Advanced search

Ruggedly handsome and a very versatile actor John Michie has been a regular screen actor on British television for years.

Amazingly it wasn't until recently that Michie got a starring role. He is famed for playing the lovable rogue DI Robbie Ross in the wonderful ITV Drama Taggart.

Due to those chiseled good looks John has become somewhat of a sex symbol. He is often billed as the "The Thinking woman's crumpet"

James Wilby was born on 20 February 1958 in Rangoon, Burma [now Yangon, Myanmar]. He is an actor, known for Maurice (1987), Gosford Park (2001) and Une poignée de cendre (1988). He has been married to Shana Louise Magraw since 25 June 1988. They have four children.

Born on October 1, 1896, in Rangoon, Burma, to Burmese-Jewish parents, and the son of a well-to-do merchant, distinguished veteran character actor Abraham Isaac Sofaer was a one-time schoolteacher in both Rangoon and London. He switched gears to acting after a short time and made his stage debut in 1921 as a walk-on in William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."

Sofaer scored his first prominent London appearance with "The Green Goddess" in 1925 and, from the 1930s on, alternated between the London and Broadway repertory stages playing an assortment of Shakespearean roles (Othello, Lear, Cassius, etc.) among other classical plays. He scored a personal triumph in New York as Benjamin Disraeli opposite Helen Hayes in "Victoria Regina" in 1936. The following year, he directed Ms. Hayes in "The Merchant of Venice", in which he played the title role of "Shylock". A theatre repertory player of note, he soon focused on the big screen and made his British film debut with Dreyfus (1930). Subsequent noteworthy British film roles included his judge in Une question de vie ou de mort (1946) and as Disraeli in The Ghosts of Berkeley Square (1947). Recognized for his bulgy, wide-eyed stare, resonant tones and imposing stance, he built up a solid reputation over the years playing odd and interesting Eastern ethnics -- sultans, swamis, high priests, witch doctors, foreign dictators and dignitaries, he was even convincing playing Indian chiefs on occasion. His characters ranged from wise and warm-hearted to cunning and wickedly evil.

In the mid-1950s, Sofaer settled in Hollywood wherein he became a main staple in exotic dramas and costumed adventure, appearing almost exclusively in movies and TV. Some of his better known U.S. films include Quo Vadis (1951), Le roi des îles (1954), La piste des éléphants (1954), Taras Bulba (1962) and Chisum (1970). Throughout the 1960s, he could be counted on for guest appearances on all the popular shows of the day including Perry Mason (1957), La grande caravane (1957), Gunsmoke (1955), Daniel Boone (1964) and Star Trek (1966). On TV, he may be best remembered for his recurring role of Haji, the master of all genies, on Jeannie de mes rêves (1965).

Married to wife Angela for nearly seven decades and affectionately called "Abe" to closer friends, Sofaer was the father of six children. Retiring from acting in 1974, Sofaer died of congestive heart failure at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 91 in 1988.

Harry H Corbett (he added the "H" to avoid being confused with Sooty's friend) was born in Burma in 1925. His father was an officer in the army. His mother died when he was very young and he moved to England as a child and was brought up in Manchester by an aunt.

After his war service, he joined a repertory company and during the 1950s appeared in many stage productions. At the end of this period he made the move to the big screen and appeared in about twenty movies (mostly 'B' pictures) during the years from 1959 to 1980, including the starring role of Detective Sergeant Bung in Carry on Screaming! (1966), Rattle of a Simple Man (1964) and the two "Steptoe and Son" movies in the early 1970s. He suffered a series of heart attacks between 1979 and 1982, before his premature death aged 57.

Born in Burma on December 11th, 1945, of an English father and a Burmese mother, Zienia lived in Singapore, then in Borneo and was schooled in Portugal. Zienia's childhood wish was to become a dancer, and upon securing her father's agreement she was registered at the dancing and acting school led by the "Arts Education Trust" in Tring, Hertfordshire, UK. But, as Zienia progressed, she found herself rather more interested in modern dance. Enjoying public performance, and taking into consideration her changing interests, she found herself gravitating towards the acting field. Without any official training, she began her career as an actress in the 1960s while still a teenager. It was a decade later, in the mid to late 1970s, that Zienia enjoyed one of her greatest professional successes when she garnered the role of Sandra Benes in the hit syndicated British science fiction television series Cosmos 1999 (1975). The series ran for two seasons of 48 episodes and gave her international exposure. In recent years, Zienia has roles in several films, made numerous television guest appearances, and has starred in live theatrical presentations in the UK, including "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Laundry, and "Present Continuous".

