Patrick Macnee, the British actor who starred in the 1960s TV series The Avengers, died Thursday of natural causes at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 93.
Born in England, Macnee served in the Royal Navy during World War II and, after, appeared in theater production and minor film roles. His claim to fame was the role of John Steed in The Avengers, the popular spy drama that premiered in Britain in 1961 and the U.S. in 1966. The bowler hat-wearing, umbrella-toting Steed was the archetype of the suave secret agent before the first James Bond films.
Macnee’s work also included roles in TV series Murder, She Wrote, Battlestar Galactica, The Love Boat, Encounter and The Twilight Zone, and films A View to a Kill and The Sea Wolves.
Macnee was predeceased by three wives. He is survived by his son, daughter and grandson.
