Kevin McCarthy

Pneumonia. Too many Cubanos I suppose.

It is sad, but I do admire the long life he had. Not very many people can be fortunate enough to make it into their nineties, and with as few health problems, as I presume he had.

Hey Everyone,

Kevin McCarthy's death has hit me harder than I imagined it would. I had to write some thoughts down - I hope you won't find it too indulgent.



Of all the actors we were privileged to work with on the Tex Murphy games, Kevin McCarthy was my very favorite. I knew of him, of course, prior to working together, but I had no preconceptions about him. As it turned out, he was what I'd always hoped an actor would be: old-school, stage-trained, flamboyant and loaded to the gills with joie de vivre.

On the day we met, I was asked to "show him a good time". We made reservations at Le Caille, a wonderful restaurant in the French countryside of Salt Lake City. Quail and peacocks roam the grounds and, inside the gorgeous, rough-hewn stone building, lovely young Utah women wearing low-cut peasant dresses cater to the upscale diners' every whim.

Mr. McCarthy was in his element. A connoisseur of California wines, he was duly impressed with Le Caille's wine list and proceeded to order the first two of what would end up being at least six bottles of excellent wine (for our party of 7). Being one of the few imbibers working at Access Software (and on the company credit card), I was happy to go along for the ride.

Our guest was an absolute delight, flirting with the servers, sneaking peeks at the décolletage, and offering up toasts to anything worth toasting. He even waxed eloquent - literally – spontaneously performing several of his favorite Shakespearean soliloquies to an enraptured audience. He told us wonderful stories about his Hollywood heyday and anecdotes about his closest friends, which included Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando. When he found out I was a poker player, he advised me to rent A Big Hand for a Little Lady, which he starred in along with Joanne Woodward, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards and Burgess Meredith. We talked at length about Invasion of the Body Snatchers - perhaps his best-known work - and how he had suggested the name "Sleep No More" (which I love), from Hamlet, but it was considered too highbrow for the film. Several people stopped to ask for autographs and he was wonderfully gracious.

As much as I enjoyed all this, it wasn't until later in the evening that I forged my special bond with Kevin McCarthy. In a quiet moment, he turned to me and said: "You're not from Utah, are you?" I told him, no, I was a New Englander, born and raised in Maine (though I'd long since lost whatever accent I once had). He clapped me on the shoulder, eyes twinkling, and said: "I LOVE Maine! As a matter of fact, I've spent most every summer there for many years. I used to stay with my sister; since she passed on, I stay with my brother-in-law. It's in a small town you likely never heard of, called Castine."

Well, it just so happens that there's a tiny little hospital in Castine...and that's where I was born. Back in the summer of 1963, Kevin was vacationing just around the corner as I came into the world. When I told him that, he clapped his hands together and roared with laughter. We were both so pleased by this incredible coincidence, from then on, I think we both felt a unique connection – almost a kinship.

As we shot his scenes for The Pandora Directive, he was a constant joy to work with. He was already in his 80's at that time, but you wouldn't have guessed it. He was robust and high-spirited, the consummate professional, prepared, ready to do as many retakes as necessary to get it right, willing to work as long as it took. As the script writer, I worked with him closely on his dialogue, tweaking it here and there to fit his distinctive delivery and allowing him to ad-lib (which he loved to do), though he insisted on asking my permission first.

After we wrapped, I pulled him aside and did something I had never done before (and haven't done since): I asked him for his autograph. He wrote: "With great admiration! Your friend, Kevin McCarthy".

I saw Kevin two more times after that – the last time in New York, during a huge storm that shut down the airports for two days. He introduced me to the finest liquor store (and Scotch contained therein) in the world.

In the 14 years since that night at Le Caille, I had always assumed that I would make it out to Castine one summer and look up Mr. McCarthy, but I never did. That's probably why I felt so sad when I read of his passing. The sadness wasn't from his death - Kevin McCarthy lived a long and enjoyable life many of us would trade for in a heartbeat - my sadness came from the realization that I would never see him again.

Rest in peace, Mr. McCarthy. With great admiration! Your friend, Aaron Conners.

From the way you speak of him, I am certain that wherever he is now, he misses you and your conversations as well.

Your beautiful words of him speaks volumes of the man. And still leaves me feeling that your words, though full of meaning, love and respect, do not quite do him justice after all. As if he was simply... more.

You conveyed that well to me.

Indeed, I wish I could have had the pleasure of knowing him myself. He sounds like the kind of man whose company one could not help but enjoy.

To Kevin McCarthy. And a full life.

-Fred

Thanks, Aaron. That was a wonderful (and touching) story.

That was beautiful and brought a tear to my eye. Thank you for sharing such great memories of him with us.

Thanks AC

Beautifully recalled Aaron - that was a most memorable evening. Bon voyage Kev. Till we meet again.

That was really nice.

Thanks for sharing these touching moments with us. I find it wonderful that every bit you've described from him was just what I imagined he was like, when I was first introduced to him as a kid during PD's intro. Theatrical, classical, and not so much excentric as simply in love with life and all that may come with it to those who keep their eyes and heart opened for it. There's an ideal to live up to, and a proof that a star which burns twice as bright can also live twice as long, countrary to what the laws of physics and thermodynamics might suggest.

That was a truly amazing story Aaron. Thak you for sharing it. I'm now more certain than ever of the kind of gentleman Mr. McCarthy was. It must have been a great honor to get to work with him.

Nice eulogy Aaron, very nice indeed...

He was working on a movie, but IMDB has removed it, I guess they didn't have enough of it done with him in it to finish it off... I remember looking just a couple of weeks ago... He was playing a Minister or Pastor or something...

He will surely be missed by a great many people... I can't even imagine the amount of people's lives he touched in all of his 96 years...

Hi folks,

This is sad to see actor Kevin McCarthy died at 96 but he lived a long healthy life and done many great films over the years with his amazing performance and the skills he brings to the audiences.

He'll be remembered always.

Aaron, thank you for sharing this touching moments with us all. I can't believe your born from the same state as I am, Aaron. Maine. I never actually grew up there but only as infant. I moving a lot from the state to oversea since that's the perk of being in military family of seeing the world. I never experienced the Maine state or feel Mainer, Aaron.

RIP Kevin McCarthy.

we all will never forgot your amazing performance from the Pandora Directive.

I think all of us Tex Murphy fans should play Pandora Directive again.

What sad news to come back to. Every time I saw Kevin McCarthy in anything I thought he just brought a scene to life, he gave it something that few other actors and actresses would manage. When I saw him in the opening scenes of TPD it made me feel like I was right there in the rain too, and immediately I was completely engrossed in the game.

It's touching though to hear he lived a long good life, doing everything he loved, and thanks for sharing that Aaron.