Noted thespian, born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland, to a family of modest means, with a father serving as a solicitor. His early life was marked by an English public school education, followed by a stint in the army, where he rose to the rank of corporal. Upon leaving the military, he began his acting career at Dublin's esteemed Gate Theatre, before joining the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, initially taking on the humble role of a spear carrier.
As the 1950s drew to a close, he had established himself as a prominent young stage actor, soon graduating to leading roles, including a notable performance opposite the renowned Vanessa Redgrave in a production of As You Like It. His West End career flourished, with appearances in notable productions such as A View From the Bridge, The Iceman Cometh, and Long Days Journey Into Night, in which he starred.
By the 1960s, he had become one of the most sought-after character actors of his time, collaborating with renowned directors such as John Huston, Orson Welles, and James Stewart. His impressive body of work earned him an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Flight of the Phoenix, in which he portrayed a plane crash survivor.
A close friend and drinking companion of Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton, he eventually had to curtail his heavy drinking due to a diagnosis of hepatitis. In 1996, his outstanding contributions to the world of acting were recognized by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts with a lifetime achievement award.
In his personal life, he married Marilyn Salisbury, a former Ministry of Agriculture assistant, in 1996, after a 17-year courtship. The couple had met when Marilyn's cousin took her to see him in a production of Hamlet at Stratford, and she unknowingly parked in his reserved parking space, causing her car to become stuck. The two remained friends for many years before tying the knot.
Tragically, his life was cut short in a car accident in Scotland on November 3rd, 1999, while on a break from filming the provisionally titled Strictly Sinatra. His wife, who was in the car with him, suffered slight injuries and had to be cut free from the wreckage.
