Biography
Michael Tarn is primarily remembered for his portrayal of the taciturn Pete in Stanley Kubrick's 1971 dystopian classic "A Clockwork Orange." The controversial film revolved around the adventures of Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a young delinquent who gets his kicks in a degraded future England by committing appalling acts of "ultraviolence" with his fellow gang-members, or "droogs." Tarn played the quiet droog, who was no less menacing or grotesque than the others, with their white outfits, black boots, and--the most perverse touch of all--gentlemanly canes and bowler hats. Following his appearance in the iconic masterpiece, Tarn played a small role in the British drama "Made" in 1972. Tarn worked in British television for the remainder of his acting career but he never managed to secure a prominent or significantly recurring role. Among the various productions he worked on are the drama "Zigger Zagger" in 1975, the sci-fi drama "1990" in 1978, and the comedy "Thicker Than Water" in 1981--his sole 1980s credit, in fact, followed only by his sole 1990s credit in the comedy-drama "Hamish Macbeth." It is for this reason that Tarn's biggest credit is "A Clockwork Orange"; although he does not have many lines in the film, the sheer force of his nightmarish appearance as one of Alex's droogs will linger in pop culture's memory for years to come.
