Gordon Cameron Jackson (19 December 1923 – 15 January 1990) was a Scottish actor. He is best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and as George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals. He also portrayed Capt Jimmy Cairns in Tunes of Glory, and Flt. Lt. Andrew MacDonald, "Intelligence", in The Great Escape.

In 1960, Jackson was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Actor for the film Yesterday's Enemy and in 1975 was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for the television series Upstairs, Downstairs. The following year he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series.

Early life Jackson was born on 19 December 1923 in Glasgow, the youngest of five children. He attended Hillhead High School, and in his youth he took part in BBC radio shows including Children's Hour. He left school aged 15 and became a draughtsman for Rolls-Royce.

Early career Jackson's film career began in 1942, when producers from Ealing Studios were looking for a young Scot to act in The Foreman Went to France and he was suggested for the part. After this, he returned to his job at Rolls-Royce, but he was soon asked to do more films, and he decided to make acting his career. Jackson soon appeared in other films, including Millions Like Us, San Demetrio London, The Captive Heart, Eureka Stockade and Whisky Galore!. In the early years of his career, Jackson also worked in repertory theatre in Glasgow, Worthing and Perth.

In 1949, Jackson starred in the film Floodtide, along with actress Rona Anderson. He and Anderson married two years later on 2 June 1951. They had two sons, Graham and Roddy. The same year, he made his London stage debut, appearing in the play Seagulls Over Sorrento by Hugh Hastings.

In the 1950s and 1960s Jackson appeared on television in programmes such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, ABC of Britain, Gideon's Way and The Avengers. In 1955 he had a small part in The Quatermass Xperiment, the film version of the BBC TV serial. He later had supporting roles in the films The Great Escape, The Bridal Path and The Ipcress File. In 1969, he and his wife had important roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. That year, he played Horatio in Tony Richardson's production of Hamlet and he won a Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor, having also taken part in the film version.

Later career Jackson became a household name playing the stern Scottish butler Angus Hudson in 60 episodes of the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs from 1971 to 1975. In 1976, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor for the episode "The Beastly Hun". In 1974, he was named British Actor of the Year and in 1979 he was made an OBE. Jackson was cast opposite Bette Davis for the American television film Madame Sin (1972), which was released in overseas markets as a feature film.

Jackson's next big television role was in the hard-hitting police drama The Professionals from 1977. He played George Cowley in all 57 episodes of the programme, which ended in 1983, although filming finished in 1981. He played Noel Strachan in the Australian Second World War drama A Town Like Alice (1981), winning a Logie Award for his performance.

After A Town Like Alice and The Professionals, Jackson continued his television work with appearances in Hart to Hart, Campion and Shaka Zulu and the films The Shooting Party and The Whistle Blower. He also appeared in the theatre, appearing in Cards on the Table, adapted from the novel by Agatha Christie at the Vaudeville Theatre in 1981 and in Mass Appeal by Bill C. Davis at the Lyric Hammersmith in 1982. From 1985 to 1986, Jackson narrated two afternoon cookery shows in New Zealand for TVNZ called Fresh and Fancy Fare and its successor Country Fare. His last role before his death was in Effie's Burning, and this was broadcast posthumously. Jackson also appeared in the 1988 television miniseries Noble House alongside Pierce Brosnan.

Death In December 1989, Jackson was diagnosed with bone cancer; he died on 15 January 1990, aged 66, in South Kensington, London. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.

Filmography +YearTitleRoleNotes1941Target for TonightRear GunnerUncredited1942One of Our Aircraft Is MissingUncredited1943Women Aren't AngelsMan in Small OrchestraNine Men The Young 'UnMillions Like UsFred Blake1944San Demetrio LondonMessbo John Jamieson1945Pursuit to AlgiersStewardUncreditedPink String and Sealing WaxDavid Sutton1946The Captive HeartLieutenant Lennox1948Against the WindDuncan1949Eureka Stockade Tom KennedyFloodtideDavid ShieldsStop Press GirlJock MelvilleWhisky Galore!George Campbell1950Bitter SpringsMac1951Happy Go LovelyPaul TracyThe Lady with a LampDr. Anson1952Castle in the Air Hiker1953Death Goes to SchoolDetective Inspector CampbellMalta StoryBritish Soldier at Anti-Aircraft BatteryUncreditedMeet Mr LuciferHector1954The Love LotteryRalph1955The Delavine AffairFlorianPassage HomeTed BurnsThe Quatermass XperimentBBC TV ProducerWindfall Leonard1956Women Without Men PercyPacific DestinyDistrict OfficerThe Baby and the BattleshipHarrySailor Beware! Carnoustie Bligh1957Seven Waves AwayJohn MerrittHell DriversScottieMan in the Shadow Jimmy Norris1958Blind Spot "Chalky" WhiteRockets Galore!George Campbell1959Three Crooked MenDon WescotYesterday's EnemySgt. MackenzieThe Bridal PathPC AlecBlind DateSergeantThe Navy Lark Leading Seaman Johnson1960The Price of SilenceRoger FentonTunes of GloryCaptain Jimmy Cairns, M.C.SnowballBill Donovan1961Greyfriars Bobby FarmerTwo Wives at One WeddingTom1962Mutiny on the BountySeaman Edward Birkett1963The Great Escape Flight Lieutenant Andy MacDonald 1964The Long Ships VahlinDaylight Robbery Sergeant1965The Ipcress File Jock CarswellOperation Crossbow R.A.F. PilotScenes deletedThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesMacDougal1966Cast a Giant ShadowJames MacAfeeThe Fighting Prince of DonegalCaptain LeedsTriple Cross British Sergeant Questioning ChapmanUncredited1967The Night of the GeneralsCaptain EngelDanger RouteBrian Stern1969The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Gordon LowtherRun Wild, Run FreeMr. RansomeHamletHoratio1970ScroogeTom1971KidnappedCharles Stewart1972Madame SinCommander Cavendish1975Russian Roulette Hardison1977Golden RendezvousDr. Marston1978The Medusa Touch Dr. Johnson1984The Shooting PartyTom Harker1986Heavenly PursuitsTV News CommentatorThe Whistle BlowerBruce

