Kenneth McMillan

Kenneth McMillan (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 1989) was an American actor. McMillan was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters due to his rough image. However, he was sometimes cast in some lighter comic roles that highlighted his gentler side. He was perhaps best known as Jack Doyle in Rhoda (1977–1978), and as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in David Lynch's Dune.

Biography McMillan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Margaret and Harry McMillan, a truck driver. He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Prior to becoming an actor, McMillan was employed at Gimbels Department Store first as a salesman, then as a section manager, and then a floor superintendent managing three floors. At age 30, McMillan decided to pursue an acting career, and took acting lessons from Uta Hagen and Irene Dailey. He was married to Kathryn McDonald (20 June 1969 – 8 January 1989) (his death) with whom he had one child, actress Alison McMillan.

Career

McMillan made his film debut at age 41 with a small role in Sidney Lumet's police drama Serpico. The actor played a borough commander in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, but often was cast as characters such as a cowardly small town sheriff in Tobe Hooper's 1979 TV mini-series Salem's Lot, a similar law enforcement officer in the 1987 Burt Reynolds film Malone, William Hurt's bitter paraplegic father in Eyewitness, a wily safe cracker in The Pope of Greenwich Village, and a racist fire chief in Ragtime who is memorably told off by the New York City police commissioner, played by James Cagney. In 1985, he portrayed New York City's newly appointed police commissioner in the short-lived television crime drama Our Family Honor.

He portrayed the grotesquely obese and gleefully psychotic Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune, the pathetic drunken pop of Aidan Quinn in Reckless and as Cressner, a sleazy high roller gambler in "The Ledge," a segment of the horror anthology film Cat's Eye. Yet he did sometimes get cast opposite the villain, playing Robert Duvall's detective partner in True Confessions, a judge who must rule whether Richard Dreyfuss has the right to die in Whose Life Is It Anyway?, as well as a lead detective investigating a serial killer in the 1982 film The Clairvoyant.

McMillan was also adept at comedy, giving performances as a baseball club manager in Blue Skies Again, Meg Ryan's corrupt security guard captain dad in Armed and Dangerous and a dotty senile veterinarian in Three Fugitives.

McMillan had a recurring role in 1977–1978 as Valerie Harper's irate boss Jack Doyle on the TV sitcom Rhoda. Among the TV shows McMillan did guest spots on are Dark Shadows, Ryan's Hope, as a 53rd precinct lieutenant on Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, The Rockford Files, Moonlighting, Lou Grant, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote.

Outside of his film and TV credits, McMillan also frequently performed on stage at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He acted in the original Broadway productions of Streamers and American Buffalo. He won an Obie for his performance in the Off-Broadway play Weekends Like Other People.

McMillan died of liver disease at age 56.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 Serpico Charlie Uncredited 1974 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Harry (Borough Commander) 1975 The Stepford Wives Market Manager Dog Day Afternoon Commissioner Uncredited 1978 Girlfriends Cabbie Credited as Ken McMillan Bloodbrothers Mikey Banion Oliver's Story Jamie Francis 1979 Chilly Scenes of Winter Pete 1980 Hide in Plain Sight Sam Marzetta Little Miss Marker Branigan Carny Heavy St. John Borderline Malcolm Wallace 1981 Eyewitness Mr. Deever True Confessions Frank Crotty Ragtime Willie Conklin Whose Life Is It Anyway? Judge Wyler Heartbeeps Max 1982 Partners Chief Wilkins The Clairvoyant Detective Cullum 1983 Blue Skies Again Dirk 1984 Reckless John Rourke Sr. The Pope of Greenwich Village Barney Amadeus Michael Schlumberg Director's Cut (2002) Dune Baron Vladimir Harkonnen Protocol Senator Norris 1985 Cat's Eye Cressner Runaway Train Eddie MacDonald 1986 Armed and Dangerous Captain Clarence O'Connell 1987 Malone Hawkins 1989 Three Fugitives Horvath

Television Year Title Role Notes 1969 Dark Shadows Jack Long Episode #899 1970 Dark Shadows Bartender at the Eagle Episode #991 1975–1976 Ryan's Hope Charlie Ferris 17 episodes 1976 Kojak Lieutenant Becker Season 4 Episode 9: "A Shield for Murder: Part 1"Season 4 Episode 10: "A Shield for Murder: Part 2" 1977 Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye Softy McNamara TV movie The Rubber Gun Squad Captain Egan TV pilot movie 1977–1978 Rhoda Jack Doyle Recurring (24 episodes) (also performer on "Blue Moon" and "As Time Goes By" in 2 episodes) 1978 Kojak Lieutenant George O'Mara Season 5 Episode 17: "No License to Kill"Breaking Up Vancrier TV movie King Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor Miniseries (Season 1 Episodes 1, 2, 3) (credit only for Episode 3) A Death in Canaan Sergeant Tim Scully TV movie Starsky & Hutch Lieutenant Daniel E. Slate Season 4 Episode 6: "Strange Justice" The Rockford Files Morry Hawthorne Season 5 Episode 10: "A Fast Count" 1979 Lou Grant Jack Riley Season 2 Episode 20: "Convention" Salem's Lot Constable Parkins Gillespie Miniseries (Season 1 Episodes Part 1, Part 2) 1980 The Hustler of Muscle Beach Joseph Demec TV movie 1982 In the Custody of Strangers Albert C. Caruso 1983 Packin' It In Howard Estep Dixie: Changing Habits Tony Marchesso Murder 1, Dancer 0 Lieutenant Herbie Quinlan 1984 When She Says No Mr. Michaels Maggie Briggs Walter Holden Main (5 episodes) Concrete Beat Marion Kaiser TV movie Destination Dune Self / Baron Vladimir Harkonnen TV documentary short promoting Dune 1985–1986 Our Family Honor Commissioner Patrick McKay Main (13 episodes) 1986 Acceptable Risks Wes Boggs TV movie Alfred Hitchcock Presents Judge Paul Magrew Season 1 Episode 21: "Four O'Clock" Moonlighting Baptista Season 3 Episode 7: "Atomic Shakespeare" 1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Harry Gunz Season 1 Episode 19: "Sons of Gunz" Murder, She Wrote Season 4 Episode 2: "When Thieves Fall Out" Magnum, P.I. Joe Hatten Season 8 Episode 3: "Innocence... A Broad" Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's Lew Carteret TV movie 1988 Frank's Place Mitch Torrance Season 1 Episode 22: "The King of Wall Street" (credited as Ken McMillan) Favorite Son Henry O'Brien Season 1 Episode 1: "Part One" 1989 Top of the Hill Steele Cooley Season 1 Episode 1: "Top of the Hill" 1997 Welcome to Twin Peaks Baron Vladimir Harkonnen Archive footage; uncredited 2013 The Calm Before the Chaos: Kyle T. Heffner Reflects on Runaway Train Eddie MacDonald Archive footage; uncredited