Rumpole Shuffles Off

Australian-born actor Leo McKern, most often seen wearing a barristers' wig in Rumpole of The Bailey, has died at the age of 82. McKern finally succumbed to a long bout of ill health at a nursing home in Bath. Best known for his fifteen-year stint as Rumpole in the popular television series, McKern had a long and distinguished career on stage and screen. His film CV included appearances in A Man For All Seasons, Ryan's Daughter, a critically acclaimed role in Australian drama Travelling North and The Beatles' Help! as cult leader Clang. As comfortable with Shakespearean drama as he was with comedy, McKern was praised for his versatility. One critic described his early stage career saying, "He can coo like a dove, roar like a lion, sing like an angel and curse like, well, as only Australians can."