# Michael Kane (actor)
**Michael Kane** (born Michael Edward Desmond Keane; 21 March 1922 – 14 December 2007) was a Canadian film and television actor who worked in both Canada and the United States, known for the films *Lonely Are the Brave* (1962), *The Bedford Incident* (1965), and *Three Days of the Condor* (1975), and for the lead role in the Canadian police drama *The Collaborators*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/) • [2](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 21 March 1922, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; 14 December 2007, Los Angeles, California, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/) |
| Birth name | Michael Edward Desmond Keane[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/bio/) |
| Best-known film roles | Paul Bondi in *Lonely Are the Brave* (1962), Commander Allison in *The Bedford Incident* (1965), Wicks in *Three Days of the Condor* (1975)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/) |
| Canadian television lead | Detective Sergeant Jim Brewer in *The Collaborators* (1973), 12 episodes[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/97505/michael-kane) |
| Awards recognition | Two ACTRA Award nominations for Best Television Performance: *The Disposable Man* (1973) and *The Collaborators* (1975)[5](https://crossbinge.com/person/michael-kane) |
| Other work | Narrator for National Film Board of Canada documentaries and CBC programs; drama consultant for the first season of CBC's *Shoestring Theatre*[2](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane) • [6](https://www.queensu.ca/filmandmedia/sites/fmwww/files/uploaded_files/CBC%20Television%20Linked%20Listings.pdf) |
## Early career in New York and Montreal
Kane began his career in New York City with guest roles in anthology shows such as *Omnibus*, *Lights Out*, *The Web*, and *Camera Three*, played Angus in a 1954 television production of *Macbeth*, and spent several months on the soap opera *Guiding Light*, in which TVGuide-style listings credit him as Paul Fletcher.[2](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/97505/michael-kane) He won an award in 1957 for his [Off-Broadway](https://www.edgepedia.org/off-broadway) performance in [James Joyce](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-joyce)'s *Exiles*, and later staged a one-man show of his own in Stratford.[2](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane)
In Montreal he played Jamie in a 1959 production of *Long Day's Journey into Night*, then worked in English stage roles before his move into film.[2](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane) That December, CBC Wednesday Night broadcast [Richard Strauss](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-strauss)'s setting of Tennyson's *Enoch Arden* performed by "Canadian actor Michael Kane" with the Montreal pianist Lawrence Dennis.[7](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/CBC-Times/1959/CBC-Times-1959-12-24.pdf)
At CBC Montreal he also worked behind the camera. He took the job of drama consultant to the English section of CBC Montreal and was responsible for the initial season of *Shoestring Theatre*, a weekly half-hour drama series, both as adaptor and director; the series ran on minimal budgets and its first two seasons concentrated on theatrical experimentation.[6](https://www.queensu.ca/filmandmedia/sites/fmwww/files/uploaded_files/CBC%20Television%20Linked%20Listings.pdf)
## Film and American television
Kane's Hollywood roles were supporting parts in major studio films. He played Paul Bondi, Kirk Douglas's character's friend, in *Lonely Are the Brave* (1962); Commander Allison, executive officer on the bridge, in *The Bedford Incident* (1965); and Wicks in [Sydney Pollack](https://www.edgepedia.org/sydney-pollack)'s *Three Days of the Condor* (1975).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/) In November 1965, CBC's *Festival* series telecast a 90-minute drama in which he and [Susan Clark](https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-clark) starred as the medieval lovers [Heloise](https://www.edgepedia.org/heloise) and Abelard.[8](https://dai.mun.ca/PDFs/dailynews/DailyNews19651119.pdf)
Later American credits include *The Adams Chronicles* (1976, as General Caulaincourt), *First Ladies Diaries: Edith Wilson* (1976, as [Woodrow Wilson](https://www.edgepedia.org/woodrow-wilson)), *Search and Rescue: The Alpha Team* (1977–1978, as Uncle Jack), *The Kidnapping of the President* (1980), *Middle Age Crazy* (1980, as Abe Titus), *Cross Country* (1983, as Harry Burns), and *The Gunfighters* (1987, as Gov. Hornbeck).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/)
## Canadian television and narration
Returning to Canada, Kane took the role of Detective Sergeant Jim Brewer in the first season of the police drama *The Collaborators* (1973), appearing in 12 episodes.[2](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/97505/michael-kane) He earned ACTRA Award nominations for Best Television Performance for that series and for the television film *The Disposable Man*, nominated at the 2nd ACTRA Awards in 1973 and the 4th ACTRA Awards in 1975 respectively.[5](https://crossbinge.com/person/michael-kane)
His voice work was a substantial part of his Canadian career. He narrated documentaries for the [National Film Board of Canada](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-board-of-canada), and his narration credits include *Grierson* (1973), the *Canada Vignettes* shorts such as *Newfoundland*, *Trees*, and *Bluenose 1921–1946*, *Has Anybody Here Seen Canada?* (1979), and *Magic in the Sky* (1981).[2](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane) • [9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/michael_kane_2) • [10](https://nerdspin.com/db/people/72659/michael-kane) The winter 2008 issue of ACTRA's magazine *InterACTRA* included him among the members remembered in its farewell section, calling him "a Canadian original".[11](https://archive.actramagazine.ca/issues/ACTRAMagazine-2008-winter.pdf)
## Not the same person as the screenwriter Michael Kane
Several databases conflate this Michael Kane with a distinct American screenwriter and director of the same name. The screenwriter Michael Kane was born on 9 July 1922 in New York City, worked as a writer and director, was married to Winifred June Fay, and died on 22 January 2020 in Sherman Oaks, California; his writing credits include *Southern Comfort* (1981), *All the Right Moves* (1983), and *Hot Stuff* (1979).[12](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437393/) [The Canadian](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-canadian) actor's own writing credits are limited to the screenplay of *Foolin' Around* (1980) and commentary for the short *Exeter* (1972) on his IMDb record.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/) A third Michael Kane (IMDb "XX") is a contemporary New York crew member and actor credited on *The Place Beyond the Pines* (2012), and is likewise a different person.[13](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3790980/)
## References
1. [Michael Kane (1922–2007), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/)
2. [Michael Kane biography, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/michael-kane)
3. [Michael Kane – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437395/bio/)
4. [Michael Kane, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/97505/michael-kane)
5. [Michael Kane, CrossBinge](https://crossbinge.com/person/michael-kane)
6. [CBC Television Linked Listings (Shoestring Theatre entry), Queen's University Film and Media](https://www.queensu.ca/filmandmedia/sites/fmwww/files/uploaded_files/CBC%20Television%20Linked%20Listings.pdf)
7. [CBC Times, Vol. XIII, No. 1 (January 3–9, 1960)](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/CBC-Times/1959/CBC-Times-1959-12-24.pdf)
8. [The Daily News, St. John's, Newfoundland, November 19, 1965](https://dai.mun.ca/PDFs/dailynews/DailyNews19651119.pdf)
9. [Michael Kane Movies & TV Shows, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/michael_kane_2)
10. [Michael Kane, Nerdspin Database](https://nerdspin.com/db/people/72659/michael-kane)
11. [InterACTRA, Winter 2008 (ACTRA)](https://archive.actramagazine.ca/issues/ACTRAMagazine-2008-winter.pdf)
12. [Michael Kane (1922–2020), screenwriter and director, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437393/)
13. [Michael Kane (XX), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3790980/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames J to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license