Alexander Duncan McCowen was born in Tunbridge Wells, England on May 26, 1925. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked with several repertory theaters before making his London debut in 1950 in Anton Chekhov's Ivanov. In 1959, McCowen became a member of the Old Vic Company and appeared in Richard II and Twelfth Night. He left the Old Vic in 1961 and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962. His best known performance there was as the Fool in King Lear.
He portrayed the fictional Pope Hadrian in Peter Luke's Hadrian VII first in London in 1968 and on Broadway a year later. He received a Tony Award nomination for the role. He starred in Christopher Hampton's play The Philanthropist both in London and on Broadway. He received a Tony nomination and won a Drama Desk Award. He also performed a one-man show entitled St. Mark's Gospel in London and on Broadway. He received a Tony nomination for his work.
His first movie role was in the 1953 movie The Cruel Sea. He also appeared in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Travels with My Aunt, Never Say Never Again, and Frenzy. His memoir, Double Bill, was published in 1980. He died on February 6, 2017 at the age of 91.
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