Television credits +YearTitleRoleNotes1953The Quatermass ExperimentTelevision DirectorEpisode: "Contact Has Been Established"1955, 1959BBC Sunday Night TheatreJohn Shand/Dr. Neil McCulloch2 episodes1956Rheingold TheatreAngusEpisode: "Winning Sequence"1958The Adventures of Robin HoodAndrewEpisode: "The Profiteer"ITV Play of the WeekFlight Lieutenant Roddy Macintyre RAFEpisode: "No Medals"1959The Vise SimsEpisode: "The Penny Black"ITV Television PlayhouseSmithEpisode: "Oggie"Dial 999Ted MorganEpisode: "Down to the Sea"1960, 1973Armchair TheatreThe Officer/Major Browne2 episodes1962Ghost SquadMike FerrersEpisode: "The Golden Silence"1963Suspense Steven GraingerEpisode: "One Step from the Pavement"BBC Sunday-Night PlayKenneth ScoonesEpisode: "The Bergonzi Hand"1965Gideon C.I.D.Sgt. McKinnonEpisode: "The Thin Red Line"The AvengersIan D'eathEpisode: "Castle D'eath"1966Dr. Finlay's CasebookDavie ToddEpisode: "The Seniority Rule"This Man CraigKenneth WoodburnEpisode: "Old Flame"The Troubleshooters Alan PrescottEpisode: "Happy Landings"1967Drama 61-67PhilipEpisode: "Myopia"1968Mystery and ImaginationGaytonEpisode: "Casting the Runes"Theatre 625Father JosephEpisode: "Wind Versus Polygamy"1969DetectiveTommy RankinEpisode: "The Singing Sands"1971Lollipop Loves Mr MoleDr. McGregorEpisode: "Doctor Fruit Cake"1971–1975Upstairs, DownstairsMr. Angus Hudson60 episodes1972The BefriendersDI CalderEpisode: "Hunted"BudgieSoapy SimonEpisode: "And the Lord Taketh Away"1975The Morecambe and Wise ShowThe ButlerChristmas Special1976Hadleigh Alan MannettEpisode: "Favours"1977SpectreInspector CabellTV filmSupernaturalHarold LawrenceEpisode: "Night of the Marionettes"1977–1983The ProfessionalsGeorge Cowley1981A Town Like Alice Noel Strachan3 episodes1983Hart to HartSir William BelgraveEpisode: "Harts and Hounds"1984The Masks of DeathAngus MacdonaldTV film1986My Brother TomLockie McGibbonMiniseries; 2 episodesShaka Zulu Professor BramstonMiniseries1989CampionProfessor Gardner CaireySerial: "Look to the Lady"Theatre NightArthur WinslowEpisode: "The Winslow Boy"1991The Play on OneJessop BrownEpisode: "Effie's Burning" (aired posthumously)

Theatre +YearTitleRoleNotes1950-1954Seagulls Over SorrentoAble Seaman McIntosh ("Haggis") (replacement)Apollo Theatre, Duchess Theatre and other locations1960Serjeant Musgrave’s DanceCrescent Theatre1961Saint's Day1966MacbethBanquoRoyal Court Theatre1968Wise ChildMr. BrookerWyndham's Theatre1968-1969This Story of YoursBaxterRoyal Court Theatre, London and Theatre Royal, Brighton1969HamletHoratioThe RoundhouseA Talent to AmuseMartin TicknerPhoenix Theatre, London1970Oedipus RexCreonYoung Vic, National TheatreThe Soldier's TaleNarrator1972VeteransRodneyRoyal Court Theatre1975MacbethBanquo (press night)Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre1981Cards on the TableSuperintendent BattleRichmond Theatre, Theatre Royal, Brighton, and other locations

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