ट्रिविया

He published his autobiography, "Ask Me if I'm Happy. An Actor's Life", in April 2010.

He was offered Paul Eddington's part on The Good Life (1975), but passed because of a dates clash. He later found out from Richard Briers that he would have been able to do both jobs.

His TV debut in 1958 was memorable for him in an unexpected and gruesome way - during the live transmission of the play Underground (1958), one of the other actors, Gareth Jones, died suddenly of a heart-attack whilst off-camera.

His father was a chauffeur and his mother a nanny.

He has performed at the Bristol Old Vic.

He was an Associate of RADA.

He was educated at Nottingham High Pavement Grammar School.

Trained at RADA; by the age of 18 he was a professional actor, spending a year at the Old Vic then repertory. His big break came with Happy Haven at the Bristol Old Vic, which transferred to London in 1960.

He played himself in a cameo role in Don Boyd's unfinished film Gossip.

He gained prominence for television dramas such as Callan: A Magnum for Schneider and I, Claudius.