Roddy McDowall Biography

Fast Facts

• Served as a representative of the actors' branch on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
• Worked alongside the National Film Preservation Board in an effort to help archive classic films
• The son of theatre enthusiasts, he appeared in his first film by the age of ten
• Quote: "My whole life I've been trying to prove I'm not just yesterday․"
• Cooperated with the FBI in 1947after the agency raided his home while investigating copyright infringement because he owned an extensive film collection at a time when there was no aftermarket for movies
• Widely known as a character actor for his work in "Cleopatra," "It!," "The Poseidon Adventure," etc
• Lost out on an Academy Award nomination after 20th Century-Fox listed him as the lead actor, mistakenly disqualifying him from contention
• Sat in classes as a child with other young stars at MGM, including actress Elizabeth Taylor
• Served as Julie Andrews' date for the Los Angeles premiere of "The Sound of Music․"
• Was an accomplished ballroom dancer, winning various competitions on "The Arthur Murray Party․"