series but only make guest appearances.

Appeared in three different productions with the same name: the "Danger Man" episode "The Prisoner", "BBC Sunday-Night Play" {The Prisoner (#4.21)} , and "The Prisoner" . Although they were all completely unrelated, the latter two had many similarities.

Father of Catherine McGoohan and Anne McGoohan.

Played the same regular character (John Drake) in two different series of Danger Man: "Danger Man" and "Danger Man" . His "The Prisoner" character, Number Six, may also have been intended to be Drake (although McGoohan has always denied this while George Markstein , who co-created the series with McGoohan, continually said he was).

Directed at least one episode of all four series in which he starred: "Danger Man" , "Danger Man" , "The Prisoner" , and "Rafferty" .

Was the title character of all four series in which he starred: "Danger Man" (John Drake), "Danger Man" (John Drake), "The Prisoner" (Number Six), and "Rafferty" (Dr. Sid Rafferty).

Two of his most famous characters, Number Six in "The Prisoner" and the Warden in Escape from Alcatraz , were not given names.

Reprised his "The Prisoner" character (Number Six) in "The Simpsons" episode "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes."

Played four different murderers in four different episodes of "Columbo": "Columbo" {By Dawns Early Light (#4.3)} , "Columbo" {Identity Crisis (#5.3)} , "Columbo" {Agenda for Murder (#9.3)} , and "Columbo" {Ashes to Ashes (#13.3)} . He also directed all of them except the first, as well as "Columbo" {Last Salute to the Commodore (#5.6)} and "Columbo" {Murder with Too Many Notes (#13.4)} .

Turned down two roles that eventually went to Roger Moore : Simon Templar in "The Saint" and James Bond in Live and Let Die .

Has worked with two actors with a glass eye: Leo McKern in "The Prisoner" episodes "The Chimes of Big Ben", "Once Upon A Time" and "Fall Out" and Peter Falk in "Columbo" {By Dawns Early Light (#4.3)} , "Columbo" {Identity Crisis (#5.3)} , "Columbo" {Last Salute to the Commodore (#5.6)} , "Columbo" {Agenda for Murder (#9.3)} , "Columbo" {Ashes to Ashes (#13.3)} , and "Columbo" {Murder with Too Many Notes (#13.4)} .

His parents names were Thomas McGoohan and Rose Fitzpatrick McGoohan.

Was the honourary president of Six of One, the official appreciation society for "The Prisoner" , from its foundation in 1977 until his death in 2009.

Appeared in four different productions with Aubrey Morris : The Quare Fellow , "Danger Man" (three episodes), "The Prisoner" , and "Columbo" {Ashes to Ashes (#13.3)} .

His granddaughter Sarah was born in 1976.

Liked to drink Irish whiskey at 217 bar in Santa Monica, owned by burlesque great Betty Rowland.

In his youth, considered becoming a Catholic priest.

Grew up partly in and around Sheffield, England.

The son of an Irish-born farmer, he left school at 16 to work in a rope factory. He subsequently worked on a chicken farm but had to seek other employment because of an allergy to chicken feathers.

His first show business job, at age 19, was as a stage hand/manager with the Sheffield Repertory Theatre. At 21, he was given his first lead role in one of their productions.

For "The Prisoner" , he sometimes used "Joseph Serf" for directing credits and "Paddy Fitz" for writing credits. "Paddy" being a nickname for "Patrick" while "Fitz" was derived from his mothers maiden name, Fitzpatrick.

As a youth he lived in the rural parish of Drumreilly in county Leitrim, Ireland. Although the house is still there, it is unlived in and in a bad state of repair.

He has five grandchildren, Sarah, Erin, Simon, Nina and Paddy.

On June 11, 2008, he became a great-grandfather to Jack Patrick Lockhart.

Along with William Shatner , Robert Culp , Jack Cassidy and George Hamilton , he is one of only five actors to play two or more unrelated murderers in episodes of "Columbo". He played four in total, more than anyone else - specifically Colonel Lyle C. Rumford in "Columbo" {By Dawns Early Light (#4.3)} , Nelson Brenner in "Columbo" {Identity Crisis (#5.3)} , Oscar Finch in "Columbo" {Agenda for Murder (#9.3)} and Eric Prince in "Columbo" {Ashes to Ashes (#13.3)} . He also directed all but the first of these.

Orson Welles was so impressed by his performance in the 1955 West End play "Serious Charge" that he cast him as Starbuck in his production of "Moby Dick Rehearsed".

He made his mark in gritty films like Hell Drivers , which gave him his bad boy persona on screen.

In 1948 he worked as a a stage manager at the Sheffield Repertory.

On "The Prisoner" , McGoohan also contributed to the writing and directing of the series.

While working as part of Sheffield Repertory, he quickly became one of its leading actors, appearing in more than 200 plays over the following four years. Further repertory work took him to Coventry and Bristol.

Was a reclusive celebrity, hardly ever giving interviews.

Retired from acting after his fourth appearance in "Columbo" in 1998, returning only to provide voice-over work in Treasure Planet .

Owned the rights to an audioclip that metal band Iron Maiden wanted to use in their song "The Prisoner". He gave them the permission to use it in a telephone conversation with their manager.

He died at Saint Johns Health Center, Santa Monica, after a brief illness. His remains were cremated.

Irish-American.

Variety Club of Great Britain ITV personality Award for 1965 for Danger Man.

Retired from the movie business.

Involved in preproduction work of the Hollywood remake of his hit "The Prisoner" .

He was considered for the role of James Bond in Dr. No before his Hell Drivers co-star Sean Connery was cast.

Is the only "Columbo" guest star to have won two Emmy Awards. In fact, these were the only times he was ever nominated for an Emmy.

Was reportedly so devoted to his wife, he often refused to kiss or perform love scenes with other women in films.

Along with Jack Cassidy , Robert Culp , William Shatner and George Hamilton , he is one of only five actors to play two or more murderers in "Columbo" : Colonel Lyle C. Rumford in "Columbo" {By Dawns Early Light (#4.3)} , Nelson Brenner in "Columbo" {Identity Crisis (#5.3)} and "Columbo" {Agenda for Murder (#9.3)} and "Columbo" {Ashes to Ashes (#13.3)} .

In one scene in Ice Station Zebra he was supposed to dive into the flooded torpedo room of the nuclear sub to rescue a trapped naval officer. Being a strong swimmer he insisted on doing the scene himself rather than use a stuntman. A change was made to the script so allowing Olympic swimming champion Murray Rose, whod been cast in another role, to do the scene with him in case anything happened. It was only after the scene was completed that Murray revealed that while he and Pat were standing up to their necks in the rising water just before the cameras rolled Pat had whispered to him "Now Ive done it, my foots stuck". Murray dived down and freed his foot which had become wedged tight in the torpedo rack.