Edward de Souza
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Edward James de Souza was born in Hull, Yorkshire, of British and Portuguese-Indian parentage to Annie Adeline Swift (née Calvert) and Edward Valentine De Souza Jr. He has appeared in numerous classical plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic, the Globe and the Theatre Royal. A RADA graduate of 1957, de Souza made his screen debut that very same year in the role of Charles Darnay in an early BBC adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities (1957) (co-starring Peter Wyngarde, as Sydney Carton). On the airwaves, de Souza succeeded Valentine Dyall as BBC4's The Man in Black from 1988 to 1992.
On the big screen, he is perhaps best known for his role in L'Espion qui m'aimait (1977) as the Bedouin Sheikh Hosein, a friend and ally of Roger Moore's James Bond. Earlier in his career, he had starred back-to-back in two Hammer horror productions: as impresario Harry Hunter in Le fantôme de l'opéra (1962) and as the obligatory hero Gerald Harcourt in Le Baiser du vampire (1963).
More consistently employed in television, de Souza had an early leading role alongside Richard Briers and Prunella Scales in the sitcom The Marriage Lines (1961). He also starred in the Docteur Who (1963) episode 'Mission to the Unknown' as Space Security Agent Marc Cory who endeavours to warn Earth of an impending Dalek attack. The episode is chiefly remembered for the complete absence of the Doctor (in this case, William Hartnell) and his companions.
Very much at home in period drama, De Souza has portrayed Maximilian Morrell, a valiant friend of The Count of Monte Cristo (1964), Napoleon's older brother Joseph Bonaparte, in the miniseries Napoleon and Love (1974) and Portuguese diplomat (and friend of the king) Marquês Luis de Soveral in Edward the Seventh (1975). Between 2008 and 2009, he had a regular role on the soap Coronation Street (1960) as the rapacious gambler and womanizer Colin Grimshaw. He has also made guest appearances on Le Saint (1962), Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir (1961), Département S (1969), Rumpole of the Bailey (1978) (as solicitor Bonny Bernard), Sapphire & Steel (1979), One Foot in the Grave (1990) and The Borgias (2011).
Edward de Souza has been married since 1960 to English actress and long-time Play School (1964) presenter Miranda Connell.
On the big screen, he is perhaps best known for his role in L'Espion qui m'aimait (1977) as the Bedouin Sheikh Hosein, a friend and ally of Roger Moore's James Bond. Earlier in his career, he had starred back-to-back in two Hammer horror productions: as impresario Harry Hunter in Le fantôme de l'opéra (1962) and as the obligatory hero Gerald Harcourt in Le Baiser du vampire (1963).
More consistently employed in television, de Souza had an early leading role alongside Richard Briers and Prunella Scales in the sitcom The Marriage Lines (1961). He also starred in the Docteur Who (1963) episode 'Mission to the Unknown' as Space Security Agent Marc Cory who endeavours to warn Earth of an impending Dalek attack. The episode is chiefly remembered for the complete absence of the Doctor (in this case, William Hartnell) and his companions.
Very much at home in period drama, De Souza has portrayed Maximilian Morrell, a valiant friend of The Count of Monte Cristo (1964), Napoleon's older brother Joseph Bonaparte, in the miniseries Napoleon and Love (1974) and Portuguese diplomat (and friend of the king) Marquês Luis de Soveral in Edward the Seventh (1975). Between 2008 and 2009, he had a regular role on the soap Coronation Street (1960) as the rapacious gambler and womanizer Colin Grimshaw. He has also made guest appearances on Le Saint (1962), Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir (1961), Département S (1969), Rumpole of the Bailey (1978) (as solicitor Bonny Bernard), Sapphire & Steel (1979), One Foot in the Grave (1990) and The Borgias (2011).
Edward de Souza has been married since 1960 to English actress and long-time Play School (1964) presenter Miranda Connell.
