- Born
- Died
- Birth nameAndrew Buggy
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- The character actor Andrew Keir (originally Andrew Buggy) was born in 1926 in the coal-mining town of Shotts in Lanarkshire, Scotland, of Irish Catholic extraction, and raised there with his five brothers John, Tom, Michael, Patrick, and Hugh, and a sister, Maggie. The son of a coal miner, Keir worked in the coal mines from age 14 to 20, at which point he joined the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film, debuting in The Lady Craved Excitement (1950). His bluff, no-nonsense demeanor was perfect for authoritarian and military roles, especially Roman soldiers, as in Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), and The Viking Queen (1967).
He hooked up with Hammer Productions early on (his debut film) and continued the association in a number of horror films, e.g., Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971). One of his best-known and most popular performances was that of the title role in Quatermass and the Pit (1967). Keir made numerous appearances in television throughout his career, notably in Adam Smith (1972) and in the Australian series The Outsiders (1976). Keir, true to his heritage, frequently played Scotsmen, especially in the latter part of his career.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Lyn Hammond
- SpousesJoyce Parker Scott(1977 - October 5, 1997) (his death)Julia Wallace(1948 - 1977) (divorced, 5 children)
- Parents
- After a days shooting of Blood From the Mummy's Tomb he replaced Peter Cushing when Peter withdrew due to his wife being taken seriously ill and subsequently died.
- Although he played John Cairney's father in The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964), he was less than four years his senior in real life.
- Although he played Kerwin Mathews's father in The Pirates of Blood River (1962), Mathews was three months his senior in real life.
- Children: Andrew; Maureen; Sean Keir (actor and producer); Deirdre Keir (child actress and producer); Julie T. Wallace (actress).
- He was considered for the roles of Dr. Hans Fallada, Dr. Armstong, Dr. Bukovsky and Sir Percy Heseltine in Lifeforce (1985).
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