Mark McManus

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Mark McManus
Born(1935-02-21)21 February 1935
Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died6 June 1994(1994-06-06) (aged 59)
Glasgow, Scotland
OccupationActor
Years active1967–1994
Relatives Brian Connolly (adopted brother)

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.

Contents

Career

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. [2] [3] [4] He is not to be confused with the boxer of the same name (born 1974) from Basildon in England.

Taggart

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

McManus drank heavily and, after several years of declining health, died from an alcohol-related illness. [5] He was hospitalised with severe jaundice in May 1994 [6] and died in Glasgow of pneumonia brought on by liver failure [7] 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. [8]

McManus's final Taggart episode was "Hellfire" (Season 11 Episode 1). After his death, his character was given an on-air funeral in the final episode of the 11th season, "Black Orchid".

Family

The uncle of the Mark McManus family adopted Brian Connolly, later of 1970s glam rock band the Sweet; the half brothers perceived a resemblance between them, and supposed they shared a father. [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1969 2000 Weeks Will GardinerFeature film
1970 Adam's Woman NobbyFeature film
1970 Ned Kelly Joe Byrne Feature film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1963 Prelude to Harvest SeamanTV movie
1963 Ballad for One Gun Dan Kelly TV movie
1963 Concord of Sweet Sounds BillTV movie
1964 The One That Got Away TV movie
1966 Homicide Malcolm WillsSeason 3, episode 8: "Holiday Affair"
1966 Twelfth Night Sebastian TV movie
1966 The Man Who Saw It Larry MitchellTV movie
1966–1967 Wandjina! Donald MacPherson2 episodes
1967 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo TedSeason 1, episode 19: "The Rustlers"
1968 The Battlers Tolly McCallSeason 1, 5 episodes
1969 Australian Plays Peter MasonSeason 1, episode 1: "Dynasty"
1969 The Rovers Jack WebsterSeason 1, episode 15: "U.F.O. Pacific"
1970 Shadows of Fear CoxSeason 1, episode 1: "Did You Lock Up?"
1970 Dr. Finlay's Casebook Eric CalderSeason 8, episode 11: "A Good Prospect"
1971 Man at the Top Dennis RossleaSeason 1, 2 episodes
1971 Thirty-Minute Theatre Season 7, episode 4: "Combing Down His Yellow Hair"
1972 Stage 2 Episode: "Peer Gynt"
1972 Colditz Lt CameronSeason 1, episode 1: "The Undefeated"
1972 Pathfinders Flight Sergeant Joe CarsonSeason 1, episode 5: "Jonah Man"
1972 Crown Court Harry CarterSeason 1, 3 episodes
1973 The Brothers Harry CarterSeason 2, 13 episodes
1974The Stars Look DownMiniseries
19752nd HouseActor in KnotsSeason 2, episode 10: "Toback's Gambler"
1974–1975 Sam Sam WilsonSeasons 2-3, 26 episodes
1976Benny Lynch Benny Lynch TV movie
1976 Rogue Male VanerTV movie
1976 Jackanory StorytellerSeason 15, 5 episodes
1978The FoundationBill WoodSeason 2, 7 episodes
1978 Target WilsonSeason 2, episode 5: "The Macramé Man"
1979Brecht and CoMember of Brecht's company / Galy Gay / WangTV movie
1980Bull WeekJohnny KowalMiniseries, 6 episodes
1980–1982 Strangers Detective Chief Superintendent Jack LambieSeasons 3-5, 20 episodes
1981 The Long and the Short and the Tall Sergeant MitchemTV movie
1982 Union Castle Charles WinzerSeason 1, episode 3
1983Gunfight at the Joe Kaye CorralArchieTV movie
1983KillerDetective Chief Inspector Jim TaggartMiniseries, 3 episodes
1983–1995 Taggart Detective Chief Inspector Jim TaggartSeasons 1-11, 78 episodes
1985 Bulman Detective Chief Superintendent Jack LambieSeason 1, 3 episodes
1986Four to OneDavidTV movie
1988 Dramarama Bobby SoutarSeason 6, episode 2: "The Macramé Man"
1988 Minder DixonSeason 7, episode 0: "An Officer and a Car Salesman"

References

  1. ↑ McIver, Brian (3 October 2007). "25 Years of Taggart: Mark McManus Story". Daily Record .
  2. 1 2 3 "Obituary: Mark McManus". The Independent . 7 June 1994.
  3. ↑ "Crimewatch". The List . No. 38. 3 April 1987. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  4. ↑ "Mark McManus". TV Heroes. Transdiffusion Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 17 November 2009.
  5. ↑ Quinn, Thomas (27 October 2007). "So much more than 'there's been a murder'". The Guardian .
  6. ↑ McIver, Brian (2 October 2007). "Born To Be Taggart". Daily Record.
  7. ↑ "Sweet star follows brother Taggart to grave". Daily Record. 11 February 1997.
  8. ↑ "Mark McManus". The Scotsman . 14 February 2005.
  9. ↑ Perrone, Pierre (11 February 1997). "Obituary: Brian Connolly". The Independent.

Sources

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