Actor Patrick Macnee, star of
The Avengers TV series, has died in California at the age of 93.
The Briton, best known for
playing John Steed in the 1960s television spy series, died at home with his
family at his bedside, his son Rupert said.
Macnee also played roles in
theatre, appearing on Broadway, and served in the Royal Navy during World War
Two.
A statement on the actor's
website read: "Wherever he went, he left behind a trove of memories."
He died peacefully at his home
in California's Rancho Mirage on Thursday, Rupert said.
Born in London, Macnee grew up
in Berkshire and was educated at Summerfields Preparatory School and Eton.
At the age of 11, he acted in
Henry V opposite a young Sir Christopher Lee. He first appeared in the West End
while still in his teens.
He played a number of minor
roles - including one in Laurence Olivier's 1948 film version of Hamlet -
before rising to fame in the original Avengers series between 1961 and 1969.
The series developed a cult
following around the world, the BBC's Los Angeles reporter Peter Bowes said.
Steed was known for his dress
sense, always donning a bowler hat and carrying an umbrella, which was used as
a secret weapon.
nullnullMacnee, centre,
pictured with Lumley and Hunt in 1995
Macnee returned when that
series was reprised as The New Avengers in the 1970s, appearing alongside
Joanna Lumley's Purdey and Gareth Hunt's Mike Gambit.
Later, he starred on Broadway
in Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth, touring internationally with that play and several
other productions
He also appeared in the 1985
James Bond film A View to a Kill, playing an ally of Roger Moore's Bond
character, and made a cameo appearance as the head of a record company in This
is Spinal Tap.
Sir Roger tweeted: "So
very sad to hear Pat Macnee has left us.
"We were mates from 1950s
and I have so many happy memories of working with him. A true gent."
Macnee featured too as a guest
star in dozens of British, American and Australian TV productions.
'Ahead of their time'
In a 2014 interview with The
Lady magazine, Macnee said he believed The Avengers was a success because it
"did something different and did it better."
He told the magazine: "It
was beautifully written, the ideas were very good, way ahead of their time and
they incorporated fantasies for people who dreamed of doing exciting things."
nullMacnee and wife Katherine
Woodville, who also appeared in The Avengers nullMacnee with fellow actor
Richard Burton in 1973
Macnee had two children, son
Rupert and daughter Kate Woodville, and one grandson.
He was married three times,
including to actress Katherine Woodville, with whom he acted in The Avengers.
He had been a US citizen since
1959, according to the AP news agency.
