Kenneth McMillan, a talented character actor, was born on July 2, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to his acting career, McMillan worked as a manager at Gimbels Department Store, a position he held until he was 30 years old.
It was at the age of 30 that McMillan decided to pursue an acting career. He attended the prestigious LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts, where he honed his acting skills under the guidance of renowned instructors Uta Hagen and Irene Dailey.
McMillan made his film debut at the age of 41 in the 1973 police drama Serpico, directed by Sidney Lumet. He went on to appear in a wide range of films, often playing gruff, hostile, and unfriendly characters.
Some of McMillan's most notable roles include the borough commander in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974),a cowardly small-town sheriff in Tobe Hooper's miniseries Salem's Lot (1979),William Hurt's bitter paraplegic father in Eyewitness (1981),a racist fire chief in Ragtime (1981),a wily old safecracker in The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984),and the vile and grotesquely obese Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune (1984).
In addition to his film work, McMillan was also a skilled comedic actor, giving memorable performances in films such as Blue Skies Again (1983),Armed and Dangerous (1986),and Three Fugitives (1989).
On television, McMillan had a steady recurring role as Valerie Harper's irate boss on the situation comedy Rhoda (1974). He also guest-starred on a number of popular television series, including Dark Shadows (1966),Ryan's Hope (1975),Kojak (1973),Starsky and Hutch (1975),The Rockford Files (1974),Moonlighting (1985),Magnum, P.I. (1980),and Murder, She Wrote (1984).
Outside of his work in film and television, McMillan was also an accomplished stage actor, frequently performing at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He appeared in the original Broadway productions of "Streamers" and "American Buffalo", and won an Obie for his performance in the off-Broadway play "Weekends Like Other People".
Tragically, McMillan died of liver disease at the age of 56 on January 8, 1989, in Santa Monica, California.
