ACTOR
Roddy McDowall
28 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (28)
- #001
A typo by 20th Century-Fox cost Roddy McDowall an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Caesar Augustus Octavian in Cleopatra (1963). The studio mistakenly listed him as a lead actor rather than a supporting actor. When 20th Century-Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots were already at the printer. 20th Century-Fox later published an open letter in the trade papers apologizing to McDowall: "We think it is important for the industry to realize that your electric performance as Octavian in Cleopatra, unanimously selected by critics as one of the year's best supporting performances, was not eligible for an Oscar nomination in that category because of a regrettable error by 20th Century-Fox."
- #002
In 1974 the FBI raided Roddy McDowall's home during a copyright infringement and film piracy investigation and seized his film and television collection. The collection consisted of 160 16 mm prints and more than 1,000 video cassettes. The value of the films was conservatively estimated at $5,005,426 by film industry representatives. The actor was not charged and agreed to cooperate with the FBI. Because commercial video recorders were not yet on the market and studios routinely destroyed old negatives and prints of classic films they considered worthless, there was no aftermarket for films. Film enthusiasts like McDowall had to buy 16 mm prints from the studios or obtain prints on the black market or from other collectors. He once claimed to have had as many as 337 films in his collection, though during the investigation he was unsure how many he still owned. He had bought Errol Flynn's film collection and acquired other films through purchase or trade. McDowall told the FBI that he had transferred many of his films to video cassette to save space and because tape outlasted film, and that he then sold or traded prints of films he had lost interest in, along with other prints, to other collectors. He said he collected films out of his love of cinema and to help preserve film heritage. McDowall also said that owning prints of his own films allowed him to train as an actor and improve his craft. One of the films he bought from American-International Pictures was Tam Lin (1970), which he directed. He stated that he believed he had not infringed copyright because he did not show the films for profit or try to profit when selling prints, charging only what he recalled as the price he had paid. He believed he had bought some of the films directly from 20th Century-Fox, but later learned from his lawyer that his deal with 20th Century-Fox meant the studio retained ownership of the prints and that selling, trading or lending them was prohibited. McDowall was forthcoming about the people he dealt with on the black market and named other celebrities with film collections, among them Rock Hudson, Dick Martin and Mel Tormé.
- #003
Roddy McDowall was a lifelong friend of Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor later described him as the only friend she trusted with everything and who was always understanding.
- #004
Roddy McDowall and Maureen O'Hara were close friends for 57 years, from the making of their first and only film together, How Green Was My Valley (1941), until his death in October 1998.
- #005
Roddy McDowall met his closest friend, Elizabeth Taylor, on the set of Lassie Come Home (1943), and their friendship lasted until his death in 1998. In a 1996 interview he said of her: "She was a perfect girl at eight. She was absolutely ravishingly beautiful. She was so beautiful that I actually started to laugh… because it sort of takes your breath away." In 1961, to commemorate their working together again on Cleopatra (1963), Elizabeth had a signet ring made especially for Roddy. It bore the McDowall family crest. Roddy wore it every day from the moment Elizabeth gave it to him; the ring, which he wore even while working, can be seen on him in his television and film roles from 1963, after Cleopatra, until the end of his life. Before his death he left the ring, which he loved very much, to his sister Virginia McDowall. When she died in 2006, what became of the ring was unknown.
- #006
Roddy McDowall introduced Carol Lawrence to Robert Goulet. He in fact joked that he was responsible for her and Goulet's first child.
- #007
A skilled ballroom dancer, Roddy McDowall won both the Charleston and the Cha-Cha competitions on Arthur Murray Party (1950).
- #008
While in Italy for the shooting of Cleopatra (1963), Roddy McDowall grew so frustrated by the production's numerous delays that he begged Darryl F. Zanuck for a role in The Longest Day (1962) just to have some work to do, and he eventually took a small part as an American soldier. Richard Burton, in the same position, did the same and took a small role as an RAF pilot.
- #009
In December 1998, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) honored Roddy McDowall posthumously by naming its photo archive after him, in recognition of his acting career and his critically acclaimed photography. The collection, containing several million negatives and photographs, would be known as the Roddy McDowall Photograph Archive at the Margaret Herrick Library.
- #010
On February 8, 1960, Roddy McDowall was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6632 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
- #011
Roddy McDowall appeared in three different Batman series: he played the Bookworm in Batman (1966) and the Mad Hatter (Dr. Jervis Tetch) in Batman: The Animated Series (1992) and its spin-off The New Batman Adventures (1997).
- #012
Roddy McDowall was Jay Sandrich's first choice for the lead role of Arthur Carlson in WKRP in Cincinnati (1978), but he was unavailable, so the role went to Gordon Jump, who had previously played the chief of police on Soap (1977).
- #013
Monty Roberts, the horse whisperer, was Roddy McDowall's stunt double in many of his childhood roles.
- #014
Roddy McDowall appeared in four Oscar Best Picture nominees: How Green Was My Valley (1941), The Pied Piper (1942), The Longest Day (1962) and Cleopatra (1963), of which the first was the only winner.
- #015
In 1943, 20th Century-Fox announced that Roddy McDowall would appear in "Oliver Twist," but the film was never made.
- #016
After working with him on Fantastic Journey (1977), Roddy McDowall sent his co-star Ike Eisenmann Christmas cards every year until his last Christmas, in 1997.
- #017
Roddy McDowall was educated at the 20th Century Fox studio, but he graduated from University High School in West Los Angeles in 1947.
- #018
McDowall was a frequent guest presence in Star Trek. He was the original choice for Trelane in The Squire of Gothos (1967), but there were fears that the character's mannerisms combined with McDowall's appearance would make the character seem gay. William Campbell was cast because his tougher look and build would balance the character's foppish mannerisms. McDowall was also the preferred choice to voice Armus in Skin of Evil (1988). He was also considered for the role of Constable Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993).
- #019
In addition to appearing in both the original and animated Batman series (Batman (1966) and Batman: The Animated Series (1992)), McDowall was also the reader of the audiobook version of the novelization of the first Batman (1989).
- #020
McDowall was considered for the role of Nick in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), which went to George Segal.
- #021
Along with Adam West, Bob Hastings, Barry Dennen, Steve Franken, Michael Pataki and Judy Strangis, McDowall is one of seven actors who appeared in both Batman (1966) and Batman: The Animated Series (1992).
- #022
McDowall played villains in both Batman (1966) and Batman: The Animated Series (1992), and he was the only actor to do so.
- #023
He played the same character, the Mad Hatter, in three different series: Batman: The Animated Series (1992), Superman: The Animated Series (1996) and The New Batman Adventures (1997).
- #024
He attended the premiere of Waterworld (1995) with Mia Kirshner.
- #025
He nearly took the role of the butler Niles on The Nanny (1993), but Fran Drescher decided not to cast him because his fame would have led the series to be labeled "Roddy's show" instead of Drescher's. The role ultimately went to the lesser-known actor Daniel Davis.
- #026
While filming The Pied Piper (1942) with Peggy Ann Garner in 1941, the two became close friends for life.
- #027
He was born exactly one day after Batman (1966) actor Adam West. Both appeared as guest stars in Batman: The Animated Series (1992).
- #028
Biography: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 396-398. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
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