British stage actor Alec McCowen paid his dues in the provinces throughout the 1940s, finally taking his first London bow in 1950, then traveled to NYC with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh for his Broadway debut in "Anthony and Cleopatra" (1951) before appearing in his initial film, "The Cruel Sea" (1953). The highlight of two seasons at the Old Vic was his portrayal of Mercutio in Franco Zeffirelli's production of "Romeo and Juliet" (1960-61), and when he moved to the Royal Shakespeare Company, he played the Fool to Paul Scofield's "King Lear" (1962), roles the two would reprise on Broadway