The character actor Andrew Keir (originally Andrew Buggy) was born in 1926 in the coal-mining town of Shotts in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and raised there with his five brothers John, Tom, Michael, Patrick, and Hugh and his sister Maggie. The son of a coal miner, Keir worked in the coal mines from age 14 to 20, at which point he joined the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film, debuting in The Lady Craved Excitement (1950). His bluff, no-nonsense demeanor was perfect for authoritarian and military roles, especially Roman soldiers, as in Cléopâtre (1963), La chute de l'Empire romain (1964), and La reine des Vikings (1967). He hooked up with Hammer Productions early on (his debut film) and continued the association in a number of horror films, e.g., Dracula, prince des ténèbres (1966) and La momie sanglante (1971). One of his best-known and most popular performances was that of the title role in Les monstres de l'espace (1967). Keir made numerous appearances in television throughout his career, notably in Adam Smith (1972) and in the Australian series The Outsiders (1976). Keir, true to his heritage, frequently played Scotsmen, especially in the latter part of his career.
