John Steed
Encyclopedia
John Steed is a fictional character and the central protagonist
on the popular British series The Avengers
and The New Avengers, played by Patrick Macnee
and Ralph Fiennes
in the movie
.
Steed is a secret agent
working for an unnamed branch of British intelligence. He was teamed with a variety of partners, including Dr. David Keel (1961), Cathy Gale
(1962–1964), Emma Peel
(1965–1968), Tara King
(1968–1969), Purdey, and Mike Gambit
(both 1976–1977).
, Steed served in the Intelligence Corps and received the Military Cross
for single-handedly taking a German machine-gun post. Before leaving the British Army
to join The Ministry, Steed achieved the rank of Major
.
He maintained a modest flat in London
during the 1960s and drove a variety of elaborate, old-fashioned cars, including a Rolls Royce and several different models of Bentley, one of which he calls Fido. In one episode also a Vauxhall 30/98 can be seen.
Out of all his partners, he was closest to Mrs Peel; while their interaction was often laced with dry, sarcastic wit
on both sides, he respected her as an equal, and owed her his life on more than a few occasions. Regarding the question of whether they had a sexual relationship at any time, Macnee thought they went to bed on a very regular basis (just not in view of the camera), Rigg thought they were engaged in a very enjoyable extended flirtation that ultimately went nowhere, and Brian Clemens
said he wrote them with the idea they'd had an affair before Emma's first appearance in the series.
s was his impeccable dress, often consisting of a stroller
with Bowler (or Coke)
and ever-present umbrella
. Steed's umbrella, with its distinctive whangee
handle, was known for containing a sword
, though there were other versions, including one that featured a sound recorder and one with a camera hidden under the handle for covert photography ("The Cybernauts"). (The swordstick
featured in the title sequence was made by venerable English umbrella maker James Smith & Sons.)
The bowler was metal plated and very hard, it could stop bullets and knock down opponents.
His bowler and umbrella were in fact his favourite weapons. He was highly sagacious, skilled in combat and an excellent Swordsman. He also seemed to be something of an oenophile, having an impeccable palate and a love for Champagne.
, a footballer with the English Premier League club Sunderland A.F.C.
, is widely reported to have been named after John Steed on account of his parents having seen their child as the epitome of Britishness.
Fans of John Steed sometimes call themselves "Steedophiles".
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
on the popular British series The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
and The New Avengers, played by Patrick Macnee
Patrick Macnee
Patrick Macnee is an English actor, best known for his role as the secret agent John Steed in the series The Avengers.-Early life:...
and Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
in the movie
The Avengers (film)
The Avengers is a 1998 American film adaptation of the British television series of the same name from the 1960s.The film was directed by Jeremiah Chechik...
.
Steed is a secret agent
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
working for an unnamed branch of British intelligence. He was teamed with a variety of partners, including Dr. David Keel (1961), Cathy Gale
Cathy Gale
Dr Cathy Gale was a fictional character, played by Honor Blackman, on the 1960s British series The Avengers. She was the first regular female partner of John Steed following the departure of Steed's original male co-star, Dr David Keel...
(1962–1964), Emma Peel
Emma Peel
Emma Peel was a fictional spy played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure television series The Avengers. She was born Emma Knight, the daughter of an industrialist, Sir John Knight.-Casting:...
(1965–1968), Tara King
Tara King
Tara King is a fictional character of British 1960s adventure television series The Avengers, played by canadian actress Linda Thorson. Sixth partner of agent John Steed , she appeared in season 6 of the series , playing 33 episodes. She is Emma Peel successor...
(1968–1969), Purdey, and Mike Gambit
Mike Gambit
Mike Gambit was a character in the British TV series The New Avengers. Played by actor Gareth Hunt, Gambit was a secret agent and former Major in the Parachute Regiment and had a short-lived career as a race car driver. Gambit was somewhat of a mystery, his past never being too thoroughly dealt with...
(both 1976–1977).
Pre-Avengers
Steed was born John Wickham Gascoyne Berresford Steed in the mid-1920s. A distinguished veteran of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Steed served in the Intelligence Corps and received the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for single-handedly taking a German machine-gun post. Before leaving the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
to join The Ministry, Steed achieved the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
He maintained a modest flat in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during the 1960s and drove a variety of elaborate, old-fashioned cars, including a Rolls Royce and several different models of Bentley, one of which he calls Fido. In one episode also a Vauxhall 30/98 can be seen.
