Updated: May 18, 2024

Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall ( 17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998 ) was an English-American actor, voice artist, film director and photographer. He is best known for portraying Cornelius and Caesar in the original Planet of the Apes film series, as well as Galen in the spin-off television series. He began his acting career as a child in England, and then in the United States, in How Green Was My Valley ( 1941 ), My Friend Flicka ( 1943 ) and Lassie Come Home ( 1943 ).

As an adult, McDowall appeared most frequently as a character actor on radio, stage, film, and television. For portraying Augustus in the historical drama Cleopatra ( 1963 ), he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Other titles include The Longest Day ( 1962 ), The Greatest Story Ever Told ( 1965 ), That Darn Cat! ( 1965 ), Inside Daisy Clover ( 1968 ), Bedknobs and Broomsticks ( 1971 ), The Poseidon Adventure ( 1972 ), Funny Lady ( 1975 ), The Black Hole ( 1979 ), Class of 1984 ( 1982 ), Fright Night ( 1985 ), Overboard ( 1987 ), Fright Night Part 2 ( 1988 ) and A Bug's Life ( 1998 ). He also served in various positions on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Selection Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors, further contributing to various charities related to the film industry and film preservation. He was a founding Member of the National Film Preservation Board in 1989, and represented the Screen Actors Guild on this Board until his death.