Patrick McGoohan, TV’s ‘Prisoner,’ Dies At 80
Posted January 14, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
He was John Drake and Number 6 – but in the hearts of the fans, he was always Number 1.
Patrick McGoohan, the Emmy winning star of the 60s TV show “Danger Man” (and its U.S. sequel, “Secret Agent Man”) has died in Los Angeles.
The actor appeared in scores of TV shows, including “Colombo” and “Murder She Wrote,” as well as a slew of big ticket movies, including “Bravehart,” “Ice Station Zebra” and David Cronenberg’s “Scanners.”
The American-born actor, whose family later moved to the UK, had been asked to star in other TV shows, like The Saint, (which eventually went to Roger Moore) and was once approached to be James Bond, a role that made Sean Connery a legend.
But as well known as the actor was for his starring turns as spy John Drake, it was his role as creator and star of the cult TV show The Prisoner that won him fans around the world.
The series, which was filmed in the unique setting of Portmeirion, Wales, concerned a battle of the individual against society, with a nameless man known only as “Number 6” (but who many believed to be John Drake from his previous show) shanghaied to an nearly escape-proof place called The Village, where authorities demanded to know why he had suddenly resigned.
The program, which ran just 17 episodes, has since given way to huge followings and even college courses, as Number 6 tried to find out who Number 1 was and continually matched wits with an ever changing Number 2 in each episode.
He finally escaped his captivity in the final episode that appeared to show the character was also Number 1 – and raised questions about whether he was really free.
McGoohan always refused to answer any questions about the landmark 1967 show, preferring to let the audience decide for itself what it was really about.
He voiced the role again for a legendary episode of The Simpsons back in 2000.
Like all good ideas, the show is being remade into a new version for US cable channel AMC next year. Most don’t expect it to live up to the original.
The actor had been sick for only a short time when his final illness claimed the world’s most famous ‘individual.’ Patrick McGoohan was 80.
Members of ‘SixofOne’ the fan club of 60’s television series The Prisoner, reenact an election scene from the program on March 24, 2007 in Portmeirion, United Kingdom. The annual three day event entitled ‘Portmeiricon’ celebrated the 40th anniversary of the cult TV show where the unnamed character played by Patrick McGoohan tries week after week to escape the confines of a colourful prison village.
Photo credit: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images
