Reginald McKern, better known as Leo McKern, was an Australian actor who appeared in several British, American, and Australian TV programs and films. He has also appeared in over 200 stage roles. He is best known for portraying Horace Rumpole in the “Rumpole of the Bailey” series for Thames TV. Leo has appeared in several notable films, including Help! (1965), A Man for All Seasons (1966), and Ryan’s Daughter (1970). Please keep reading to uncover more about Leo McKern, including her age, net worth, career, biography, and more.
Biography (Early Life and Education)
Reginald McKern was born to Vera and Norman Walton McKern on March 16, 1920, in Sydney, Australia. Per his date and month of birth, he was born under the Pisces zodiac sign. He is of Australian nationality and white ethnicity. Known as Leo since childhood, he attended and graduated from Sydney Technical High School.
After high school, at 15, he worked in a factory. He suffered an accident that resulted in the removal of his left eye. During World War II, Leo worked as an engineering apprentice, then as an artist and sapper with the Australian Army’s Royal Australian Engineers. Leo made his first stage performance in 1944.
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Quick Wiki/Bio
| Name | Reginald McKern |
| Nickname | Leo McKern |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of Birth | March 16, 1920 |
| Place of Birth | Sydney, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| High School | Sydney Technical High School |
| University | Unknown |
| Credentials | Unknown |
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Career
Theatre
McKern met and married Australian actress Jane Holland in 1946 after falling in love with her. Despite the problems created by his glass eye and Australian accent, he quickly became a frequent performer at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (now the Royal Shakespeare Theatre) in Stratford-upon-Avon and London’s Old Vic Theatre. In 1952, McKern played Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello.
He performed in “The Burnt Flower Bed” by Ugo Betti at the Arts Theatre Club in London in 1955. In 1958, he performed as Big Daddy in Peter Hall’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Comedy Theatre.
Later, McKern appeared as the German envoy in another Peter Hall production at the Aldwych Theatre, titled Brouhaha, which starred Peter Sellers. His filmography includes appearances in Boswell for the Defence (1989), Ryan’s Daughter (1970), A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew (1965), and The Alchemist (1962).
Film
In the 1952 film Murder in the Cathedral, McKern made his screen debut. The science-fiction masterpieces X the Unknown (1956), the World War I drama King and Country (1964), and Help! (1965), A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’s Smarter Brother (1975), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), The Omen (1976), Ryan’s Daughter (1970), The Blue Lagoon (1980), The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981), Massacre in Rome (1973), and Ladyhawke (1985) were among his more well-known cinematic roles.
He co-starred as Sancho Zancas in Monsignor Quixote (1985), playing opposite Alec Guinness as Father Quixote.
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Television
McKern made his television debut in the 1950s black-and-white series The Adventures of Robin Hood. He was one of several Number Twos in the 1960s TV series The Prisoner. McKern was one of just two performers to play Number Two more than once, the other being Colin Gordon.
He first appeared in the episodes “The Chimes of Big Ben” and “Once Upon a Time,” and then returned to the role in the last episode, “Fall Out.” McKern narrated and presented The Combat of the Somme, a BBC program commemorating the 60th anniversary of World War I combat, in 1976.
Net Worth
How rich was Reginald McKern? Reginald McKern was one of the most famous and richest Australian actors. During his tenure, he earned fame and good fortune in the entertainment industry. Before the passing of Reginald McKern, he was worth $10 million. His primary source of income was the movie industry. McKern became a household name for playing Horace Rumpole in the “Rumpole of the Bailey” series for Thames TV. He received the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film in 1987.
| Net Worth | $10 million |
| Salary | Under Review |
| Profession | Actor |
Personal Life and Death
Leo McKern crossed paths with Jane Holland and fell in love with her. Following several years of dating, the two lovebirds exchanged marriage vows in 1946 in the United Kingdom. Leo and Jane gave birth to two children, Abigail McKern and Harriet McKern.
McKern went into a nursing home near Bath in Somerset in 2002, where he passed away a few weeks later, on July 23. He died at the age of 82, and his body was reduced to ashes at Haycombe Cemetery in Bath.
| Spouse | Jane Holland (m. 1946–2002) |
| Children | Abigail McKern and Harriet McKern |
| Date Died | July 23, 2002 |
| Place Died | Bath, United Kingdom |
| Age | 82 years old |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Leo McKern born?
He was born in Sydney, Australia.
How rich was Leo McKern before he died?
Leo was worth $10 million at the time of his death.
What was Leo McKern known for?
He was known for portraying Horace Rumpole in the “Rumpole of the Bailey” series for Thames TV.
At what age did Leo McKern die?
He died at the age of 82.
Was Leo McKern married or single?
He was married to Jane Holland.
