Simon MacCorkindale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Simon MacCorkindale
MacCorkindale in 2008 at the opening of a Headway Clinic in Swindon
Born	Simon Charles Pendered MacCorkindale (1952-02-12)12 February 1952 Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Died	14 October 2010(2010-10-14) (aged 58) London, England
Occupation	Actor director producer writer
Years active	1973–2010
Spouse(s)	Fiona Fullerton ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1982)​ Susan George ​ ​ (m. 1984)​

Simon MacCorkindale (born 12 February 1952 – died 14 October 2010) was a British actor, director, writer, and producer. He moved around a lot as a child because his father was an officer in the Royal Air Force. Simon couldn't join the RAF himself due to poor eyesight. Instead, he decided to work in theatre.

He trained at Studio 68 of Theatre Arts in London. Simon started acting and made his first big stage appearance in 1974. He became famous for his roles in TV shows like I, Claudius and Jesus of Nazareth. His role as Simon Doyle in the 1978 film Death on the Nile was a big success. This helped him move to the United States. He appeared in many films and TV series, including Quatermass (1979) and Jaws 3-D (1983).

In 1983, MacCorkindale starred as Dr. Jonathan Chase in the TV series Manimal. He then played lawyer Greg Reardon in Falcon Crest. Later, he directed and produced many shows and films through his company, Amy International Artists. He also starred in the Canadian series Counterstrike for three years. In 2002, he returned to the UK and joined the cast of the BBC medical drama Casualty. He played Harry Harper for six years until 2008.

Simon MacCorkindale's Early Life

Simon MacCorkindale was born on 12 February 1952 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. His parents, Gilliver Mary and Peter Bernard MacCorkindale, were Scottish. Simon also had a brother named Duncan.

His father was a high-ranking officer in the RAF. Because of his father's job, Simon moved 17 times to different places across Europe. He spent some of his childhood in Edinburgh. Simon attended Haileybury and Imperial Service College from 1965 to 1970. He was even the Head Boy there.

Simon first wanted to join the RAF like his father. But at age 13, his eyesight got worse, so he changed his plans. He thought about becoming an ambassador. However, he became very interested in theatre and decided to become a stage director instead.

Simon loved theatre from a young age. He wrote a play when he was eight years old. He also started acting at eight and worked on many school plays. He decided to go to drama school in London instead of university. He wanted to gain more acting experience to become a better director.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting His Acting Journey (1973–1979)

Simon MacCorkindale began his acting career in theatre. He toured the UK with a theatre group. His first professional stage role was in 1973 in A Bequest to the Nation. In 1974, he made his first appearance in London's West End in Pygmalion.

His first TV role was in the series Hawkeye, The Pathfinder in 1973. He then appeared in other TV shows like I, Claudius and Jesus of Nazareth.

Simon's first film was Juggernaut in 1974. He was cast as Simon Doyle in the 1978 film Death on the Nile. This role made him very well-known. He even won an award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 1979, he starred as spy Arthur Davies in The Riddle of the Sands.

He also played astronomer Joe Kapp in the TV series Quatermass (1979). Simon liked this role because it was different from the romantic characters he often played.

Big Roles in America (1980–1986)

After Death on the Nile was a hit, Simon MacCorkindale moved to the United States in 1980. He refused to use an American accent for auditions. He believed his British accent would help him stand out. For two years, he struggled to get major roles because of his nationality.

He eventually got the lead role in the adventure series Manimal in 1983. He played Professor Jonathan Chase, an Englishman who could change into animals. This character helped police fight crime. Simon liked that Professor Chase was a "very smart person."

Filming Manimal was hard work, often lasting 14 to 16 hours a day. The show was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. It was shown at the same time as the popular show Dallas. Despite this, Manimal later gained a strong fan base around the world.

