Roddy McDowall

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Born
September 17, 1928 (70 years old)
Died
October 3, 1998
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Popular Genres
Comedy Drama Action
Career Span
1938 – 2024

Roddy McDowall

14 wins
105 nominations
14 Oscars
185 credits

Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) was an English-American actor, director, and photographer. He is best known for portraying Cornelius and Caesar in the original Planet of the Apes film series, as well as Galen in the spin-off television series.

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Personal Info

Born
Sep 17, 1928
From
London, England, UK
Known For
Acting
Career
1938 – 2024

Known For

A Bug's Life
A Bug's Life
1998
as Mr. Soil (voice)
Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes
1968
as Cornelius
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
1973
as Caesar
Cleopatra
Cleopatra
1963
as Octavian - Caesar Augustus
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
1971
as Cornelius
The Longest Day
The Longest Day
1962
as Pvt. Morris
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
1972
as Caesar
The Poseidon Adventure
The Poseidon Adventure
1972
as Acres
The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965
as Matthew
Overboard
Overboard
1987
as Andrew
The Big Country
The Big Country
1958
as Hannassey Watchman (uncredited)
Fright Night
Fright Night
1985
as Peter Vincent

Frequent Collaborators

Kim Hunter
Kim Hunter
2 shared projects
in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"
 View Shared Movies
Linda Harrison
Linda Harrison
2 shared projects
in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"
 View Shared Movies
Norman Burton
Norman Burton
2 shared projects
in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"
 View Shared Movies
Army Archerd
2 shared projects
in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"
 View Shared Movies
James Bacon
James Bacon
2 shared projects
in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"
 View Shared Movies
Natalie Trundy
Natalie Trundy
2 shared projects
in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"
 View Shared Movies
Jean Marsh
Jean Marsh
2 shared projects
in "Cleopatra"
 View Shared Movies
Peter Forster
Peter Forster
2 shared projects
in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"
 View Shared Movies
Dave Foley
Dave Foley
1 shared project
in "A Bug's Life"
 View Shared Movies
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
1 shared project
in "A Bug's Life"
 View Shared Movies
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
1 shared project
in "A Bug's Life"
 View Shared Movies
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
1 shared project
in "A Bug's Life"
 View Shared Movies

Award Recognition

14
Wins
105
Nominations
14
Oscars

Complete Filmography

2024

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes as Self (archive footage)
Planet of the Apes: A Milestone of Science Fiction as Self (archive footage)

2001

Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
The Return of Captain Sinbad as Narrator

2000

Mary Pickford: A Life on Film as Self
Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley' as Self (archive footage)

1999

Keepers of the Frame as Himself
Linda Darnell: Hollywood's Fallen Angel
Intimate Portrait: Lauren Bacall as Self

1998

A Bug's Life as Mr. Soil (voice) Award
Behind the Planet of the Apes as Self - Host
Loss of Faith as Henry Stokes
Something to Believe In as Gambler
Beyond Titanic as Self
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists as Narrator (voice)
Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu as Himself - Actor / Friend

1997

The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo as King Murphy
Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years as Self
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line as Self
Obsessed with Vertigo as Narrator (Voice)
Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero as Self
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough as Self
Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain as Self
Audrey Hepburn: The Fairest Lady as Self

1996

Unlikely Angel as Saint Peter
The Grass Harp as Amos Legrand
It's My Party as Damian Knowles
Star Hunter as Riecher
Dead Man's Island as Trevor Dunnaway

1995

Last Summer in the Hamptons as Thomas
The Alien Within as Dr. Henry Lazarus
Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker as Self

1994

Mirror Mirror 2: Raven Dance as Dr. Lasky
Angel 4: Undercover as Geoffrey Kagen
Heads as Fibris Drake
The Story of Lassie as Self
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is as Jeremy Sennet
Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill as Self
Meet Me in St. Louis: The Making of an American Classic as Narrator (voice)

1993

The Evil Inside Me as Pauly

1992

Double Trouble as Phillip Chamberlin
The Magical World of Chuck Jones as Self
The Sands of Time as Alan Tucker
The Naked Target as Ernest Peabody

1991

Earth Angel as Mr. Tatum
Going Under as Secretary Neighbor
Deadly Game as Dr. Aaron
Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper as Self
Stars and Stripes: Hollywood and World War II as Self
Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas as Narrator (voice)

1990

Shakma as Sorenson
The Color of Evening as Henry Seaton

1989

The Big Picture as Judge Award
Cutting Class as Mr. Dante
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre as Himself
Hollywood on Horses as Self
Carmilla as Inspector Amos
Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius as Self

1988

Fright Night Part 2 as Peter Vincent Award
Doin' Time on Planet Earth as Minister
Remo Williams: The Prophecy

1987

Overboard as Andrew Award
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
Dead of Winter as Mr. Murray

1986

GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords as Nuggit (voice)

1985

Fright Night as Peter Vincent Award

1984

The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood as Prince John

1983

Rapunzel as Narrator
The Wind in the Willows as Ratty (voice)
This Girl For Hire as Manfred Hayes

1982

Evil Under the Sun as Rex Brewster Award
Class of 1984 as Terry Corrigan Award
Mae West as Rene Valentine
Twilight Theatre as Self - Host
Hollywood’s Children as Self (Narrator)
The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun' as Self / Rex Brewster

