Actor. Born Daniel Patrick Macnee in Lambourn, Berkshire, England, to Daniel Macnee, a race horse trainer, and his wife, Dorothea Henry. He was educated at Summerfields Preparatory School and Eton, and, at the age of 11, performed in "Henry V" opposite a young Sir Christopher Lee. He received his training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London, first appearing on stage in the West End while still in his teens. After serving in the Royal Navy during the second World War, he made his film debut as an extra in the 1938 film "Pygmalion," followed by a few small roles such as in Sir Laurence Olivier's 1948 film version of "Hamlet," and as Young Marley in "A Christmas Carol" with Alastair Sim in 1951. In 1954, he traveled to Broadway with an Old Vic troupe, and then to Hollywood, where he appeared in several television anthologies such as "CBS Summer Theatre," "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," "The Alcoa Hour," and "The Twilight Zone." In 1959, he became an American citizen, before he returned to Britain, where he co-produced the television series, "Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years," in 1960. The following year, he landed his signature role, that of John Wickham Gascoyne Berresford Steed, in the television series, "The Avengers." The urbane Steed, armed only with an umbrella, was portrayed as charming and elegant, quintessentially English, and a bit mysterious. It would be the role Macnee was identified with for ever after. The series ran from 1961 until 1969, debuting in the United States in 1966. It was seen as a forward-thinking program for its use of technologies, and because the female stars, including Diana Rigg and Joanna Lumley, were always a match for Steed. By the end of the show, Macnee found it hard to break away from Steed, appearing only in guest roles on television such as "Alias Smith and Jones," "Night Gallery," "Columbo," and "Matt Helm" for the next few years. He also returned to the stage, starring on Broadway in "Sleuth," and toured internationally with the play. In 1976, he returned to the iconic British agent with a relaunch of the series, "The New Avengers," which ran for two seasons. He then settled permanently in California, and became the ubiquitous guest star on American television, appearing in such series as the original "Battlestar Galactica," "Vegas," "Magnum, P.I.", "Empire," and "Hart to Hart" among others. His series "Gavilan" ran during the 1982 season, and he appeared in the 1989 mini-series, "Around the World in 80 Days." He worked steadily through the 1990s, landing recurring roles in such series as "Super Force" in 1992," Kung Fu: The Legend Continues" in 1993, and "NightMan" during the 1997 season. His last appearance before he retired to voice-over work was "Low Budget Time Machine" in 2003. He recorded numerous audio books, including thirteen Jack Higgins titles, and voice-over narration for the mini-series "America at War in Color." His memoirs "Blind in One Ear" were published in 1992, and "The Avengers: The Inside Story" in 2008. He succumbed to natural causes at the age of 93.