IT is a faceless role and the work took only one and a half days, but actor Douglas Rain’s contribution has kept his name in orbit in movie history. He provided the voice of the Hal 9000 computer in Stanley Kubrick’s landmark 1968 film, “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

On Sunday, Rain, who performed for 32 seasons with the Stratford Festival in Ontario, died at age 90.

The festival’s artistic director, Antoni Cimolino, said, “Douglas shared many of the same qualities as Kubrick’s iconic creation — precision, strength of steel, enigma and infinite intelligence, as well as a wicked sense of humor.

“But those of us lucky enough to have worked with Douglas soon solved his riddle and discovered that at the center of his mystery lay warmth and humanity.”

Rain was well known to audiences at the Stratford Festival, where he appeared in its inaugural production, “Richard III,” in 1953.

What turned out to be, in a sense, a career-making job, came along in 1960, when Rain narrated a Canadian documentary about astronomy and space called “Universe.”

It caught Kubrick’s attention.

The American Film Institute once listed the 50 greatest movie villains, and Hal came in at No. 13.

Rain appeared several times on Broadway. His performance in “Vivat! Vivat Regina!” in 1972 earned him a Tony Award nomination as best featured actor in a play. His was also the voice of the computer in Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” in 1973. (SD-Agencies)