1981

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen as Gillespie
The Million Dollar Face as Derek Kenyon

1980

The Return of the King as Samwise Gamgee (voice)
The Memory of Eva Ryker as MacFarland
Back to the Planet of the Apes as Galen
Life, Liberty and Pursuit on the Planet of the Apes as Galen
Treachery and Greed on the Planet of the Apes as Galen
The Forgotten City of the Planet of the Apes as Galen
Farewell to the Planet of the Apes as Galen

1979

The Black Hole as V.I.N.CENT. (voice) (uncredited) Award
Scavenger Hunt as Jenkins
Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall as Chuck the Robot (voice)
Hart to Hart as Dr. Peterson

1978

The Cat from Outer Space as Mr. Stallwood
Laserblast as Doctor Mellon
Rabbit Test as Gypsy Grandmother / Dr. D & C Fishbine
Circle of Iron as White Robe
The Immigrants as Mark Levy
The Thief of Baghdad as Hasan

1977

Flood! as Mr. Franklin
The Fantastic Journey as Dr. Jonathan Willoway
Sixth and Main as Skateboard

1976

That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage)
Embryo as Frank Riley
It's Showtime as Self (archive footage)
Mowgli's Brothers as Mowgli (voice)

1975

Mean Johnny Barrows as Tony Da Vince Award
Funny Lady as Bobby Moore
The White Seal as Narrator/ White Seal
Elizabeth Taylor: An Intimate Portrait as Self

1974

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry as George Stanton (uncredited)
The Elevator as Marvin Ellis

1973

Battle for the Planet of the Apes as Caesar Award
The Legend of Hell House as Benjamin Franklin Fischer
Arnold as Robert
Miracle on 34th Street as Dr. Sawyer

1972

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes as Caesar Award
The Poseidon Adventure as Acres Award
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean as Frank Gass
Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)
Corky as Harassed Salesman

1971

Escape from the Planet of the Apes as Cornelius Award
Bedknobs and Broomsticks as Mr. Jelk Award
Pretty Maids All in a Row as Mr. Proffer
What's a Nice Girl Like You...? as Albert Soames
A Taste of Evil as Dr. Michael Lomas
Journey to Murder as Rollo Verdew
Terror in the Sky as Dr. Ralph Baird

1969

Night Gallery as Jeremy Evans
Midas Run as Wister
Hello Down There as Nate Ashbury
Angel, Angel, Down We Go as Santoro

1968

Planet of the Apes as Cornelius Award
5 Card Stud as Nick Evers

1967

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin as Bullwhip Griffin
It! as Arthur Pimm
The Cool Ones as Tony Krum
Cricket on the Hearth as Cricket Crocket (voice)
Saint Joan as Charles, The Dauphin

1966

The Defector as Agent Adams
Lord Love a Duck as Alan Musgrave

1965

The Greatest Story Ever Told as Matthew Award
That Darn Cat! as Gregory Benson
The Loved One as D.J. Jr.
Inside Daisy Clover as Walter Baines
The Third Day as Oliver Parsons

1964

Shock Treatment as Martin Ashley

1963

Cleopatra as Octavian - Caesar Augustus Award
The Power and the Glory as Mestizo

1962

The Longest Day as Pvt. Morris Award

1960

Midnight Lace as Malcolm
The Subterraneans as Yuri Gilgoric
The Tempest as Ariel

1958

The Big Country as Hannassey Watchman (uncredited) Award
Heart of Darkness as Charles Marlow

1952

The Steel Fist as Eric Kardin

1951

Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration as Pvt. Huntington (The Professor)

1950

Big Timber as Jimmy
Killer Shark as Ted White
Everybody's Dancin' as Roddy McDowall

1949

Black Midnight as Scott Jordan
Tuna Clipper as Alec MacLennan

1948

Macbeth as Malcolm
Kidnapped as David Balfour
Rocky as Chris Hammond

1946

Holiday in Mexico as Stanley Owen

1945

Molly and Me as Jimmy Graham
Thunderhead: Son of Flicka as Ken McLaughlin

1944

The Keys of the Kingdom as Francis Chisholm, as a boy
The White Cliffs of Dover as John Ashwood II as a Boy

1943

Lassie Come Home as Joe Carraclough
My Friend Flicka as Ken McLaughlin

1942

The Pied Piper as Ronnie Cavanaugh
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake as Benjamin - as a Boy
On the Sunny Side as Hugh Aylesworth

1941

How Green Was My Valley as Huw Morgan Award
Man Hunt as Vaner
Confirm or Deny as Albert Perkins
This England as Hugo
You Will Remember as Young Bob Slater

1940

Just William as Ginger
His Brother’s Keeper as Boy
Saloon Bar as Boy

1939

Poison Pen as Choirboy
The Outsider as Cured Child

1938

Murder in the Family as Peter Osborne
Hey! Hey! USA as Boy
I See Ice as Boy on train
Convict 99 as Jimmy

Photos & Videos

Featured in Trailers

A Bug's Life
Planet of the Apes
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Cleopatra
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
The Longest Day
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
The Poseidon Adventure
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Overboard

Career Statistics

Roles by Genre
Genre Evolution