The daughter of an English father and a Burmese mother, Me Me Lai was born in Burma in 1952. Little is known about her childhood. She moved to England in her teens and began working as an actress, appearing in bit parts on television and in low-budget British films, most notably in Femmes en location (1972). In 1972 she appeared in Au pays de l'exorcisme (1972), the first of several "cannibal" movies filmed in Italy.

She returned as the lead female native girl in Ruggero Deodato's Le Dernier Monde cannibale (1977) and Umberto Lenzi's La secte des cannibales (1980) (her death scene in the former was re-used in the latter). Of her small movie roles, she is perhaps best known as a Chinese hooker in the Peter Sellers comedy La malédiction de la panthère rose (1978). During the 1980s she was again cast in various small roles before she left the movie business.

She has recently embraced her acting past, particularly the cannibal films, and appeared at film festivals and conferences around Europe and the US, including Spaghetti Cinema with Ruggero Deodato in May 2014.

Jeanne Roland was born on 19 March 1937 in Rangoon, Burma. She is an actress, known for On ne vit que deux fois (1967), Casino Royale (1967) and Destination danger (1964).

Helen was born in Burma to an Anglo Indian father named George Desmier and a Burmese mother named Marlene. Her father went missing during the Second World War. Her family migrated to India in 1942 as refugees in order to escape from the Japanese invasion of Burma. Helen was introduced to Bollywood in 1953 by the famous dancer Cuckoo. She got her break in 1958 when she performed the song 'Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo' in the movie Howrah Bridge. Helen rarely got roles as the lead heroine in movies. So, she opted dancing which proved to be her fortune. Throughout the 1960's, 1970's to 1985, she danced in more than 600 movies establishing herself as a prolific dancer. Her best performances are in films Pipili Saheb, Naya Aadmi, Halaku, Yahudi, Howrah Bridge, Uttamputhiran in Tamil, Bedard Zamana Kya Jane ,Sri Valli in Tamil, Hum Hindustani, Half Ticket, Hongkong, China Town, Woh Kaun Thi, Gumnaam, Kaajal, Jewel Theif, Yakeen, The Train, Caravan, Sange Muzhangu in Tamil, Zakhmee, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Ginny Aur Jhonny, Bairaag, Deewangee, Khel Khilari Ka, Inkaar, Don, Inteqaam, Kab Kyun Aur Kahan, Pagla Kahin Ka, Apradh, Mere Jeevan Saathi , Dil Daulat Duniya,Lahu Ke Do Rang, Shararat, Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Her last few films for which danced Cabaret were Sawaal in 1982 and Pakhandee in 1984.

She was known for wearing different colors of wigs, contact lenses and skimpy outfits in her movies. In the late 1970's, her demand started diminishing because of her age along with the entry of younger dancers like Padma Khanna, Jayshree T, Bindu, Aruna Irani and Kalpana Iyer. In 1979, she won the best supporting actress award for her role as Vinod Khanna's Chinese wife in 'Lahu Ke Do Rang'. She officially retired from movies in 1984. She was married to director Prem Narayan Arora from 1957 to 1972 and she divorced him and later married screenwriter Salim Khan in 1981.

Charmaine Craig studied literature at Harvard College, received her MFA from the University of California at Irvine, and serves as a faculty member in the Department of Creative Writing at UC Riverside, where she particularly enjoys teaching literature, the art of the paragraph, and forms of narration. Her first novel, The Good Men (Riverhead), was a national bestseller translated into six languages. Her second novel, Miss Burma (Grove), long listed for the 2017 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2018 Women's Prize for Fiction, is based on the lives of her mother and grandparents, all born in Burma. Formerly an actor in film and television, she grew up in Los Angeles, where she now resides with her husband, author Andrew Winer, and their daughters.

T.R. Bowen was born in 1942 in Burma. He is an actor and writer, known for Cours toujours Dennis (2007), The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994) and Les souvenirs de Sherlock Holmes (1991).

Diana Chesney was born on 17 November 1916 in Mandalay, Burma. She was an actress, known for Basil, détective privé (1986), Sacré Robin des Bois (1993) and Ma sorcière bien aimée (1964). She died on 7 May 2004 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Fabled singer/songwriter who only recorded three albums in his short lifetime. "Five Leaves Left" rightly brought him acclaim from the folk crowd, although the exquisite arrangements on follow-up "Bryter Layter" received surprisingly stilted attention upon release. Nick became disillusioned with the music scene due to this lack of recognition (which he'd eerily predicted in the lyrics of "Fruit Tree" on his debut album). Besides the title track, final set "Pink Moon" is a sparse affair featuring only Nick and an acoustic guitar. Twenty years after his death, the adulation he craved finally began to arrive.

