Anecdotes

What Davenport referred to as his "dodgy eyes" was the consequence of a botched childhood operation to correct a squint. The vision in his right eye remained blurred for the rest of his life.

During production of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: L'odyssée de l'espace (1968), Davenport read the lines of HAL 9000 off-camera during the computer's dialogues with actors Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood. However, Kubrick thought that Davenport's English accent was too distracting, and after a few weeks he dismissed him, so Canadian actor Douglas Rain, who was ultimately chosen for the role, quickly recorded his lines for the final film in post-production.

Retired from acting in the early 21st century because he could no longer remember dialogue.

Took his son Jack Davenport to see La guerre des étoiles (1977) but fell asleep and snored loudly through it, saying afterwards "it just couldn't hold his interest".

He grew up in Cambridge but went to Trinity College, Oxford.

He switched to studying English after his moral tutor told him his future was as an actor, which he claims he hadn't realised for himself at the time.

Was educated at St. Peter's School, Seaford; Cheltenham College and read English at Trinity College, Oxford, where he received his Master of Arts degree.

Was president of the British Actors' Equity Association, from 1986-1992.

He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: Un homme pour l'éternité (1966) and Les chariots de feu (1981).

He was a member of the Oxford University Dramatic Society.

Father of author Hugo Davenport and actress Laura Davenport with his first wife, Helena Margaret White, and actor Jack Davenport with his second, Maria Aitken.

Worked as a British Army disc jockey in Hamburg, Germany while doing military service.

Had appeared with Susannah York in four films: Les sables de Kalahari (1965), Un homme pour l'éternité (1966), Sebastian (1968) and A Christmas Carol (1984).

It was during his time at Oxford University that he met his first wife, Helena Margaret White, with whom he had two children.

At Oxford University, his talent was for Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Was one of the first members of the English Stage Company at the Royal Court.

In 1975 he started filming 'Trick or Treat' produced by David Puttnam, directed by Michael Apted and starring Bianca Jagger. However, about 6 weeks into the shoot Bianca refused to do the nude shots, which she'd originally agreed to, resulting in the film being abandoned.

Had a flat in London and a cottage in Gloucestershire and enjoyed gardening.

His father was a bursar of Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge, England.

Was among the actors in the running for Dr. Hans Fallada in the science fiction horror film Lifeforce (1985). Frank Finlay was cast instead.

Son Hugo, who works for the Daily Telegraph, born 1953 with first wife Helena White.

He has two roles in common with Peter Cushing, Frank Finlay and David Warner: (1) Cushing played Professor Van Helsing in Le cauchemar de Dracula (1958), Les maîtresses de Dracula (1960), Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), Dracula vit toujours à Londres (1973) and Les sept vampires d'or (1974), Davenport played him in Dracula et ses Femmes Vampires (1974), Finlay played him in Count Dracula (1977) and Warner played him in Penny Dreadful (2014) and (2) Davenport played Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in Conan Doyle (1972), Cushing played him in The Great Houdini (1976), Finlay played him in The Other Side (1992) and Warner played him in Houdini (1998).

Both he and his son played a commodore. Nigel in Keeping Up Appearances (The Commodore) and Jack in Pirates of the Carribean.

Nigel started in the business in 1950.

His mother trained as an actress but got blood poisoning and had to drop out.

His father worked at the University of Cambridge.