Remembering Roddy McDowall: 1928-1998
by Angie McKaig

 

He came into the world as Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall on September 17, 1928. The world would come to know him as Roddy McDowall, character actor extraodinaire. To vampire fans, he's best known for his portrayel of "Peter Vincent, vampire killer" in both Fright Night I and Fright Night II. McDowall died Saturday, October 3, 1998 after being diagnosed last April with terminal cancer.

McDowall's career in the entertainment industry is impressive. He has appeared in over 150 films spanning 60 years (one of his first appearances was in Yellow Sands in 1938, and one of his most recent undertakings was as the voice of Mr. Soil in Disney's A Bug's Life due out later this year). His acting skills have also been on display in over 70 television shows including Quantum Leap, Pinky and the Brain, Matlock, and Murder, She Wrote. One of McDowall's best known roles was as Galen in the TV series Planet of the Apes. He also appeared in several of the "Planet of the Apes" films including Battle for the Planet of the Apes and Escape from the Planet of the Apes.

Although originally born in England, McDowall was evacuated to the United States during World War II and began to build an impressive body of work. Eventually vampire lovers everywhere would become familiar with his work when he starred in Fright Night (1985), directed by Tom Holland. His role was that of Peter Vincent, an aging film star who featured vampire and other B-grade horror movies on the local television channel. Vincent becomes embroiled in a real-life vampire crisis when Charley Brewster (played by William Ragsdale) realizes he's living next door to a vampire, and seeks Vincent's help in tracking down and killing the vampire. McDowall reprised his role as the vampire killer in Fright Night II (1989).

McDowall's appealing features and flawless, gothic-style diction made him a beloved part of both Fright Night films - his charming, all-too-human portrayals made him a beloved part of modern vampire lore.

His humanity and childlike demeanour have made him a favourite to filmgoers and television viewers alike. His talents as an actor enriched the art of film. Roddy McDowall will be missed.

 

 

 

 

 

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