Malcolm McDowell (born June 13, 1943) is a British actor. He was born Malcolm John Taylor in Leeds, England.

Possibly best known for his portrayal of Alex in A Clockwork Orange (1971) he began his professional life first serving drinks in his parents' pub and then as a coffee salesman (the latter job providing inspiration for the movie O Lucky Man!); acting classes offered relief from his working-class existence, and eventually he secured work as an extra with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

McDowell made his screen debut in Poor Cow (1967) followed by The Raging Moon (1970), Figures in a Landscape (1970) and If.... (1968). His performances caught the attention of Stanley Kubrick, who cast McDowell as the lead in A Clockwork Orange. Unfortunately, despite winning great acclaim (nominated for Best Actor by the New York Film Critics Circle) for his role as the leader of a gang of futuristic toughs, the role created a characterization so unforgettable that the public had a hard time separating actor from character.

Fortunately, good parts did come his way, both on stage and screen. He rejoined Lindsay Anderson for the ambitious O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982), and starred in Royal Flash (1975). He co-starred in Voyage of the Damned (1976), and made a favourable Hollywood-movie debut as H. G. Wells in Time After Time (1979). That popular movie also introduced him to Mary Steenburgen, whom he subsequently married in 1980, but divorced ten years later in 1990. He starred in the 1983 action film Blue Thunder as F.E. Cochrane.

McDowell played mainly villainous parts in the late 1970s and 1980s—none more notorious than the title character in controversial film Caligula (1979).

He is most famous in Star Trek circles as 'the man who killed Captain Kirk' in the film Star Trek: Generations, as Dr. Tolian Soran.

In 1991 McDowell married Kelley Kuhr. He has three children, two by Steenburgen: Lily Amanda, born January 21, 1981 and Charles Malcolm born July 10, 1983. His third child by Kuhr, Beckett Taylor, was born on January 29, 2004.

McDowell also had a part in the computer games Wing Commander III and Wing Commander IV as Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn, co-starring next to Mark Hamill.

In 2000 he starred in Gangster No. 1.

Partial filmography

• The Company (2003)
• Inhabited (2003)
• I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)
• Hidalgo (movie) (2003)
• Tempo (movie) (2002/I)
• I Spy (2002)
• Between Strangers (2002)
• Our Friends in the North (1996) (TV)
• Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• The Player (1992)
• Class of 1999 (1990)
• Disturbed (1990)
• Buy & Cell (1989)
• Sunset (1988)
• Blue Thunder (1983)
• Cross Creek (1983)
• Get Crazy (1983)
• Britannia Hospital (1982)
• Cat People (1982)
• Caligula (1979)
• The Passage (1979)
• Time After Time (1979)
• Voyage of the Damned (1976)
• Aces High (1976)
• Royal Flash (1975)
• O Lucky Man! (1973)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• If.... (1969)

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