From Ayrshire to Hollywood for Cavalcade legend

Oct 10 2008 by Edwin Lawrence

WHEN folk in Ayr High Street ask Glen Michael what he’s doing now, the 82-year-old jokes: “I’m waiting for Hollywood to ring.”

Well it’s no joke now, as Glen is to feature in a blockbuster film.

“They always say the unexpected can happen,” he said

“But this time the unexpected is unbelievable.”

Glen knew he touched a lot of lives in 26 years presenting Cartoon Cavalcade. But even he is astounded how the show influenced a new generation of Scottish film talent.

Glen was this summer the guest of honour at the UK film premiere of Wanted, starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie.

Comic book writer turned producer Mark Millar announced to the Glasgow premiere audience that Glen Michael’s Cartoon Cavalcade inspired his career.

Now Mark has phoned Glen offering him a cameo role opposite Nicolas Cage in his new film Kick-Ass.

“I was speechless,” said Glen. “Then I went into my Paladin the Lamp voice and blurted out: ‘You’ve made an old man very very happy’.”

Glen last year decided to scale down his work when he stopped doing his popular Cavalcade primary school tours.

And a legendary trouper contented himself with a quiet life with wife Beryl in their cosy cottage near Maidens.

But he’s thrilled to be back in a showbiz whirl, and news of his film role coincides with this week’s launch of his autobiograpy, Life’s a Cavalcade.

There will be a glitzy book launch today, Thursday, in STV’s Glasgow studios.

Then Glen takes off on a book-signing tour which sees him in Waterstones in Ayr on Saturday, from 1pm

Glen’s book charts his incredible life in showbusiness.

And Mark Millar has written an evocative foreword, paying tribute to Glen’s influence on him.

Cavalcade was Mark’s introduction to super heroes, and now his scripts are the toast of Tinseltown.

Mark admitted: “I strong-armed my way into writing this introduction. This was my chance to say thank-you.”