Men Of Character Character Actors
Kenneth McMillan
Salem's Lot/ Constable Gillespie
Dune/ Baron Vladimir Harkonner
Cat's Eye/ Cressner
Runaway Train/ Eddie MacDonald
Per Quinlan's Character Stars:
Rotund, crinkly haired , ruddy cheeked, round faced, dyspeptic looking New Yorker who came to acting at 30 after working for years as floor superintendent , then manager, at a large department store. After extensive work in day tine soap opera on TV, McMillan entered films at 41 huffing and puffing his way through dozens of roles as editors, police chiefs, fire chiefs and other blue collar executives, often with aggressive qualities
Kenneth McMillan was born at Brooklyn, NY in 1932 the son of Margaret and Harry McMillan, a truck driver.
He attended Fiorella H. La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.
Prior to his becoming an actor, McMillan worked for Gimbel's Department Store. He started as a salesman, then to a section manager and then to floor superintendent managing three floors.
He decided to try acting at age 30 and studied with Uta Hagen and Irene Daily.
McMillan made his film debut in 1973 in Serpico. His television debut was in 1969 in the TV series Dark Shadows.
Some of the film roles of Kenneth McMillan were:
Serpico (1973) as Charlie
The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974) as Harry - Borough Commander
The Stepford Wives (1975) as Supermarket Manager
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) as Commissioner
Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye (1977-TV) as Softy McNamara
The Rubber Gun Squad (1977) as Captain Egan
Breaking Up (1978-TV) as Vancrier
King (1978-TV Miniseries) as Bull Connor
A Death In Canaan (1978-TV) as Sgt. Tim Scully
Girlfriends (1978) as Cabbie
Blood Brothers (1978) as Banion
Oliver's Story (1978) as Jamie Francis
Chilly Scenes Of Winter (1979) as Pete
Salem's Lot (1979-TV Movie) as Constable Gillespie
Little Miss Marker (1980) as Brannigan
Hide In Plain Sight (1980) as Sam Marzetta
The Hustler Of Muscle Beach (1980-TV) as Joseph Demec
Carny (1980) as Heavy St. John
Borderline (1980) as Malcolm Wallace
Eyewitness (1981) as Mr. Deever
True Confessions (1981) as Frank Crofty
Ragtime (1981) as Willie Conklin
Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981) as Judge Wyler
Heartbeeps (1981) as Max
Partners (1982) as Chief Wilkins
In The Custody Of Strangers (1982-TV) as Albert Caruso
The Clairvoyant (1982) as Detective Cullum
Packing It In (1983=TV) as Howard Estep
Dixie: Changing Habits (1983-TV) as Tony Marchesso
Blue Skies Again (1983) as Dirk
Murder 1, Dancer 0 (1983-TV) as Lt. Herbie Quinlan
When She Says No (1984-TV) as Mr. Michaels
Reckless (1984) as John Rourke, Sr.
The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984) as Barney
Concrete Beat (1984-TV) as Marion Kaiser
Amadeus (1984) as Michael Schlumberg
Dune (1984) as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Protocol (1984) as Senator Norris
Cat's Eye (1985) as Cressner
Runaway Train (1985) as Eddie MacDonald
Acceptable Risks (1986-TV) as Wes Boggs
Armed and Dangerous (1986) as Captain Clarence O'Connell
Malone (1987) as Hawkins
Favorite Son (1988-Tv Miniseries) as Henry O'Brien
Three Fugitives (1989) as Horvath
Due to his rough image, he was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters, along with various police types. At times he did get to play some lighter roles highlighting his more benign side.
Mr. McMillan also appeared on television in such programs as Ryan's Hope. Rhoda, Kojak, Starsky And Hutch, The Rockford Files, Lou Grant, Suzanne Pleshette Is Maggie Briggs, Our Family Honor , Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1986), Moonlighting, CBS Summer Playhouse, Murder She Wrote, Magnum PI and Frank's Place.
Outside of his film and television career, McMillan also performed on the stage at the New York Shakespeare Festival.
He also played on Broadway in some original productions like Streamers and American Buffalo.
McMillan won an Obie Award for his performance in the off Broadway play Weekends Like Other People.
He was married to Kathryn MacDonald from 1969 until his death. The couple had one child who was actress Allison McMillan
Kenneth McMillan passed away in 1989 at age 56 from liver disease.
I enjoyed Mr. McMillan in the films Cat's Eye, Salem's Lot. Runaway Train, Dune, Eyewitness and The Stepford Wives.
Louie The Movie Buff