Kenneth McMillan Movies and Career Information

Kenneth McMillan (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 1989) was an American actor. Portly and ruddy-faced, with an often aggressive and cantankerous demeanor, McMillan was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters. McMillan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Margaret and Harry McMillan, a truck driver. Prior to becoming an actor, McMillan was a manager at Gimbels Department Store. At age 30 McMillan decided to pursue an acting career. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts 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. McMillan made his film debut at age 41 with a small role in Sidney Lumet's gritty police drama Serpico. The actor played a borough commander in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, but often was cast as characters who were less than heroic, such as a cowardly small town sheriff in Tobe Hooper's '79 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