Patrick Macnee: Avengers actor who played John Steed dies aged 93

 
Dead at 93: Patrick Macnee (Picture: Frederick M. Brown/Getty)
Frederick M. Brown/Getty
Ramzy Alwakeel25 June 2015
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Patrick Macnee, who played John Steed in iconic 1960s TV show The Avengers, has died aged 93, his son has said.

The London-born actor died in California of natural causes, Rupert Macnee wrote on his father's website.

He was best known for his eight-year stint in the quintessentially English lead role of the classic spy series, where his co-stars included Joanna Lumley.

"As an actor, he could take the pulse of the moment, and then present the story in a more compelling fashion, from a different angle," the statement announcing his death adds.

"The Avengers television series was probably Britain’s greatest television export and is still broadcast around the world.

Iconic: Patrick Macnee as John Steed in The Avengers, pictured in 1967 with Linda Thorson as Tara King (Picture: PA Wire)
PA Wire

"Patrick Macnee was a popular figure in the television industry. He was at home wherever in the world he found himself. He had a knack for making friends, and keeping them. Wherever he went, he left behind a trove of memories and good wishes."

He outlived three successive wives and is survived by Rupert, daughter Kate Woodville, and one grandson.

Classic: Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit, Joanna Lumleyas Purdey and Patrick Macnee as John Steed (Picture: PA Wire)
PA Wire

He spent the last 40 years of his life in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, both in Coachella Valley.

His family has asked that donations be made to the Actors Fund in his honour.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in