Mark McManus

Mark McManus (21 February 1935 – 6 June 1994) was a Scottish actor known for his roles in the British television series Sam, Bulman, The Brothers, Strangers, and Dramarama, and the feature film 2000 Weeks. He was best known for playing the tough Glaswegian Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart in the long-running STV television series Taggart from 1983 until his death in 1994.

Career McManus was born in Hamilton, Scotland, and moved to Hillingdon in London, England when he was three years old, until he moved again at the age of 16 to Australia, where he performed in amateur theatre groups that led him to becoming a professional actor. He appeared in the children's TV series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and had a guest appearance in the long-running Australian police drama Homicide. He also starred in Tim Burstall's feature film 2000 Weeks (1969), which was the first full-length Australian-produced feature made in Australia since Charles Chauvel's Jedda in 1954.

McManus also appeared in the American-produced historical drama Adam's Woman and co-starred with Mick Jagger in the Tony Richardson film version of the Ned Kelly story, Ned Kelly (both 1970).

McManus returned to the UK in 1971, and was known to a wider audience when he played roles such as Harry Carter in The Brothers and Sam Wilson, a coal miner in the 1973 TV series Sam. McManus appeared opposite Peter O'Toole in the 1976 TV movie Rogue Male, and starred as a dour Scots police officer, Jack Lambie, in Strangers, a role he reprised as a guest star in the spin-off, Bulman. McManus also had roles in productions at the National Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre.

In July 1986, McManus appeared in the BBC Scotland television play Four to One, written by Gawn Grainger, The play also featured Trevor Ray, Derek Newark and Derrick O'Connor, and was produced by Norman McCandlish.

McManus was also a boxer before he moved into acting. He is not to be confused with the boxer of the same name (born 1974) from Basildon in England.

Taggart McManus began playing the title character in the crime drama Taggart in September 1983, alongside Neil Duncan, Tom Watson and Robert Robertson. The pilot attracted an estimated 7.6 million viewers. When Duncan left the show in 1987, James MacPherson joined as new character Michael Jardine, immediately promoted to replace Duncan's character as detective sergeant. This was preceded by the arrival of a new superintendent, Jack McVitie, in the 1985 episode "Murder in Season". A new female detective constable, Jackie Reid (portrayed by Blythe Duff), was introduced in 1990 and, in "Secrets" (1994), Taggart promoted her to detective sergeant.

Death McManus drank heavily and, after several years of declining health, died from an alcohol-related illness. He was hospitalised with severe jaundice in May 1994 and died in Glasgow of pneumonia brought on by liver failure on 6 June 1994, aged 59, eight months after the death of his second wife Marion. In the last two years of his life, McManus had also lost his mother, his brother and his two sisters.

McManus's final Taggart episode was "Hellfire" (series 11, episode 1). After his death, his character was given an on-air funeral in the final episode of the 11th series, "Black Orchid".

Filmography

Film Year Title Role1969 2000 Weeks Will Gardiner 1970 Adam's Woman Nobby 1970 Ned Kelly Joe Byrne

Television Year Title Role Notes 1963 Prelude to Harvest Seaman TV movie Ballad for One Gun Dan Kelly Concord of Sweet Sounds Bill 1964 The One That Got Away 1966 Homicide +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Episode: "Holiday Affair" 1966 Wednesday Theatre Episode: Twelfth Night The Man Who Saw It TV movie 1966–1967 Wandjina! 2 episodes 1967 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Episode: "The Rustlers" 1968 The Battlers Season 1, 5 episodes 1969 Australian Plays Episode: "Dynasty" The Rovers Jack Webster Episode: "U.F.O. Pacific" 1970 Shadows of Fear Cox Episode: "Did You Lock Up?" Dr. Finlay's Casebook Eric Calder Episode: "A Good Prospect" 1971 Man at the Top Dennis Rosslea Series 1, 2 episodes Thirty-Minute Theatre Episode: "Combing Down His Yellow Hair" 1972 Stage 2 Episode: "Peer Gynt" Colditz Lt Cameron Episode: "The Undefeated" Pathfinders Flight Sergeant Joe Carson Episode: "Jonah Man" Crown Court Harry Bryant Serial: "R v Bryant" 1973 The Brothers Harry Carter Season 2 1974 The Stars Look Down Miniseries 1975 2nd House Actor in Knots Episode: "Toback's Gambler" 1974–1975 Sam Sam Wilson Series 2-3 1976 Benny Lynch Benny Lynch TV movie Rogue Male Vaner Jackanory Storyteller Episode: "The Nargun and the Stars" 1978 The Foundation Bill Wood Series 2 Target Wilson Episode: "The Macramé Man" 1979 Brecht and Co Member of Brecht's company / Galy Gay / Wang TV movie 1980 Bull Week Johnny Kowal Miniseries 1980–1982 Strangers Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Lambie Series 3-5 1981 The Long and the Short and the Tall Sergeant Mitchem TV movie 1982 Union Castle Charles Winzer Series 1, episode 3 1983 Gunfight at the Joe Kaye Corral Archie TV movie Killer Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart Miniseries 1983–1995 Taggart Series 1-11, 28 episodes 1985 Bulman Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Lambie 3 episodes 1986 Four to One David TV movie 1987 Scotch and Wry Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart Guest appearance 1988 Dramarama Bobby Soutar Episode: "The Macramé Man" 1988 Minder Dixon Episode: "An Officer and a Car Salesman"