Mark McManus (21 February 1935 – 6 June 1994) was a Scottish actor known for his roles in the British television series Sam, Bulman, The Brothers, Strangers, and Dramarama and the feature film 2000 Weeks. He was best known for playing the tough Glaswegian Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart in the long-running STV television series Taggart from 1983 until his death in 1994.

Mark McManus
Born(1935-02-21)21 February 1935
Hamilton, Scotland
Died6 June 1994(1994-06-06) (aged 59)
Glasgow, Scotland
OccupationActor
Years active1967-1994
Spouse
Marion McManus
(m. 1985; died 1993)
RelativesBrian Connolly (adopted brother)

Career edit

McManus was born in Hamilton, Scotland, and moved to Hillingdon in London, England when he was three years old, until he moved again at the age of 16 to Australia, where he performed in amateur theatre groups that led him to becoming a professional actor. He appeared in the children's TV series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and had a guest appearance in the long-running Australian police drama Homicide. He also starred in Tim Burstall's feature film 2000 Weeks (1969), which was the first full-length Australian-produced feature made in Australia since Charles Chauvel's Jedda in 1954.

McManus also appeared in the American-produced historical drama Adam's Woman and co-starred with Mick Jagger in the Tony Richardson film version of the Ned Kelly story, Ned Kelly (both 1970).

McManus returned to the UK in 1971, and was known to a wider audience when he played roles such as Harry Carter in The Brothers and Sam Wilson, a coal miner in the 1973 TV series Sam. McManus appeared opposite Peter O'Toole in the 1976 TV movie Rogue Male, and starred as a dour Scots police officer, Jack Lambie, in Strangers, a role he reprised as a guest star in the spin-off, Bulman.[1] McManus also had roles in productions at the National Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre.[2]

McManus was also a boxer before he moved into acting.[3][2] He is not to be confused with the boxer of the same name (born 1974) from Basildon in England.

Taggart edit

McManus began playing the title character in the crime drama Taggart in September 1983, alongside Neil Duncan, Tom Watson and Robert Robertson. The pilot attracted an estimated 7.6 million viewers. When Duncan left the show in 1987, James MacPherson joined as new character Michael Jardine, immediately promoted to replace Duncan's character as detective sergeant. This was preceded by the arrival of a new superintendent, Jack McVitie, in the 1985 episode "Murder In Season". A new female detective constable, Jackie Reid (portrayed by Blythe Duff), was introduced in 1990 and, in "Secrets" (1994), Taggart promoted her to detective sergeant.

Death edit

McManus drank heavily and, after several years of declining health, died from an alcohol-related illness.[4] He was hospitalised with severe jaundice in May 1994,[5] and died in Glasgow of pneumonia brought on by liver failure,[6] on 6 June 1994, aged 59, eight months after the death of his second wife Marion. In the last two years of his life McManus had also lost his mother, his brother and his two sisters.[2] The actor was the first person to be posthumously awarded the Lord Provost of Glasgow's Award for Performing Arts.[7]

McManus's final Taggart episode was "Prayer for the Dead" (1995). He was the first Taggart cast member to die; he was followed by Iain Anders (Jack McVitie) who died three years later in 1997, aged 64, from a heart attack.

After the death of McManus in 1994, his character was given an on-air funeral in the final episode of the 11th series, "Black Orchid". In the same episode the character of Michael Jardine was promoted to Taggart's rank of detective chief inspector.

Family edit

The McManus family adopted Brian Connolly, later of 1970s glam rock band The Sweet; both men perceived a resemblance between them, and supposed McManus's father to have also been Connolly's.[8]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1969 2000 Weeks Will Gardiner Feature film
1970 Adam's Woman Nobby Feature film
1970 Ned Kelly Joe Byrne Feature film

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1967 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo TV series
1970 Homicide TV series
1972 The Brothers Harry Carter TV series
1972 Crown Court TV series, episode: Regina vs Bryant
1973 Sam Sam Wilson TV series
1976 Rogue Male TV movie
1978 Strangers Jack Lambie TV series
1983–1994 Taggart Jim Taggart TV series
1985-1987 Bulman Jack Lambise TV series
1987 Double Scotch and Wry Jim Taggart
1988 Dramarama TV series, episode: The Macramé Man

References edit

  1. ^ McIver, Brian (3 October 2007). "25 Years of Taggart: Mark McManus Story". Daily Record.
  2. ^ a b c "Obituary: Mark McManus". The Independent. 7 June 1994.
  3. ^ "Mark McManus". TV Heroes. Transdiffusion Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 17 November 2009.
  4. ^ Quinn, Thomas (27 October 2007). "So much more than 'there's been a murder'". The Guardian.
  5. ^ McIver, Brian (2 October 2007). "Born To Be Taggart". Daily Record.
  6. ^ "Sweet star follows brother Taggart to grave". Daily Record. 11 February 1997.
  7. ^ "Mark McManus". The Scotsman. 14 February 2005.
  8. ^ Perrone, Pierre (11 February 1997). "Obituary: Brian Connolly". The Independent.

Sources edit

  • No Matter What They Say - The Story of Sweet (HomeSweetHome Publishing, 2009).

External links edit