Actor T.P. McKenna of 'Straw Dogs,' 'The Avengers' dies at 81

Irish actor T.P. McKenna (pictured above as Henry VIII in the 2000 movie "Monarch") has passed away at the age of 81. A statement on his website says, "It is with the deepest regret that the family of the celebrated Irish actor, T.P. McKenna, announce his passing on Sunday evening at the Royal Free Hospital, London. Following a long period of illness he died quietly in his sleep. As an actor he was unique, as a friend and colleague he was exceptional, as a father he was irreplaceable."

McKenna was best known in the United States for his roles in the 1960s television programs "The Avengers" and "The Saint." We also remember him as Major John Scott in the 1971 Sam Peckinpah movie "Straw Dogs" alongside Dustin Hoffman and the 1977 film "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," based on the James Joyce novel. He also starred in the film version of another Joyce novel, "Ulysses," though he did not play the same character in the two movies.

According to the Irish Times, McKenna is survived by his four sons, Rafe, Kllian, Breffni and Stephen and his daughter Sally. He will be buried in Mullagh, Ireland alongside his wife May, who passed away five years ago.