Jeff MacKay

Jeff MacKay
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Portrays:	Corporal Komma
Date of Birth:	October 20, 1948
Date of Death:	August 22, 2008
Age at Death:	59
Nationality:	USA
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IMDb profile

Jeff MacKay (20 October 1948 – 22 August 2008) was an American actor who portrayed Corporal Komma in the Original Series' "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part I," "Fire in Space," and "Murder on the Rising Star."

Career

Born in Dallas, Texas, MacKay's interest in acting was sparked by his cousin, actor Robert Redford, who helped him secure his Screen Actors Guild membership with a role in the 1976 motion picture All the President's Men. MacKay studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York to develop his acting skills.

MacKay's most prominent television role was Lieutenant Donald "Mac" MacReynolds in 24 episodes of the CBS detective drama Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988). His character was notably killed off when blown up in Magnum's Ferrari, but MacKay soon returned to play a different character—a con man who coincidentally looked like Mac.

Prior to his Magnum, P.I. success, MacKay was a regular cast member on the NBC war drama series Baa Baa Black Sheep (later retitled Black Sheep Squadron), which aired from September 1976 to April 1978. He portrayed First Lieutenant Donald "Don" French, a pilot in the fictional Marine Attack Squadron 214 during World War II.

Following Magnum, P.I., MacKay reunited with producer Don Bellisario on the ABC adventure series Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982–1983), playing Corky, the alcoholic mechanic and best friend to the main character Jake Cutter. MacKay appeared in all 22 episodes of the series, which was set in the South Pacific in 1938.

In a 2006 interview, MacKay revealed his character inspiration for Corky came from three sources: Thomas Mitchell in It's a Wonderful Life and Only Angels Have Wings, Walter Brennan in To Have and Have Not, and Curly Howard of the Three Stooges. MacKay explained his approach: "I simply combined the aspects of the personalities of these characters with characteristics of my own personality. I love the helpless, but well-meaning characters such as Mitchell in both movies; I also loved Walter Brennan for his innocence; and of course, Curly Howard for his insane sense of humor." The role was specifically written for MacKay by Bellisario, with whom he had developed a close working relationship during their previous collaborations.

MacKay's work on the series was recognized by his co-star Stephen Collins, who played Jake Cutter. Collins noted in the same interview that while MacKay was known for his comedic abilities, "his performance as Corky could break your heart," recognizing the depth and range MacKay brought to what could have been a purely comic role. MacKay and Collins developed a close friendship during production, with Collins recalling that MacKay was "one of the funniest people on earth" and that his favorite memories from the show involved spending time with MacKay in the cockpit of the Grumman Goose set, where they would "run our lines and just hang out and laugh a lot."

Regarding the series' lasting appeal, MacKay attributed its enduring cult following to "Good family values. Imagination. A return to more innocent times when integrity and goodwill meant something." He also reflected on the production experience: "We also had a lot of fun making the series. I think that always shows in the final product."

MacKay also worked extensively on Bellisario's long-running military legal drama JAG (1995–2005), portraying Big Bud Roberts, father of series regular Bud Roberts.

Voice Acting

MacKay provided voice work for the animated series The Transformers, voicing the Aerialbot character Fireflight in eight episodes between 1985 and 1986. His work included episodes such as "War Dawn," "Cosmic Rust," and "Fight or Flee," as well as the direct-to-video feature Transformers: Five Faces of Darkness.

Additional Television and Film Work

MacKay's television career included appearances on numerous series, including The Greatest American Hero, Airwolf, and Dr. Shrinker (1976–1977), where he played Gordie Masterson. His film credits included Hot Summer in Barefoot County (1974), All the President's Men (1976), and Songwriter (1984).

Beyond screen work, MacKay performed in more than 100 theatrical productions throughout his career.

MacKay remained professionally active and thoughtful about the entertainment industry throughout his career. In a 2006 interview, he reflected on changes in Hollywood, noting that the industry had become "more of a corporate venture than an undertaking of imagination," adding that "creative decisions such as those made over the last few decades, made by uncreative people, is like hiring Rembrandt and then telling him how to paint."

Death

MacKay died of liver failure on 22 August 2008 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 59. He was survived by his father and two brothers.

References