The Prisoner Comment

     ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ guest-starred Australian actor Leo McKern as the new Number Two. It has to be said that McKern and McGoohan did not get on well together. In fact McGoohan's first remark to Mckern was an extremely offensive one “You’re a funny little f***er aren’t you!” And indeed McKern was very critical of his co-actor on set. Watch the scene in ‘Once Upon A Time’ when McGoohan and Mckern were struggling together on the floor as pupil and teacher, Mckern thought McGoohan was going to kill him! And yet on-screen there was a chemistry between them which is obvious. Their scenes together are battles of both will and charm. And there is a mutual respect between Number 2 and Number 6. As opponents they are worth each other’s time, underlined with every word. The idea of so many different Number 2.s is so that Number 6 can never strike up a relationship with Number 2. And yet that is precisely what Number 6 has been able to do in this case. In ‘Once Upon A Time,’ did not Number 2 say “I’m beginning to like him.”

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