Pictured for the primary time in years, that is the failed medical scholar whose unimaginable deception of pretending to be a schoolboy whereas truly aged 30 is being was a brand new function movie.
Brian MacKinnon enrolled again at his personal former faculty and fooled academics and classmates by claiming to be a fellow sixth former referred to as Brandon Lee aged 16 to comply with his dream of going to school to review medication.
Now a recluse, MacKinnon, 58, has hardly ever been seen or spoken in public since his extraordinary deception made headlines around the globe in 1995.
Pictured as he’s in the present day, that is Brian MacKinnon, referred to as Scotland’s largest imposter after he returned to his old style 15 years after he left to re-take his exams and examine medication
MacKinnon, seen this week doing his procuring close to his first-floor flat in Glasgow, now lives as a recluse and barely speaks to his neighbours, who’re largely unaware of his notoriety
MacKinnon is pictured left as an adolescent when he attended Bearsden Academy, again within the Seventies, and as ‘Brandon Lee’ (proper) when he returned to his former faculty and fooled academics
MacKinnon pictured as a fresh-faced younger schoolboy within the Seventies in Glasgow the place he grew up together with his mom and father
Twenty 5 years on his story is hitting the massive screens, directed by Jono McLeod, who was a classmate of his in 1993.
My Previous College options interviews with outdated schoolteachers and former faculty mates in addition to an interview with MacKinnon himself, though he apparently refused to seem on display screen and is mimed by celebrated actor Alan Cumming.
However talking by a crack within the door of his first-floor one bed room Glasgow flat, the place he lives alone, unemployed Mr Mackinnon blasted the movie and instructed MailOnline: ‘I’ve had nothing to do with this movie and I’ve zero curiosity in ever wanting to look at any of it.
MacKinnon failed to review medication first time spherical so went again to highschool to attempt once more
‘I’ve by no means given an interview with Jono McLeod, I do not recall even being at college with him the second time round.’
Lately Mackinnon hardly ever ventures outdoors – and he instructed MailOnline that he desires nothing to with the movie and can by no means watch it, attacking each the movie’s director and Cumming, the actor who performs him in it.
He stated he walked out on McLeod, after he approached him in a espresso store in Glasgow’s West Finish 5 years in the past to stipulate his plans for a movie about him.
Mackinnon went on: ‘Mcleod launched himself to me in a espresso store again in 2017 and after inviting himself to my desk, he got here throughout as a nervous, garrulous, affected and pushy fellow.
‘He stated that he was a documentary movie maker, had a group of newspaper cuttings regarding me and had been a fifth yr pupil at Bearsden Academy. He additionally stated he headed a manufacturing firm and had secured the providers of actor Alan Cumming to painting me.
‘I minimize brief his harangue by standing and reaching for my jacket and heading swiftly for the door as he made a final, determined reference to Alan Cumming.’
The movie particulars how MacKinnon returned to Bearsden Academy, simply to the north of Glasgow, in 1993 regardless of having already left in 1980 to review medication at college earlier than failing exams and crashing off the course.
Not one of the academics – together with those that taught him first time round – twigged his actual identification and so he was allowed to review amongst these half his age to get the grades wanted to have one other crack at Uni and obtain his dream of changing into a physician.
A brand new movie referred to as ‘My Previous College’ directed by considered one of his former classmates, options interviews with former academics, outdated pupils that he fooled as stars Scottish actor Alan Cumming (above)
MacKinnon was initially a pupil at Bearsden Academy between 1974 and 1980 and obtained grades adequate to review medication at Glasgow College.
Nonetheless, as soon as there he failed his exams twice and left the course in 1983.
Ten years later, he determined to have one other go at learning medication, spurred on by the loss of life of his father from an undiagnosed most cancers.
To assist him get a spot at college for a second time, he plotted his now notorious Walter Mitty-style ruse and joined Class 5C at Bearsden.
He renamed himself Brandon Lee – unwittingly after the not too long ago deceased son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee – and pretended to be from Canada – even speaking with a pretend Canadian accent.
MacKinnon additionally gave himself a tragic backstory, telling academics how his mom, an opera singer, had died and his father, who he stated had died shortly afterwards, had packed him off to reside together with his grandmother in Scotland.
To again up his story, he gave two references, one in Canada and the opposite in London however neither have been checked. One of many names was an ex-girlfriend of Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger.
Regardless of being twice as outdated as different pupils and taller than most with a penchant for carrying a briefcase fairly than a rucksack, he handed off his extra distinguished look as ‘untimely growing older’ -although as soon as let slip as soon as to a good friend that he remembered the day Elvis Presley died in 1977, the yr ‘Brandon’ was supposedly born.
MacKinnon, a well-liked pupil on the faculty, is pictured out for dinner at TGI Fridays with mates
MacKinnon’s deception made headlines around the globe when his secret was uncovered in 1995 and his true identification was revealed regardless of him profitable a spot at college
He was intelligent, boasting a genius-level IQ of 161 however held again in classes barely as to not blow his cowl, as an alternative changing into an all-rounder who joined the soccer staff and the debating membership.
His extra mature years allowed him to additionally take bullies below his wing, to pay attention with out judgement and to assist information them onto the appropriate path.
There was one embarrassing second throughout his time again at college that would have uncovered him, when his bogus North American accent landed him the lead position in a college play wherein he was imagined to kiss a 16-year-old lady.
He managed to carry off till the evening of the efficiency and even the kiss was one a lady would give her father.
However he went undetected for two-years and achieved 5 grade A’s on his Highers exams, which earned him a spot at Dundee College to review medication.
His dream of changing into a physician was nearly in sight till his luck ran out and a neighbour let slip his true identification in 1995, thrusting him right into a media storm which finally value him his place at college for a second time.
The Chancellor of Dundee College threw him off the course for a ‘lack of integrity’.
Softly-spoken MacKinnon now lives a reclusive life by himself however has remained near Bearsden.
He goes out to the grocery store and to the native library – the place he’s stated to learn up on conspiracy theories on the Web – however for essentially the most half retains himself to himself.
Just a few years in the past he labored on an area industrial park however stated he stopped after he was assaulted by a gang of males.
He wrote his autobiography, revealed on-line in 1997, and plans to launch an up to date model later this yr.
Though at all times reluctant to carry up the previous – as soon as turning down a reputed six-figure guide deal – he instructed MailOnline in the present day: ‘I did what I did. That was then and that is now. I stored my head down and obtained on with it.
MacKinnon took an energetic half at school life the second time spherical the place he took his exams when he was 32. Right here he’s in a college manufacturing of South Pacific within the yr he left
‘There have been a couple of academics there the second time round who had taught me initially however none of them recognised me.
‘They could go on to say they did on this documentary, however they did not. In fact they did not. Once I got down to do one thing, I do it nicely.
‘It was the identical with medication. I used to be a very good scholar and I used to be doing very, very nicely.’
Neighbours instructed how MacKinnon lives as a hermit, hardly ever venturing outside.
One instructed us stated: ‘He is been dwelling right here for a couple of years now however he is very quiet, you do not see an excessive amount of of him.
‘He would not exit a lot, simply the odd journey to the library, however he spends numerous time within the flat.
‘He retains himself very a lot to himself however I will communicate to him now once more, even when it is simply to say ‘good morning’.
‘I’ve heard about his story, it is unimaginable actually that he managed to tug it off. I like him, he is a pleasant man.’