Douglas Rain
Douglas Rain | |
|---|---|
 Rain in 1968 | |
| Born | Douglas James Rain May 9, 1928 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | November 11, 2018 (aged 90) St. Marys, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Manitoba Banff School of Fine Arts Old Vic Theatre School |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, voice actor |
| Known for | Voice of HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) |
| Spouse(s) | Lois Shaw Martha Henry |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Dora Mavor Moore Award |
Douglas James Rain (May 9, 1928 – November 11, 2018) was a Canadian actor. Although primarily a stage actor, he is perhaps best known for his voicing of the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and its sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984). He co-founded the Stratford Festival, and was nominated for a Tony Award for the Broadway play Vivat! Vivat Regina!.
Early life
[edit]Rain was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Scottish parents Mary and James Rain. His father was a rail yard switchman and his mother was a nurse. His parents emigrated to Canada from Glasgow, Scotland.[1]
He graduated with a B.A. from the University of Manitoba in 1950,[2] then studied acting at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Banff, Alberta and the Old Vic Theatre School in London, England.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Rain was a founding member of the Stratford Festival of Canada in 1953 and was associated with it as an actor until 1998.[5]
He performed a wide variety of theatrical roles, such as a production of Henry V staged in Stratford, Ontario, that was adapted for television in 1966.[6][7] In 1972, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for his performance in Vivat! Vivat Regina![8]
Voice of the HAL 9000 computer
[edit]Stanley Kubrick cast Rain as the voice of the HAL 9000 computer for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) after hearing his narration of a short documentary titled Universe and later chose him as "the creepy voice of HAL".[9] In the film, his voice was also sometimes processed with an electronic device called the Eltro information rate changer.
Rain reprised the role for the sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984). He also briefly parodied it in a sketch on Second City Television where Merv Griffin (played by Rick Moranis) takes his talk show into outer space.[10]
Personal life and death
[edit]Rain was married twice, first to Lois Shaw and then to Martha Henry, who was also an actress on stage, film and television, and had three children and a grandchild. He died of natural causes on November 11, 2018, at the age of 90, at St. Mary's Memorial Hospital in St. Marys, Ontario.[11][12] [13]
Filmography
[edit]- Christmas in the Market Place (1956, TV movie) - Joey
- Oedipus Rex (1957) — Messenger
- The Hill (1960, TV movie) - Jesus
- Just Mary (1960, TV series) — voice
- The Night They Killed Joe Howe (1960, TV drama, co-starring Austin Willis and James Doohan) — Joseph Howe
- Universe (1960, short film)[14] — Narrator
- One Plus One (1961) — segment "The Divorcee"
- William Lyon Mackenzie: A Friend to His Country (1961, short) — William Lyon Mackenzie
- Robert Baldwin: A Matter of Principle (1961, short) — William Lyon Mackenzie
- The Other Man (1963, TV miniseries) — David Henderson
- Twelfth Night (1964, TV movie)
- Fields of Sacrifice (1964) — Narrator
- Henry V (1966, TV movie) — Henry V
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) — voice of HAL 9000[8]
- Talking to a Stranger (1971, TV miniseries) — Alan
- Sleeper (1973) — voice of Evil Computer and Various Robot Butlers
- The Russian-German War (1973, documentary) — Narrator
- The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1974) — Narrator
- One Canadian: The Political Memoirs of the Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker (1976, TV miniseries, voice)
- SCTV (1982, "The Merv Griffin Show") — voice of HAL 9000
- 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) — voice of HAL 9000
- Love and Larceny (1985, TV movie) — Ashton Fletcher
References
[edit]- ^ "Douglas Rain, Stratford actor who voiced HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey, dies at 90". The Globe and Mail. November 12, 2018.
- ^ "University of Manitoba: Archives & Special Collections". University of Manitoba. December 8, 2018. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia - Rain, Douglas". www.canadiantheatre.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Harrison (November 12, 2018). "Douglas Rain, Shakespearean actor who voiced HAL in 'Space Odyssey,' dies at 90". The Washington Post.
- ^ Pulver, Andrew (November 12, 2018). "Douglas Rain, voice of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, dies aged 90". The Guardian. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Rain, Douglas". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ "Douglas Rain acting credits". Stratford Festival Archives. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
- ^ a b "Voice of 2001: A Space Odyssey's Hal dies". BBC News. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Johnson, Alex (November 12, 2018). "Douglas Rain, the creepy voice of HAL in '2001,' dies at 90". NBC News. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Programs: Merv Griffin Show". SCTV Guide.
- ^ Gray, Andy. "Stratford Festival Founder Dies". Mystratfordnow.com. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (November 11, 2018). "Douglas Rain, Voice of HAL 9000 in '2001: A Space Odyssey,' Dies at 90". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Voice actor HAL 9000 has passed away". Techwarrant.com. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Ohayon, Albert. "The 1960s: An Explosion of Creativity". NFB.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
External links
[edit]- Douglas Rain at IMDb
- Douglas Rain at the Internet Broadway Database
- Douglas Rain at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1928 births
- 2018 deaths
- 20th-century Canadian male actors
- Male actors from Winnipeg
- Canadian people of Scottish descent
- University of Manitoba alumni
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male stage actors
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian male voice actors
- Dora Mavor Moore Award winners
- Canadian male Shakespearean actors