Leo McKern In 1983, McKern was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the performing arts. He frequently travelled between England and Australia both to visit family and friends, and to appear in various films and plays. As he was frightened of flying, he booked tickets to travel on cargo ships. This gave him time and peace to read scripts and contracts, with the added benefit of feeling he was on holidays. McKern informed his daughter Abigail that he suffered from stage fright, which became harder to control with age. He also worried that his stout frame
Leo McKern and Disson in Harold Pinter's "Tea Party". He appeared at the Royal Exchange, Manchester in "Uncle Vanya" in 1977 and in "Crime and Punishment" in 1978. McKern's film debut was in "Murder in the Cathedral" (1952). His other more notable film appearances included the science-fiction classics "X the Unknown" (1956), "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" (1961), the World War I drama "King and Country" (1964), "Help!" (1965), the Academy Award-winning adaptation of "A Man for All Seasons" (1966), "The Shoes of the Fisherman" (1968), "Ryan's Daughter" (1970), "Massacre in Rome" (1973), "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother" (1975),