Gordon McDougall
Gordon Sholto McDougall (born 7 February 1916, Glasgow, Scotland - 18 May 1991, Sydney, Australia) was a Scottish Australian actor. He trained at the Glasgow Athenaeum (now known as The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). He later worked in Australian theatre and television, and was best known for playing amateur inventor Les Whittaker in soap opera Number 96.
Gordon McDougall | |
|---|---|
 Gordon McDougall as amateur inventer Les Whittaker in Number 96 | |
| Born | Gordon Sholto McDougall 7 February 1916 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 18 May 1991 (age 75) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Mackie |
| Children | 2 |
Career
Theatre and radio
McDougall started acting professionally in 1936 working in various facets of the entertainment industry, including radio. He emigrated to Australia and over a long career on the stage appeared in more than 50 theatre productions. These included Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Cat Among the Pigeons, Habeas Corpus, musicals 1776 and Promises, Promises. He played in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing for the Nimrod Theatre.[1]
Television
In 1969 McDougall appeared in the ABC's adaptation of Hesba Fay Brinsmead's Pastures of the Blue Crane followed in the early 1970s by several television guest appearances. He had guest roles in the Crawford Productions police procedurals Homicide and Division 4, and a regular role in 1972 comedy series A Nice Day at the Office which ran for seven episodes. He found his widest audience through his role of amateur inventor Les Whittaker, husband to brassy barmaid Norma (Sheila Kennelly), in hit soap opera Number 96. Comedy characters Les and Norma joined the series early in its 1972–1977 run and became enormously popular. Along with most of the show's regular cast, McDougall reprised his role in the 1974 film version of the series.
After a fall in ratings in 1975 Les was killed off in a dramatic revamp of the series: the famous bomb storyline. It had been decided that Les's constant crazy inventions were becoming too silly, and that his death would open up the character of Norma to new romances and other storylines. The Number 96 producers soon realised that killing Les was a mistake, and McDougall was returned to the series in late 1976 as Les's long-lost brother, the aristocratic Lord Andrew McCraddenow. The new character did not work as well as Les had, and six months later both Andrew and Norma were written out of the series during another cast revamp.
After Number 96 McDougall acted in Australian television films and had guest roles in such drama series as Chopper Squad, Prisoner, A Country Practice, and sitcom Mother and Son.
He retired from acting in 1987.
He was married to Margaret Mackie and died in Sydney, Australia on 18 May 1991, aged 75.
References
- Atterton, Margot. (Ed.) The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 143