Andrew Keir

Andrew Keir, born Andrew Buggy on April 3 1926 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, was a British actor, well-known for his roles in several Hammer Films horror film productions during the 1960s.

Related Topics:
April 3 - 1926 - Lanarkshire - Scotland - British - Actor - Hammer Films - 1960s

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Keir, the son of a coal-miner, initially worked in the coal mines of his home town himself, leaving school to become a miner at the age of fourteen. He worked the mines for six years, before in 1946, at the age of twenty, joining the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor.

Related Topics:
1946 - Glasgow

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He made his film debut in the early Hammer film The Lady Craves Excitement in 1950. His film work then went on to include well-known pictures such as A Night to Remember (1958), Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Lord Jim (1965) and Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD (1966). Probably his best-known role during this period, and his major starring role, was as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the 1967 Hammer Films adaptation of the BBC television serial Quatermass and the Pit. Later film roles included parts in the 1978 version of The Thirty-Nine Steps and Rob Roy (1995).

Related Topics:
1950 - A Night to Remember - 1958 - Cleopatra - 1963 - The Fall of the Roman Empire - 1964 - Lord Jim - 1965 - Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD - 1966 - Bernard Quatermass - 1967 - BBC - Quatermass and the Pit - 1978 - The Thirty-Nine Steps - Rob Roy - 1995

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Keir also enjoyed an extensive television career, with guest starring roles in a variety of popular British television series, from Ivanhoe in 1958 to Hamish Macbeth in 1996. In between, he appeared in popular series such as The Avengers, The Saint, Taggart and Boon. He also starred in the popular 1976 Australian television series The Outsiders.

Related Topics:
Ivanhoe - 1958 - Hamish Macbeth - 1996 - The Avengers - The Saint - 1976 - Australia

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Keir also worked on the radio, most notably when he returned to the role of Quatermass for the 1996 drama-documentary The Quatermass Memoirs, broadcast on BBC Radio 3. This made him one of only two actors - Brian Donlevy being the other - to play the part of the Professor twice.

Related Topics:
1996 - The Quatermass Memoirs - BBC Radio 3 - Brian Donlevy

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Keir was married to Joyce Scott, and had five children: Andrew, Maureen, Sean, Deirdre and Julie. Sean, Deirdre and Julie (as Julie T. Wallace) all became actors, with Sean and Deirdre both later moving into producing.

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He died on October 5 1997 in London, England at the age of 71.

Related Topics:
October 5 - 1997 - London - England

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