On October 14, 2010, British actor Simon McCockingdale died of illness at the age of 58.
In the translation of Massacre on the Nile, McCockindale plays the poor and handsome Simon (voiced by Joe Hazel) who goes mad because of his thirst for wealth. With some Sven personality, he is controlled by the domineering Jackie, and is a natural pair with complementary personalities. Perhaps when he was dying, he realized that he was just a pawn in the conspiracy of others to seek wealth and kill people, but he was fascinated by money, and there was only one way to die.
Filmed in 1978, Massacre on the Nile is a star-studded film, and McCorkingdale is one of them. He was only 26 years old when he starred in the film, 7 years younger than Mia Farrow, who played Jackie, and 5 years younger than Lois Chillis, who played Lynette, and was the youngest of the main casts.
McCorkingdale, a scottish descendant, was born in the small town of Erie, Cambridgeshire, England, the son of a colonel officer in the Rafabria. McCorgindale joined Air Force Training Camp when he was in college, and his dream was to become an Air Force pilot like his father, but in the end he was too poor to realize his dream.
Jesus of Nazareth
Prior to Massacre on the Nile, he was just a dragon cast, and while starring in the TV series Jesus of Nazareth, he met Olivia Hessie, who played the Virgin Mary in the play.
When Olivia Hirssy was invited to play Rosalie in Massacre on the Nile, it was she who recommended McCogingdale to director John Gillemin to play Simon.
In Agatha Christie's original book, Simon appears under Jackie's verbal narration and Lynette's gaze.
(Jackie said to Lynette) "His name is Simon Doyle, tall and burly, very simple, childish, but absolutely cute!" He was poor and had no money. It's the kind of little son of the so-called 'county family' – just very poor. A native of Devonshire, his family loves things and life in the countryside, but has been working for a dull company in the city for five years. And now they're laying off workers, and he's unemployed. Lynette, if I can't marry him, I'll die!" I will die! I will die! I'm going to die. ”
Lynette saw a tall young man with broad shoulders, dark blue eyes, curly brown hair, a square chin, and a simple and boyish smile.
The 2004 TV series version of Simon is played by JJ Field
The 2022 version of the film Simon is played by Amy Hammer
According to this description, McCorgindale is clearly the best person to play Simon. In fact, to date, Massacre on the Nile has been adapted into two films and a TV series, and comparing the three actors who play Simon, McCaukindale is still the one that best fits the original.
"Massacre on the Nile" director John Gillemin (left)
At that time, John Gillemin's audition for McCorkingdale was also more interesting. Gillemin himself smoked a pipe, and he said to McCorkingdale, "Simon is from Devon, and the men of Devon are all smoking pipes, and you take my pipes, and when you learn to be like that, when you come back to film." ”
So McCorkingdale took the pipe and began to look for people to visit, and eventually learned the unique way of smoking pipes in Devonshire, and successfully got the role of Simon.
With "Massacre on the Nile," McCorkingdale's fame grew. In the 1980s, Hollywood frequently invited British actors to appear in TV series, and McCockindale was also invited, and he successively played major roles in popular dramas such as "The Grudge of the Giants", "Eagle Crown Manor", "The Story of the Emergency Room" and became a TV star.
In addition, he has also participated in the filming of films such as "The Mystery of the SandBank" and "Jaws 3", and directed films such as "Step by Step Night".
McCockindale was married twice, first by Fiona Flerton, who played the Bond girl in 007's Thunder, and by His second wife, Susan George, the heroine of Dustin Hoffman's Straw Dog.
McCorkindale married Susan George and bought a farm in Devon, and their Arabian horses won the English Horse Race.
In 2006, McCorkingdale was diagnosed with bowel cancer that spread to lung cancer a year later, but he gave up chemotherapy to keep filming, delaying the best treatment and dying at the age of 58.
Before McCallingdale, five of the main cast members of Massacre on the Nile died, Peter Ustinov (Detective Poirot) and David Niven (Colonel Reis) both lived to the age of 73, Betty Davis (Mrs. Vancehyler) and Jack Walden (Dr. Besna) died at the age of 81 and 86, respectively, and Pakistani actor I. S. Johar (cruise ship manager) also lived to be 64 years old, but the youngest McCaukindale became the shortest-lived of them.