Alexander Duncan McCowen CBE, (born May 26, 1925) is an English actor, best known for his strikingly individual stage performances in modern and classical roles including Shakespeare. He was awarded the CBE in the 1985 New Year Honours list.

Alec McCowen, the English actor, was born May 26, 1925 in Tunbridge Wells, England. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his professional debut in 1942. He established his reputation in classical stage roles, appearing in the ensemble of Laurence Olivier's famed duo-production of Shakespeare's Anthony & Cleopatra and Shaw's Caesar & Cleopatra at the 1951 Festival of Britain. McCowen transferred with the productions to New York that same year, making his Broadway debut. McCowen made his film movie debut in Cruel Sea, The (1953) (1953), and but for his turn as the police inspector Oxford in Alfred Hitchcock (I)'s Frenzy (1972) (1972), his reputation is rooted in his stage work. "Frenzy" led to his one lead role in a major motion picture, that of Henry Pulling in George Cukor's adaptation of 'Graham Greene's Travels with My Aunt (1972) (1972). Though the film won an Oscar for Costume Design and a Best Actress nod for co-star 'Maggie Smith' (among its total of four nominations), the movie did not advance McCowen's career. Over a decade later, he played the title role in the Thames Television series "Mr. Palfrey of Westminster", which ran for two season on British TV from 1984 to 1985. His last cinema appearance was in a small role in Gangs of New York (2002) for director Martin Scorsese; he had earlier appeared in Scorsese's the Age of Innocence. Though his services were in demand in movies and on TV, McCowen remained wedded to the stage; he regards the character of Astrov in Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" as his favorite role. From 1967 through 1992, McCowen appeared nine times on Broadway, for which he garnered two Drama Desk Awards (out of 4 nominations) and three Tony Award nominations. One of his Tony Award nominations was for his magisterial solo performance in "St. Mark's Gospel", which debuted on Broadway in 1978 and had a return engagement on the Great White Way in 1981.