Find Famous People Fast!

Browse Bios:

Share on Facebook

Roddy McDowall Biography

Actor

Photos ( See all 8 )

Name at Birth: Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall

Roddy McDowall was a child actor in the 1930s and '40s and got his big break in 1943's My Friend, Flicka. In the course of his career he appeared in hundreds of movies and television shows, including four of the five movies in the Planet of the Apes series. (He played Dr. Cornelius in the original 1968 film, co-starring with Charlton Heston.) McDowall's distinctive British voice and mischievous eyes were recognizable even beneath the chimpy makeup. Later in his career he lent his voice to a variety of cartoons, including Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles.

Extra credit: McDowall also published five books of photography... He had a famous friendship with actress Elizabeth Taylor; the two appeared together as child actors in the 1943 movie Lassie, Come Home.

McDowall joins Phil Hartman in our loop These Actors Do Cartoon Voices... He also makes a whimsical appearance alongside King Kong in our loop Great Apes!

Blog posts mentioning Roddy McDowall:

Four Good Links

Roddy McDowall

Brief biography and incomplete filmography

A Tribute to Roddy McDowall

Photos, essays, and brushes with Mr. McDowall

The Bookworm

Profile of the villain McDowall played in 1966's Batman

Roddy McDowall

Glowing feature on Roddy

Vital Stats

Birth

17 September 1928

Birthplace

London, England

Death

3 October 1998
(cancer, age 70)

Best Known As

Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes movie series