In the wake of the sad news, Stratford Shakespearean Festival's artistic director describes the late 90-year-old actor as a 'rare artist' who was 'deeply admired by other actors.'
- November 13, 2018
AceShowbiz - "2001: A Space Odyssey" star Douglas Rain has died aged 90.
The Canadian actor, who voiced computer HAL 9000 in the 1968 science fiction film, passed away on Sunday morning (November 11) at St. Mary's Memorial Hospital near Stratford, Ontario.
He is survived by his second wife, actress Martha Henry, from whom he was divorced, sons David and Adam, daughter Emma and granddaughter Salima.
As well as appearing in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and its sequel "2010: The Year We Make Contact", Rain worked in radio dramas and starred in various Broadway productions, becoming a co-founding member of Stratford Shakespearean Festival in 1953.
The festival's artistic director Antoni Cimolino said of Rain's passing, "Canadian theatre has lost one of its greatest talents and a guiding light in its development. Douglas Rain was that rare artist - an actor deeply admired by other actors... Those of us lucky enough to have worked with Douglas soon solved his riddle and discovered that at the centre of his mystery lay warmth and humanity, evidenced in his care for the young members of our profession."
"Douglas dedicated his talent to the stages of his native land, and we are proud in return to dedicate the coming season's production of Othello to his memory. We owe him so much."
