Ian Mackendrick Hendry (13 January 1931 – 24 December 1984) was a British actor. He worked on several British TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, including the lead in the first series of The Avengers and The Lotus Eaters, and played roles in the films The Hill (1965), Repulsion (1965), Get Carter (1971), and Theatre of Blood (1973).
Early years
Hendry was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, on 13 January 1931.[1] His mother, Enid (née Rushton), was born in Durham in 1906. His father, James Hendry, was born in 1901 in Glasgow where he graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of Glasgow before moving to Ipswich in 1924 to take up a graduate position with R & W Paul Ltd. His grandfather, George Rushton, was an artist and Head of the Ipswich Art School (1906–1929).[2]
Hendry's younger brother, Donald, was born on 15 August 1933. They were both educated at the Ipswich School and Culford School, Suffolk. At Culford School, Hendry took an interest in sport, particularly boxing, cricket, running and rugby. He was also involved in amateur dramatics at Culford, helping to produce and perform in several school plays.[citation needed]
Career
1947–1953: career choices and national service
On leaving school in 1947, aged 16, Hendry studied at the College of Estate Management in London. In 1948, he spent a year working for Bidwells at their Cambridge office. In 1949, he began his National Service as part of the programme of conscription in the United Kingdom introduced after World War II. He spent two years with the 32nd Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery, during which time he paced for Christopher Chataway in athletics and ran a motorcycle stunt team. On completing his national service he returned to work in estate management at Bidwells London office in Edgware.[citation needed] During this period, Hendry re-established his interest in acting, becoming involved in amateur theatre through a local amateur dramatics group in Edgware.[citation needed]
Hendry's professional acting career began in 1955, working in repertory at the Hornchurch Theatre in Station Lane. He appeared in Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1957, Hendry spent another season in repertory, performing in several plays at the Oxford Playhouse, Oxford. In December 1957, Dinner with the Family transferred to the West End, playing at the New Theatre, London.[4]
In 1960, Hendry had a part in Sink the Bismarck! (1960). He then played the lead role of Dr Geoffrey Brent in the 12 episode crime series Police Surgeon.[5][6] Hendry was next cast in the similar role of Dr David Keel in the action-adventure series The Avengers. Initially, Hendry was the star of this series, which co-starred Patrick Macnee as John Steed. However, production of the first season was curtailed by a strike and Hendry used the opportunity to depart the series and begin a film career – The Avengers continued with Macnee as its lead.[7]
Hendry's first marriage was to Phyllis Joanna Bell, née Chaddock, in September 1955.[11] Phyllis preferred to be known as 'Jo' – an abbreviation of her middle-name – and worked as a make-up artist for Leichner. The marriage ended in 1962. Hendry married actress Janet Munro on 16 February 1963. They had two daughters, Sally and Corrie, but their turbulent life together ended in divorce in 1971. Munro died a year later in London from the heart condition myocarditis. This was a contributory factor in Hendry's increasing dependence on alcohol. Hendry later married Sandra (Sandy) Jones on 27 May 1975, with whom he had a daughter, Emma.[10]
Later years
Hendry was declared bankrupt in the late 1970s.[12] He suffered from several health problems in his latter years, largely due to his long-term problems with alcohol which affected his professional and personal life.[13][14]
His last part in a film was a substantial, though uncredited, role as a corrupt policeman in McVicar (1980).
His last public appearance was as a guest on an October 1984 episode of This Is Your Life which profiled his former Avengers co-star Patrick Macnee, who had been a special guest when This Is Your Life featured Hendry in March 1978.[15][16]
