Alfred Mulock Rogers (June 30, 1926 – May 1968), better known as Al Mulock or Al Mulloch, was a Canadian actor and acting teacher.

Early life

Alfred Mulock Rogers was born on June 30, 1926, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was the only child of Adèle Cawthra Mulock and Alfred Rogers. Maternally he was descended from the Mulock family, headed by Sir William Mulock KCMG, the former Postmaster-General of Canada and one of the wealthiest families in Canada. He was educated at the Actors Studio in New York City.

Career

During the late 1940s, Mulock co-owned the Red Barn Theatre in Toronto. He later moved to England and, with David de Keyser, he started The London Studio, which taught method acting to British actors. In 1957, he starred in a touring production of the play A Hatful of Rain (originally created as an Actors Studio exercise by Michael V. Gazzo), directed by Sam Wanamaker. He directed his own production at the Oxford Playhouse following year.

He became active in the British film industry in the 1950s and early 1960s, making numerous appearances in various British television series and films, usually bit roles as American or Canadian characters.

After appearing in 1966's Lost Command, Mulock moved to Spain, where he became known for his roles in Spaghetti Western films. He notably had two collaborations with Sergio Leone, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West. He appears, and is memorably shot in each film: by Eli Wallach's character, Tuco, in the former and by Charles Bronson's character (in a shoot out along with two others) in the opening scene of the latter.

Personal life

He was married to actress Steffi Henderson; she died in 1967. They had one child named Robin Mulock, now named Eclipse Neilson, who is a screenwriter and artist. He was previously married to actress Catharine Ellison.

Death

Mulock died by suicide by jumping from his hotel room in Guadix, Granada, Spain, in May 1968, while filming Once Upon a Time in the West. He was wearing his cowboy-style costume at the time of his fall. Mickey Knox, screenwriter for the film, and production manager Claudio Mancini witnessed Mulock's suicide as his body passed their hotel window near the end of the shoot. Mulock survived the fall, but suffered a pierced lung from a broken rib during the bumpy ride to the hospital. Before being taken away in the ambulance, director Sergio Leone shouted, "Get the costume, we need the costume."

In his memoir, Mickey Knox claimed that Mulock suffered from a heroin addiction and became suicidal after being unable to find a fix.

Selected filmography

External links