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William Fulton Beith Mackay (12 August 1922 – 6 June 1987) was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr Mackay in the 1970s television situation comedy Porridge.
On leaving school, Mackay trained as a quantity surveyor and later volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1941, but was not accepted because of a perforated eardrum. He then enlisted with the Black Watch and he served for five years during the Second World War, which included three years spent in British India.
In 1962, Mackay appeared at the same theatre, in playwright Maxim Gorki's play The Lower Depths for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He then acted with the Old Vic company and the National Theatre, performing in such productions as Peer Gynt and The Alchemist. Other roles for the RSC included Mr Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby and the drunken gaoler in Die Fledermaus. In 1972, he played the part of Hughie in the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company's production of Bill Bryden's play, Willie Rough.
Mackay was a director of the Scottish Actors' Company and, in 1981, a founder of the Scottish Theatre Company, playing Willie Souden in the company's production of Bill Bryden's play, Civilians, set in wartime Greenock.Stevenson, Randall (1981), Scottish Theatre Company: First days, First Nights, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 7, Winter 1981 - 82, pp. 10 - 13.
Before coming to prominence in Porridge, Mackay made several appearances in The Avengers, one particular episode being Return of the Cybernauts in which he played Professor Chadwick; he also played Det. Supt., later Det. Chief Supt. Inman in Special Branch (1969–71). His other work included Coronation Street and Z-Cars. He appeared as RAF psychiatrist Fowler in an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and as a doctor in Doctor at Large in 1971.
Mackay played John Everett in The Saint (1968) "The Best Laid Schemes" and Willie, a poacher in The Saint (1966) - Episode (S5, E6) "The Convenient Monster". He was cast as misguided scientist Doctor John Quinn in the 1970 Doctor Who story Doctor Who and the Silurians and was later seriously considered by producer Barry Letts to play the Fourth Doctor when Jon Pertwee announced he was leaving the role in 1974.
Mackay played a regular officer running a training course in the Dad's Army episode "We Know Our Onions" (1973), a doctor in "The Miser's Hoard" (1977), and a detective in a Wodehouse Playhouse episode (1978).
Mackay often stayed true to his Scottish roots, acting in productions such as Play for Today's Three Tales of Orkney, in 1971, and The Master of Ballantrae, and as former Prime Minister Bonar Law in the 1981 TV series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. He played the Captain in the British version of the Jim Henson children's series, Fraggle Rock (1984–1987). In one of his last performances, Mackay portrayed an art forger in the Lovejoy episode "Death and Venice".
Mackay did much work for the Glasgow children's charity Child and Family Trust.
In 1984, Mackay was awarded an OBE. He greatly enjoyed oil painting.
Mackay died from stomach cancer on 6 June 1987, at the age of 64. He was buried at East Sheen Cemetery in southwest London. richmond.gov.uk His widow, Sheila, died in 1988 and was buried with her husband.
| play by David Lyndsay, adapted by Robert Kemp |
| play by Bill Bryden |
| play by Bill Bryden |
| I'm a Stranger | 1952 | Alastair Campbell |
| The Brave Don't Cry | Dan Wishart | |
| Laxdale Hall | 1953 | Andrew Flett |
| Private Potter | 1962 | Soldier |
| A Prize of Arms | Corporal Henderson | |
| Mystery Submarine | 1963 | McKerrow |
| Vendetta for the Saint | 1969 | Euston |
| Gumshoe | 1971 | John Straker |
| Nothing But The Night | 1973 | Cameron |
| Porridge | 1979 | Mr Mackay |
| If You Go Down in the Woods Today | 1981 | Colonel Norris |
| Going Gently | Austin Miller | |
| Britannia Hospital | 1982 | Chief Superintendent Johns |
| Local Hero | 1983 | Ben Knox |
| Night Train to Murder | 1984 | Mackay |
| Sleepwalker | Restaurant Proprietor | |
| Water | 1985 | Reverend Eric |
| Defence of the Realm | Victor Kingsbrook | |
| Dreamchild | Gryphon (voice) |
| Dr. Finlay's Casebook | 1963-1969 | Various | 6 episodes |
| Z-Cars | 1964-1972 | 5 episodes | |
| The Saint | 1966-1969 | 3 episodes | |
| The Avengers | 1967-1969 | ||
| Special Branch | 1969-1970 | Det. Chief. Supt. Inman | 18 episodes |
| Doctor Who | 1970 | Dr. John Quinn | Serial: "Doctor Who and The Silurians" |
| Paul Temple | 1971 | Lindfors | Episode: "Sea Burial" |
| Doctor at Large | Dr. McKendrick | Episode: "Congratulations - It's a Toad" | |
| Play for Today | 1971-1976 | Various | 4 episodes |
| Seven of One | 1973 | Mr Mackay | Episode: "Prisoner and Escort" |
| Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em | Fowler | Episode: "The RAF Reunion" | |
| Dad's Army | 1973-1977 | Dr. McCeavedy/Captain Ramsey | 2 episodes |
| Porridge | 1974-1977 | Mr. Mackay | 19 episodes |
| Churchill's People | 1975 | Bishop Wishart | Episode: "The Wallace" |
| Crown Court | 1975-1982 | Various | 9 episodes |
| Going Straight | 1978 | Mr. Mackay | Episode : "Going Home" |
| Tales of the Unexpected | 1982 | Edward | Episode: "The Moles" |
| Shelley | 1983 | The Tramp | Episode: "Of Cabbages and Kings" |
| Fraggle Rock | 1983-1984 | The Captain | |
| Mann's Best Friends | 1985 | Hamish James Ordway | Mini-series |
| Lovejoy | 1986 | Luciano | Episode: "Death and Venice: Part Two" |
| Slip-Up | McColl | TV film |
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