Rod Taylor from the main titles of Masquerade.
Rod Taylor, who often had leading man parts in 1960s and ’70s films and dabbled in spy roles, has died at 84, according to an obituary in THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
The Australian-born Taylor actually had a varied career, including the lead role in 1960’s The Time Machine and Hitchcock’s The Birds as well as his voiceover work in 101 Dalmatians.
But spy-related entertainment was also part of his resume.
He played Boysie Oakes in 1965’s The Liquidator, based on a novel by John Gardner, who’d later write James Bond continuation novels.
In 1983, Taylor played mysterious spymaster Lavender in Masquerade, a Glen Larson-created series. In each episode, Lavender would recruit a team of “innocents” to take on the KGB and other menances. For helping out, each participant in a mission would be paid one year’s salary. The show didn’t catch on and lasted only 13 episodes on ABC.
In later years, Taylor took on character roles. His last role was Winston Churchill in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds.
Filed under: James Bond Books, The Other Spies | Tagged: Glen Larson, James Bond Books, John Gardner, Masquerade, Rod Taylor, Rod Taylor dies, The Birds, The Liquidator, The Other Spies, The Time Machine |
The Spy Command 
when I heard that the late rod taylor had passed-on today
I said to myself another film legend has gone, what a brilliant
actor. never tired of watching his classic film’s.
as it seem’s his two classic film’s from yester year’s ‘the time machine’
and Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘the bird’s ‘ are commonly itched in most
film-fan’s memory like myself.
a great leading-man actor of his generation. as the article mention’s
above he had the secret agent look and image. which probably got
him the role in the film titled ‘the liquidator’ (1965)
however I did see ‘inglourious basterd’s (2009) but I never remember
seeing him in it. iam going to watch it again.
the late rod taylor one of Hollywood’s finest film legend’s r.i.p
I am certainly going to miss him.