Ken Hutchison

Aitken Hutchison[1] (24 November 1948 – 9 August 2021) was a Scottish actor.[2]

For those of a similar name, see Ken Hutchinson (disambiguation).

Ken Hutchison
Born(1948-11-24)24 November 1948
Leslie, Fife, Scotland
Died9 August 2021(2021-08-09) (aged 72)
OccupationActor

Life and career

Hutchison played roles in many episodes of Play for Today from 1970 to 1980,[3] such as in "Just a Boys' Game".[4] Hutchison played Norman Scutt in the Sam Peckinpah film Straw Dogs (1971) where he was the most shady in the group of nefarious local thugs antagonizing Dustin Hoffman's character and especially his ingenue wife played by Susan George.[5] Fellow actress Sally Thomsett described Hutchison as "A fun-loving rogue."[6]

Hutchison co-starred with Robert Mitchum in one of his few protagonist roles in The Wrath of God (1972) where The New York Times observed the performance of "the fine Ken Hutchison".[7] In 1975, he appeared as Vincent Vaughn in an episode of the police drama The Sweeney entitled "Stay Lucky, Eh?" This was followed in 1978 when he appeared in the second of the big screen spin offs Sweeney 2 as Hill, the leader of an uncompromising gang of armed robbers.

In 1980, he appeared as Brickett in the episode "National Pelmet", the series 2 opener of the TV drama Minder.[8] He played a supporting role in the 1981 historical miniseries Masada, starring Peter O'Toole. He had a minor role as a police sergeant in the Oscar winning motion picture Gandhi (1982). He appeared as the lead villain's henchman in the 1985 medieval fantasy film Ladyhawke directed by Richard Donner.[9]

Hutchison was the titular Mac Murphy in the ITV children's drama Murphy's Mob in which he played the manager of fictional Third Division football club Dunmore United. The series ran from 1982 to 1985.

From 1990 to 1999, he appeared in multiple roles in the British police television series The Bill. In 1991, he starred as the protagonist's father in the movie Blonde Fist. In 1993, he had a starring role as a private tutor of a gifted young man in the film As an Eilean.[10]

Hutchison died on 9 August 2021, at the age of 72.[11]

Selected filmography

References
  1. "Ken Hutchison, rugged character actor who was central to the shocking film Straw Dogs and played a string of roles on television – obituary". The Telegraph. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  2. "Ken Hutchison". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  3. "Ken Hutchison". IMDb. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  4. "TV Cream Just a Boy's Game". Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  5. Mark Kermode (3 August 2003). "A wild bunch in Cornwall". The Guardian.
  6. James M. Tate (1 July 2010). "Sally Thomsett (Straw Dogs)". Cult Film Freak.
  7. Roger Greenspun (15 July 1972). "Movie Review - The Wrath of God". New York Times.
  8. "Minder". RadioTimes.
  9. Tom Hutchinson. "Ladyhawke". RadioTimes. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  10. As an Eilean (1993) — The Movie Database (TMDb). Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  11. Henderson, Neil (13 August 2021). "Tributes for Fife actor Ken Hutchison, star of Straw Dogs and The Sweeney, who has passed away". The Courier.
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