George Victor Bishop was born in 1932 and later changed his name to Edward as a professional actor, due to the existence of another actor named George Bishop. He spent his childhood in Peekskill, New York, and continued his education through high school.
In 1952, Edward enlisted in the US Army and served until 1954, during which time he worked as a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio at St. John's, Newfoundland. Upon his return to civilian life, he initially planned to pursue a career in Business Administration, and subsequently enrolled in Boston University, intending to earn a degree in this field.
However, Edward's interests soon shifted, and he decided to pursue a degree in Theater Division at Boston University, graduating in 1960 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He was then awarded a scholarship to study drama at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1960.
Edward's professional acting career began in July 1961, and he went on to marry his second wife, Hilary Preen, an economist, at Caxton Hall in 1962. Hilary and Edward met in Trafalgar Square, where he was visiting famous landmarks in London. They had four children together, born in 1964, 1967, 1968, and 1971, respectively.
In 1980, Edward purchased a large old house in Napton on the Hill, a small village in Warwickshire, where he founded Napton Open Air Theatre and Napton Little Theatre. These organizations staged high-quality productions in the village, which became a hub for Edward's creative endeavors.
Edward later married his third wife, Jane Skinner, and resided with her at East Molesey. In 1994, he became a grandfather.
Throughout his life, Edward was an active anti-war campaigner, attending meetings and demonstrations in Manchester and addressing crowds at arms fairs. One notable instance was when he, along with four other individuals dressed as dictators who had received arms from Britain, crashed an arms fair. This stunt made national news.
