Anecdotes

Was the first choice to play Les enquêtes de Remington Steele (1982), but he turned it down so the part went to Pierce Brosnan.

Due to acute water intoxication, in 2003 he fell unconscious and spent three days in intensive care. He was playing the role of Henry Higgins in a revival of My Fair Lady, and consumed as much as 2 gallons of water a day.

Father, with Georgina Simpson, of Joshua, Jessica and Amy-Samantha.

He has appeared in two different productions in which the Edward VIII abdication crisis of 1936 formed a major part of the storyline. He played King Edward VIII (the Duke of Windsor) in The Woman He Loved (1988) and the then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin in Le Discours d'un roi (2010).

Was a guest at UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's 80th birthday.

Made his stage debut at the age of eight, playing the White Rabbit in a production of "Alice in Wonderland".

Has a small production company, Double A.

Was the original choice to play 'Bodie' in the UK television series 'The Professionals' (1977-1982). Two days into filming the pilot episode the producer felt he had been wrongly cast and wasn't different enough to Martin Shaw's 'Doyle' character. Filming was stopped and he was replaced at short notice by Lewis Collins.

He has portrayed both Edward VIII and his younger brother and successor George VI. He played the former in The Woman He Loved (1988) and the latter in Cambridge Spies (2003).

Made his U.S. television debut in the docudrama A War of Children (1972).

Mentored actress Romy Park whilst she was in drama school in England.