The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey
No amount of superlatives for "2001: A Space Odyssey" could ever capture just how influential Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece truly was. Over 50 years after first arriving in theaters, countless filmmakers have cited the 1968 classic as the reason they pursued a career in the arts in the first place. Decades-long movie fans and freshman films students alike can appreciate its historical significance ... while also acknowledging that, quite frankly, the epic remains every bit as entertaining as it was divisive and controversial during its original release.
Given its significance in pop culture and film history overall, it's no surprise that interest in "A Space Odyssey" has hardly waned over the decades. That most certainly applies to the cast of the film, the intrepid group of actors who (along with the cutting-edge visuals) made countless viewer buy into the epic journey across the stars authored by Kubrick and co-writer Arthur C. Clarke. Of course, many of the production's most integral creatives are no longer with us — Kubrick and actor Douglas Rain, who provided the voice for the chilling artificial intelligence HAL 9000, have both passed away — but two major actors still remain. In fact, one has continued to act throughout the last several years.
Here are the major actors still alive from "2001: A Space Odyssey."
Keir Dullea (Dr. Dave Bowman)
Perhaps no member of the cast represents the face of "2001: A Space Odyssey" better than Keir Dullea, the actor who portrayed astronaut Dr. Dave Bowman. The recipient of the most chilling line in the entire film ("I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that..."), Dave anchored the most hair-raising segment of the film on board the futuristic spaceship Discovery One. Steadily realizing that he and his crew are at the mercy of the malfunctioning artificial intelligence HAL 9000, Dave is the one who takes the initiative and battles the rogue computer.
Dullea, a successful actor for almost a decade before his life-changing casting in "A Space Odyssey," went on to enjoy a long and respected career in both television and film. Now 87 years old, Dullea has remained active on-screen even up until the last few years. He most recently appeared in an episode of the Paramount+ sci-fi series "Halo," fittingly enough, playing Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood. In 2023, he lent his voice to a minor character in the "Starfield" video game. In 2013, the actor returned to his stage roots when he appeared in a production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" opposite his wife Mia Dillon.
Although he's spent the last few decades carefully picking and choosing his roles, here's hoping Keir Dullea will continue to grace our screens for years to come.
Gary Lockwood (Dr. Frank Poole)
Although Dave Bowman is the only space-faring character to successfully make it to the end of the film (in a manner of speaking, of course), he wouldn't have gotten very far if it weren't for the heroics of Dr. Frank Poole. Portrayed by Gary Lockwood, the astronaut met a grisly end when he ventured out to repair an antenna that HAL claimed was faulty. Unfortunately, the artificial intelligence had previously discerned both Frank Poole and Dave Bowman's suspicions, compelling it to take drastic measures and hijack Frank's EVA pod. This early death raised the stakes immeasurably and established HAL as a villain not to be taken lightly.
Lockwood, now 86 years of age, is the rare performer to be known for multiple iconic roles. In addition to starring in the Stanley Kubrick film, the actor also portrayed another famous sci-fi villain: Gary Mitchell in one of the very first episodes of "Star Trek: The Original Series." Similar to Dullea, Lockwood had acted for a solid decade before getting the call in "A Space Odyssey" and went on to star in various movies and television shows throughout the next several decades. However, he had largely retired from acting by the late 1990s and has only made public appearances at various "Star Trek" conventions in the years since.