Leonard Maguire

Leonard Maguire (26 May 1924 – 12 September 1997) was a British actor, born in Manchester but most renowned in Scotland where he lived for much of his life. Maguire had a long career, beginning in the 1940s. He died in 1997, aged 73, after a lengthy illness.

Maguire was born in Manchester, England. His father was Thomas Maguire, a former consul in Chile. Maguire's family moved to Belgium in 1926 before moving to Glasgow, Scotland, in 1932. He was educated at St Mungo's Academy in Glasgow. Maguire was one of the founding members of the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre in 1943, after being invalided out of the RAF. He began in the company as 'Assistant Stage Manager' with walk on parts.

In 1945 he auditioned for and joined Laurence Olivier's company at the Phoenix Theatre in London, in a production of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth, starring Vivien Leigh. Other notable productions in which he was cast include Sheridan's The Rivals, starring Edith Evans, and Crime & Punishment, starring John Gielgud.

He appeared on stage in numerous plays, including world premieres from Samuel Beckett and Dylan Thomas at the Edinburgh Festival. Maguire won the sought-after Fringe First award three years in a row for solo shows (1976, 1977, 1978); he was the only performer to accomplish this.

Maguire appeared in numerous television shows during his career. He achieved a big TV audience in the Sixties and Seventies as presenter of arts programmes Perspective and Tempo and as the headmaster in school drama serial This Man Craig. Other television credits include: Dixon of Dock Green (1962); Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1963–1970); Z-Cars (1967); The Troubleshooters (1967); The Borderers (1969); Emmerdale Farm (1973); Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1974); The Pallisers (1974); Doctor Who (1980); Rockliffe's Babies (1987); a recurring character in EastEnders as Lou Beale's friend "Uncle" (1986–1988); Rab C. Nesbitt (1990); Bergerac (1991), and Poirot (1993), among many others.

His film credits included The Awakening (1980), The Honorary Consul (1983), The Doctor and the Devils (1985), The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987), A Dry White Season (1989), and Prospero's Books (1991).

Maguire married radio producer Frances Campbell (1917–2008). After his retirement, Maguire moved to France, where he died in 1997 after a lengthy illness. He was aged 73. He was survived by his wife, and three children, son Tim and daughters Susie and Lucie.