In 1984, he joined the soap opera Falcon Crest as lawyer Greg Reardon. He asked for his character to be rewritten as English. He also directed one episode of the show. Simon left Falcon Crest in 1986 after 59 episodes. He felt the work wasn't challenging enough and wanted to try producing instead of just acting.

Simon also appeared in films like The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) and Jaws 3-D (1983). In the mid-1980s, he was considered for the role of James Bond. However, he was not chosen for the part. Jaws 3-D was his last major film role.

Canadian Projects and Return to Acting (1990–2000)

In the 1990s, Simon MacCorkindale returned to acting after focusing on production work. He appeared in several projects in Canada. From 1990 to 1993, he played Peter Sinclair, a former Scotland Yard inspector, in the series Counterstrike. He also became a writer for the series.

After Counterstrike, he appeared in the TV drama E.N.G.. He also starred in many TV films during the 1990s. He enjoyed playing villains more than heroes. In 1998, he played Dr. Chase from Manimal again in an episode of Night Man. This time, computer effects were used for the animal transformations. He also directed an episode of Night Man. Other TV appearances included Earth: Final Conflict and La Femme Nikita.

Casualty and Final Roles (2002–2010)

Simon MacCorkindale turned down a role in the American science-fiction series Star Trek: Enterprise. He returned to the UK in 2002. He joined the cast of the BBC medical drama Casualty. He played Dr. Harry Harper, a lead consultant.

He said he was a long-time fan of Casualty. Simon enjoyed his time on the show. He researched all the medical terms his character used to understand them better. He also appeared as Harry Harper in the spin-off shows Holby City and Casualty@Holby City.

In 2007, he took a break from Casualty to tour the UK in a play called The Unexpected Guest. He returned to Casualty but left permanently in 2008. He wanted to do more theatre work. By the time he left, he had appeared in 229 episodes of Casualty.

In 2008, he joined the London production of The Sound of Music as Captain Georg Ludwig von Trapp. He stayed with the show until it closed in 2009. He had small roles in the films 13 Hrs and A Closed Book. His final TV appearance was in the 2010 series New Tricks.

Simon MacCorkindale's Production Work

Simon MacCorkindale also produced, directed, and wrote many films, TV shows, and theatre productions. In the 1980s, he directed three performances of the play Sleuth. He also directed a Los Angeles production of The Merchant of Venice.

After leaving Falcon Crest, he started his own production company in 1986. The next year, he created Amy International Artists with his wife, Susan George. He directed, wrote, and produced several projects for his company. These included the film Stealing Heaven (1988) and Djavolji Raj (1989). He and Susan bought the rights to these projects because they truly believed in them.

Working with writer Chris Bryant, Simon wrote and directed the TV film The House That Mary Bought (1995). He also co-produced the film Such a Long Journey (1998). For this film, he was nominated for an award. He also wrote a film script about the missing Lord Lucan. However, this project was cancelled due to money problems. He was also a co-executive producer for the TV series Queen of Swords (2000) and Adventure Inc. (2002).

Personal Life and Family

Simon MacCorkindale was married two times. His first wife was actress Fiona Fullerton. They married in 1976 and divorced in 1982.

After his divorce, Simon started a relationship with actress Susan George. They had first met in 1977. They got married secretly in Fiji on 5 October 1984. Later, they had another ceremony with family and friends in England. They did not have any children. Simon and Susan lived on and managed an Arabian horse farm in Exmoor.

Simon MacCorkindale's Passing

Simon MacCorkindale was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006. He had surgery to remove part of his bowel. The cancer went away for a while after the operation. However, a year later, doctors found that the cancer had spread to his lungs.

He continued acting while getting treatment. He filmed his last series of Casualty in late 2007. He did not tell his colleagues about his illness. He found it strange when his character in the show had to tell patients they had cancer. He spent a lot of money on private cancer treatment in the United States. In November 2009, he shared publicly that his illness was very serious. Simon MacCorkindale passed away on 14 October 2010 at a clinic in London.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Simon MacCorkindale para niños