About David McAlister
Lived 1951 – 2015 (aged 64). David McAlister was a British actor and television actor.
David McAlister (2 April 1951 – 26 June 2015) was an English actor on television, in musicals, on stage and in film, known for his voice-over work.
Personal life McAlister was born on 2 April 1951 in Worthing, Sussex and died on 25 June 2015 of cancer. He was married with two children (a girl and a boy) living with his family in Surrey.
Career McAlister was best known for his portrayal of Daddy Warbucks in the stage production of the American musical Annie. It was in 2006 that he first got the part of Daddy Warbucks in Annie The Musical. He returned to the part in 2009 for its UK Tour, and then again between 2010–2011, and in 2012 went with it to Hong Kong and Singapore. He died in 2015.
Theatres and musicals McAlister also starred as Horace Vandergelder in the 2008 stage revival of Hello, Dolly!! For 5 years he played Dennis Richardson in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks (British Soap Nomination as Best Villain). He was active in various areas of the entertainment industry such as Opera at Covent Garden (Pazzariello in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Pagliacci), TV comedy (Harry Enfield & Chums), Radio Drama (The Archers) and classic TV (Brideshead Revisited).
In musical theatre he was the original Harry in the National tour of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, whilst in London’s West End The Sound of Music (Palace Theatre) as 12-year-old Freidrich Von Trapp, Ernest Simpson in Always (Victoria Palace), A Month in the Country (Cambridge), Oh Kay! (Westminster), and Christian Brent in Peg (Phoenix) He also played Kurt Weill in Ken Russell’s Weill & Lenya and Noël Coward in Sheridan Morley’s Noel & Gertie. He spent a year as the lead in the West End production of The Mousetrap (St Martins), and starred in the Ivor Novello role in Kings Rhapsody (National tour) and created the role of Alan in the European premiere of the Maltby/Shire musical Baby. In 2005 he was flown to Doha to entertain The Emir Of Qatar as Leading Player in Aspire (a circus-style musical entertainment). He created the role of Sinclair Platt in Dreams from a Summerhouse (written and directed by Alan Ayckbourn) in Scarborough.
Television
Has appeared on television for over 50 years in shows such as: The Golden Hour Red Cap Mike Bassett TV Doctor Who (in the serial The Stones of Blood) Agatha Christie's Poirot Top Buzzer Miss Marple Cor, Blimey! Two Thousand Acres of Sky Rab C. Nesbitt Growing Pains The Chief Perfect Scoundrels Traffik Macready & Daughter Peak Practice Pie in the Sky Home James Never the Twain Farrington of the F.O. Wings All at No 20 Secret Army Capital City Dangerfield Lovejoy EastEnders The Bill Emmerdale Doctors Triangle Brookside Waterfront Beat Crossroads Hollyoaks (1997, 2002–2003) – Dennis Richardson The Sandbaggers (1978) Bugs
Films Lighthouse Hill Decline and Fall Fatherland The Last Englishman Brookdale Doomsday Gun A Princess in Love The Music Lovers Waiting for a Killer Walking Shadows Princess Daisy
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Important facts
People in David McAlister's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped David McAlister's
Frequently asked questions
Who was David McAlister?
English actor (1951-2015)
When was David McAlister born?
David McAlister was born on 2 April 1951 in Worthing.
When did David McAlister die?
David McAlister died on 26 June 2015 in London.
What was David McAlister's occupation?
David McAlister was an actor and television actor.
What nationality was David McAlister?
David McAlister was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David McAlister. https://biography.guide/david-mcalister/
MLA: "David McAlister." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-mcalister/.
Chicago: "David McAlister." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-mcalister/.
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