---
name: "David McKail"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-mckail"
fi1m_id: "david-mckail"
imdb_id: "nm0004127"
tmdb_id: 1231421
wikidata_id: "Q66124571"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "13 March 1938"
died: "6 December 2021"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-07T14:03:51.946136+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# David McKail

## Identity

David McKail

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-mckail
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-mckail
- **IMDb ID:** nm0004127
- **TMDB ID:** 1231421
- **Wikidata ID:** Q66124571
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q66124571, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004127/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1231421

Actor. Born 13 March 1938 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Died 6 December 2021.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 13 March 1938, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- **Died:** 6 December 2021
- **Active:** 1988–2014
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 7 acting, 1 other
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as actor, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 80 (2), 2000s 72 (4), 2010s 74 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 74 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Drama 3, Adventure 2, Action 1, Crime 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $858m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q66124571, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004127/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1231421

## Streaming the US now

- **BritBox:** [*A Touch of Frost*](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

David McKail was a Scottish actor and playwright. Born in Glasgow in 1938, he trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and made his professional stage debut at the Citizens' Theatre in the early 1950s. He appeared in numerous theatre productions, including long West End runs in Vivat! Vivat Regina! (1970) and The Case in Question (1975).

On television he played Dr McKenzie, the police surgeon, in the series A Touch of Frost from 1992 to 2008. Other credits include Robertson in the 1988 series A Very British Coup, Sergeant Kyle in Doctor Who (1977), and guest roles in Only Fools and Horses, Extras and Casualty. Film appearances encompass Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) and Paddington (2014).

Under the pen name Frederic Mohr he wrote plays, notably the one-man show Bozzy about James Boswell, which won a Fringe First award at the 1981 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. McKail died in 2021.

*Sources: imdb.com, thetimes.com, en.wikipedia.org, heraldscotland.com.*

## On Fi1m (8)

### Performed in (7) — the average rests on these

- *Paddington* (2014), Fi1m 84, as Fifth Geographer — [page](https://film.one/film/paddington.md)
- *Captain America: The First Avenger* (2011), Fi1m 64, as Johann Schmidt's Artist — [page](https://film.one/film/captain-america-the-first-avenger.md)
- *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* (2007), Fi1m 81, as Minister — [page](https://film.one/film/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street.md)
- *Charles II: The Power and The Passion* (2003), Fi1m 77, as Lord Mayor — [page](https://film.one/tv/charles-ii-the-power-and-the-passion.md)
- *Black Books* (2000), Fi1m 82, as Josef Slvanski — [page](https://film.one/tv/black-books.md)
- *My Family* (2000), Fi1m 50, as Usher — [page](https://film.one/tv/my-family.md)
- *A Touch of Frost* (1992), Fi1m 76, as Dr David McKenzie — [page](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *One Foot in the Grave* (1990), Fi1m 83, as Voice Rec for Hilton (voice) (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/tv/one-foot-in-the-grave.md)

## Complete filmography (49)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Paddington* (2014), as Fifth Geographer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/paddington.md)
- *Captain America: The First Avenger* (2011), as Johann Schmidt's Artist — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/captain-america-the-first-avenger.md)
- *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* (2007), as Minister — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street.md)
- *Extras* (2005), series, as Date's Father — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/extras.md)
- *Hawking* (2004), as Frink
- *Charles II: The Power and The Passion* (2003), series, as Lord Mayor — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/charles-ii-the-power-and-the-passion.md)
- *William and Mary* (2003), series, as Grumps
- *tlc* (2002), series, as Mr Holland
- *Wire in the Blood* (2002), series, as Bill Stephens
- *Black Books* (2000), series, as Josef Slvanski — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/black-books.md)
- *My Family* (2000), series, as Usher — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/tv/my-family.md)
- *Monarch of the Glen* (2000), series, as Alastair Reid
- *The Murder of Stephen Lawrence* (1999), as Coroner
- *Jonathan Creek* (1997), series, as Clifford Jennings — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/jonathan-creek.md)
- *The Crow Road* (1996), series, as Dr. Fyfe
- *The Negotiator* (1994), as Minister
- *Doctor Finlay* (1993), series, as Mr. Muir
- *A Touch of Frost* (1992), series, as Dr David McKenzie — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md)
- *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Macgregor
- *Waiting for God* (1990), series, as Bill Nigh
- *One Foot in the Grave* (1990), series, as Voice Rec for Hilton (voice) (uncredited) — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/one-foot-in-the-grave.md)
- *Silent Scream* (1990), as Dr English
- *A Very British Coup* (1988), series, as Robertson
- *First Among Equals* (1986), series, as Douglas Stewart
- *Heavenly Pursuits* (1986), as Consultant
- *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as Toby Rowlands
- *Oliver Twist* (1985), series, as Dr Losberne
- *Taggart* (1983), series, as Derek Munro, William Penn
- *Lady Killers* (1980), series, as The Rt. Hon. John Hope
- *Kelly Monteith* (1979), series, Actor
- *Strangers* (1978), series, as ACC Wilson
- *Grange Hill* (1978), series, as Councillor Doyle
- *Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang* (1977), as Sergeant Kyle
- *Poldark* (1975), series, as Alexander Craig
- *Angels* (1975), series, Actor
- *Lord Peter Wimsey: Five Red Herrings* (1975), series, as John Ferguson
- *Fall of Eagles* (1974), series, as Mackenzie
- *Hawkeye, the Pathfinder* (1973), series, as Corporal MacKay
- *Crown Court* (1972), series, as Jack Smithson
- *Van der Valk* (1972), series, as Evert · Editor
- *New Scotland Yard* (1972), series, as DC Blake
- *Waugh on Crime* (1970), series, Actor
- *The Vortex* (1969), as Bruce Fairlight
- *Battle of Britain* (1969), as Lac Arnold (uncredited)
- *Life at the Top* (1965), as Oscar
- *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Fisher
- *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as Bruce Fairlight
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Sergeant Kyle — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)
- *Faces* (1957), Actor

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-mckail