Edwina Carroll was born in 1932 in Rangoon, Burma. She is an actress, known for 2001 : L'Odyssée de l'espace (1968), Département S (1969) and Le monde de Suzie Wong (1960).

Supriya Choudhury was born on 8 January 1933 in Myitkyina, Kachin, British Burma. She was an actress, known for Teen Adhaya (1968), Debdas (1979) and Sanyasi Raja (1975). She was married to Bishwanath Choudhury. She died on 26 January 2018 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Dick Strawbridge was born on 3 September 1959 in Burma. He is a producer, known for Escape to the Chateau (2016), Scrapheap (1998) and Escape to the Chateau: Make Do and Mend (2020). He has been married to Angel Adoree since 13 November 2015. They have two children. He was previously married to Brigit Strawbridge.

Peter Townsend was born on 22 November 1914 in Rangoon, Burma, British India [now Yangon, Yangon, Myanmar]. He was a writer, known for Passeport pour le monde (1959), Dee Time (1967) and L'invité du dimanche (1968). He was married to Marie-Luce Jamagne and Cecil Rosemary Pawle. He died on 19 June 1995 in Rambouillet, Yvelines, France.

Saya Victor also known as Ye Htut Oo is a Burmese professional English teacher, artist, film director, song composer, and video editor from Dawei, Myanmar. He is widely recognized for his contributions to education, music, and film. As an English teacher at Alin Tagar English School, he holds TESOL/TEFL certifications and is known for his innovative teaching methods that help students excel in English proficiency exams.

In the field of film and directing, he gained recognition for Halloween Night Season 2: Count Dracula (2023) and further strengthened his reputation with his second major film, Stars to the Lightened Door (2025). His talent in music and songwriting is evident in his compositions, including Waiting For You, You Are My Perfectness, Your Love, My Safeguard, A Nice Walk With You, The Moment You and I Are Together, and Never Leave You Again. As the founder of Alin Tagar Video Production, he also plays a vital role in video editing, producing films, music videos, and educational content.

Beyond his professional career, he is known for mentoring young talents and fostering innovation in education and the arts, making him a respected figure in his community and an inspiration to aspiring artists and students alike.

Peter Gordeno was born on 20 June 1939 in Rangoon, Burma. He was an actor, known for Ufo... Annientate Shado Uccidete Straker... Stop (1974), Alerte dans l'espace (1970) and Carry on Columbus (1992). He died on 18 October 2008 in London, England, UK.

Win Min Than grew up in Rangoon when Burma was part of the British Raj. She was the daughter of a government official. After the Japanese occupied Burma during World War II, the family fled to India. Until she was 14 years old, she attended a convent school where she learned English. In 1951, the family sent her to London, where she attended Marie Rambert's dance school; but she quickly realised she was no dancer and soon returned to Burma, where she married the famous politician Bo Setkya (Thakin Aung Than), who was almost 20 years her senior. In 1954, a friend of American director Robert Parrish visited her home and took a photograph of her, which he sent to Parrish. Parrish was at the time planning the filming of H.E. Bates' novel "The Purple Plain" and needed an Asian actress for the lead role. Seeing her picture, he realised she would be perfect and flew to Burma to convince her to accept the role, although she had no previous acting experience. After the UK premiere in September 1954, she was convinced to come to the US in the spring of 1955 to help promote the film. While there, she received several offers of film roles, but declined them all, stating that a film career would conflict with her role as wife; and after a few weeks she returned to Burma and her husband and never acted again. The military coup in 1962 forced the couple to flee to Bangkok, Thailand, where her husband died in 1969.

Annabella Lwin was born on 31 October 1966 in Rangoon, Burma. She is an actress and composer, known for Marie Antoinette (2006), Voleur de désirs (1984) and Bow Wow Wow: I Want Candy (1982).

Mary Lloyd 'Molly' Drake was born on 5 November 1915 in Rangoon, Burma. She was married to Rodney Drake. She died on 4 June 1993 in Tanworth-in-Arden, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK.

Rajesh Shah was born on 29 February 1956 in Rangoon, Burma. He is a producer and writer, known for Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai (2003) and Pukar (2000).

John A. Tinn was born on 10 June 1913 in Bhamo, Burma. He was an actor, known for Mon ami le fantôme (1969), Alerte en extrême orient (1957) and La malédiction de la panthère rose (1978). He was married to Kathleen Forster. He died in 1978 in London, England, UK.

Oliver Sandys was born on 6 October 1886 in Burma. She was a writer and actress, known for Vedette (1925), Rose o' the Sea (1922) and Tesha (1928). She was married to Caradoc Evans. She died in 1964.

Sakina Abowath was born in 1958 in Burma. She was previously married to Elyas Abowath.