Leo McKern would not appeal to audiences. In 1997 he appeared in a party political broadcast for the United Kingdom Independence Party. McKern and his wife Jane Holland had two daughters. Leo McKern Reginald McKern, AO (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002), known professionally as Leo McKern, was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. Notable roles he portrayed include Clang in "Help!" (1965), Thomas Cromwell in "A Man for All Seasons" (1966), Tom Ryan in "Ryan's Daughter" (1970), Paddy Button in "The Blue Lagoon" (1980),
Leo McKern presented "The Battle of the Somme", a British Broadcasting Corporation documentary produced to mark the 60th anniversary of World War I battle. He played the Earl of Gloucester in the Granada Television production of "King Lear" (1983) with Sir Laurence Olivier. In 1983 also starring in most episodes of the mini-series 'Reilly, Ace of Spies' as 'Zaharov', director of Vickers with Sam Neill. In 1975, McKern made his first appearance in the role that would make him a household name as an actor, Horace Rumpole, whom he played in "Rumpole of the Bailey", originally an episode of the BBC's "Play