Stuart McGugan (born 2 March 1944) is a Scottish actor and television presenter. He is best known for the role of Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and for being a presenter on the children's show Play School.
Early life McGugan was born in Stirling and raised in Letham and Westmuir. He attended Forfar Academy, and after being kicked out got his first job was as a reporter for Kirriemuir Herald. McGugan had a life long love for drama, having performed stage shows when in boy scouts, and tried to apply to enter Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama when he was sixteen, but was denied due to lack of money and because of his gap in education from being kicked out of school. He re-applied a few years later and was accepted, graduating in 1965. McGugan joined Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre of Scotland.
Career In the 1970s, McGugan worked in a Repertory theatre in Leeds when he got a phone call from his agent that Jimmy Perry and David Croft wanted to see him; he was doing eight shows a week so went to see them at a rehearsal room in London owned by the BBC. He was interviewed by an executive, while Perry and Croft were finishing rehearsing for an episode of Dad's Army, and went back up to Leeds for a show. He heard nothing else until around Christmas 1973 when he was asked to come down to film for a pilot episode of It Ain't Half Hot Mum; fortunately McGugan just so happened to have booked ten days off work and so went down to London to film it. McGugan landed the role of Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh in It Ain't Half Hot Mum for fifty-six episodes from 1974 to 1981.
McGugan was a presenter on BBC's Play School from 1975; he regularly presented the programme for more than 10 years.'Here's A House: The Story of Playschool', Volume 1 (Paul R Jackson, 2009) He played Bomba MacAteer in the 1987 series Tutti Frutti. McGugan appeared as Gordon Stewart in two series of the London Weekend Television (LWT) series Wish Me Luck between 1988 and 1989, in The Chief as Chief Superintendent Sean McCloud from 1993 to 1994, then in the mid-1990s was the pub owner Barney Meldrum in BBC Scotland's Hamish MacBeth. He had a recurring role as a factory worker in the Perry/Croft sitcom You Rang, M'Lord?. McGugan made his film debut in 1996 in an uncredited role as a taxi driver in Trainspotting.
He played the character Derek Simpson in Family Affairs in 1997. McGugan was in a Middle Ground Theatre Company tour of a stage adaptation of the 1960 film Tunes of Glory; McGugan played Colonel Jock Sinclair, originally played by Alec Guinness in the film. The production visited Jersey, Wolverhampton and Perth, Scotland in early 2007.
Personal life McGugan was married to his first wife, Annie Long, from 1970 to 1982. He met his second wife, Cordelia Monsey, in 1981 and started a relationship after his divorce, and married on New Year's Eve 2018. They have a child, Mitch (born 1988/1989), who is a classically trained violinst and heavy metal drummer who plays in the band Karybdis.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1996TrainspottingTaxi driverUncredited2012The Echoes of EmpireVarious roles2014GustafThe voice of reasonVoice only, short film2017The FitzroyCaptain Hunt2018Playing DeadAlfie
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1966This Man CraigMicheal DunnOne episode1967The Revenue MenBoy1971The View from Daniel PikeBell1972Madame SinSailorMan of StrawMajor FoxTwo episodesThirty-Minute TheatreOne episode1973Scotch on the RocksFirst policeman1974—1981It Ain't Half Hot MumGunner 'Atlas' MacKintoshFifty-six episodes1975Anne of AvonleaBilly Gillis One episodeChurchill's PeopleAuchinlechSix Days of JusticeP.C. RankinOil Strike NorthAllan MillerThe SweeneyHicks1975—1986Play SchoolHimselfTwo hundred and seventy six episodes1976Beasts Jimmy BeattieOne episode1976—1995This is Your LifeHimselfTwo episodes1977Rob RoyThorncliffeDad's ArmyThe Scottish SargentOne episode1978—1982Record BreakersHimselfFive episodes1979SykesJackOne episodeThe Mourning BroochSamson Two episodes1980Star TurnHimself1980—1981Play AwayThree episodes1982Grey GraniteJim TreaseTwo episodes1984Aladdin and the Forty ThievesThiefTelevision filmThe BriefChief Supt. MackayOne episodeThe Cannon and Ball ShowHimself1985Oscar Warden at PentonvilleOperation JulieD.S. Ron StaplesTelevision filmThe Personal TouchJohn1986Comrade DadTelephone InstallerOne episodeThe Sunday PremiereHotel guestThe Happy ValleyHotel GuestTelevision film1987Tutti FruttiBomba MacAteerSix episodes1988FloodtideDet. Sgt. MarksTwo episodesThe Management Inspector MacKintoshTaggartWalter FairleyThree episodes1989—1990Wish Me LuckGordon StewartEleven episodes1990—1993You Rang, M'Lord?Jock MacgregorFive episodes1991SpenderAlfieOne episodeUncle Jack and the Loch Noch MonsterRobertFive episodes1991—2007The BillVarious1992—1994The ChiefSean McCloudThirteen episodes1993BrooksidePsychiatristOne episodeStrathblairGrantTwo episodes1995—1997Hamish MacbethBarney MeldrumNinteteen episodes1996Some Kind of LifeStuart Browning1997Dalziel and PascoeInspector CruickshankOne episode1999—2000Mike and AngeloDerek FrostTwo episodes2000The CreativesCameronOne episodeLittle BirdEddie Hughes Snr.Television film2001Murphy's LawShopkeeper2002HeartbeatHemmingsOne episodeCasualtyMartin Davidson2003RockfaceHotel receptionistSilent WitnessGeorge FranksFootballers' WivesBarryTwo episodes2003—2010DoctorsHarry McCree (2003), Pete Cameron (20102004Family AffairsDerek SimpsonThree episodes2007Comedy ConnectionsHimselfOne episode2009Boy Meets GirlMalcolmFour episodesBenidormWink McAndrewOne episode2011The RoyalKen LethamPostcodeD. I. FlinnTelevision film2019Pointless CelebritiesHimselfOne episode, partnered with Melvyn Hayes
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