The Avengers
During his early appearances, Steed's character was a more rough-and-tumble operative than the suave, sophisticated gentleman he became during the Gale and Peel eras. His most common style of dress in the first two seasons was a trenchcoat and suit, though the famous bowler hat and umbrella appeared as early as the "The Frighteners", the 15th episode to be aired, and quite probably made their debut even earlier. (During the show's budget-strained first season, Patrick Macnee used numerous items from his own wardrobe, including the bowler and umbrella, to supplement his on-screen wardrobe.) He was initially shown answering to several different superiors such as "One-Ten" and "Charles". During most of the Gale-Peel era the source of his orders were left a mystery. For the final season of the original series (the Tara King era) Steed was shown taking his orders from an obese man who used a wheelchair called "Mother" (and occasionally a blind woman named "Father"). In The New Avengers, Steed was once again shown working on his own, and it was suggested that he had moved up into a "Mother"-like role in British intelligence, although that didn't stop him from directly participating in missions.Out of all his partners, he was closest to Mrs Peel; while their interaction was often laced with dry, sarcastic wit
Wit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
on both sides, he respected her as an equal, and owed her his life on more than a few occasions. Regarding the question of whether they had a sexual relationship at any time, Macnee thought they went to bed on a very regular basis (just not in view of the camera), Rigg thought they were engaged in a very enjoyable extended flirtation that ultimately went nowhere, and Brian Clemens
Brian Clemens
Brian Horace Clemens OBE is a British screenwriter and television producer, possibly best known for his work on The Avengers and The Professionals...
said he wrote them with the idea they'd had an affair before Emma's first appearance in the series.
Description
One of Steed's trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
s was his impeccable dress, often consisting of a stroller
Stroller (style)
The stroller, also known as a Stresemann, a director, or simply black lounge is a form of men's semi-formal daytime dress comprising a single- or double-breasted coat , grey striped or checked formal trousers, a necktie , and a waistcoat...
with Bowler (or Coke)
Bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
and ever-present umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
. Steed's umbrella, with its distinctive whangee
Whangee
Whangee refers to any of over forty Asian grasses of the genus Phyllostachys, a genus of bamboos. They are a hardy evergreen plant from Japan, China and the Himalayas whose woody stems are sometimes used to make canes and umbrella handles. The word derives from the Chinese huáng lí...
handle, was known for containing a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
, though there were other versions, including one that featured a sound recorder and one with a camera hidden under the handle for covert photography ("The Cybernauts"). (The swordstick
Swordstick
A swordstick or cane-sword is a cane incorporating a concealed blade. The term is typically used to describe European weapons from around the 18th century, but similar devices have been used throughout history, notably the Japanese shikomizue and the Ancient Roman dolon.- Popularity :The swordstick...
featured in the title sequence was made by venerable English umbrella maker James Smith & Sons.)
The bowler was metal plated and very hard, it could stop bullets and knock down opponents.
His bowler and umbrella were in fact his favourite weapons. He was highly sagacious, skilled in combat and an excellent Swordsman. He also seemed to be something of an oenophile, having an impeccable palate and a love for Champagne.
Influence
Steed MalbranqueSteed Malbranque
Steed Malbranque is a Belgian-born French footballer who last played for Saint-Étienne. Malbranque had previously played professionally for Lyon in his native France before moving to England where he had spells with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland.-Lyon:He was a trainee at Lyon youth...
, a footballer with the English Premier League club Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, is widely reported to have been named after John Steed on account of his parents having seen their child as the epitome of Britishness.
Fans of John Steed sometimes call themselves "Steedophiles".
Other versions of Steed
- In the 1971 stage play of The Avengers, Steed was played by Simon OatesSimon OatesSimon Oates was an English actor best known for his roles on television.Born in Canning Town, east London, and subsequently moving to Finchley in his teens, Oates trained as a heating engineer for his father's firm, before becoming an actor...
. - In the South African radio version of The Avengers which ran from 1971 to 1973, Steed was played by Donald Monat.
- In the 1998 film, Steed was played by Ralph FiennesRalph FiennesRalph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
.