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.
He has performed at the Bristol Old Vic.
His father was a chauffeur and his mother a nanny.
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.