Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland, known professionally as Joss Ackland, is a renowned English actor who has made a lasting impact in the entertainment industry over the course of his six-decade-long career.
Born on February 29, 1928, in North Kensington, London, Ackland began his professional journey in the world of theater at the tender age of 17, making his stage debut in the play "The Hasty Heart" in 1945.
Although he initially made his film debut in an uncredited role in the 1950 thriller "Seven Days to Noon," it would take several years for him to make a credited appearance on the big screen, which came in the form of a supporting role in the 1952 film "Ghost Ship."
However, Ackland's early years in the industry were marked by a period of time spent honing his craft in regional theatrical companies, where he spent the latter half of the 1940s and the first half of the 1950s.
In 1955, Ackland made the bold decision to leave the English stage behind and move to Africa, where he managed a tea plantation and also wrote plays and worked as a radio disc jockey.
Two years later, he returned to England and joined the Old Vic company, where he would go on to spend many years perfecting his craft and making a name for himself in the world of commercial West End theater.
Ackland's stage career was marked by a number of notable performances, including his roles as Captain Hook in the musical version of "Peter Pan" and as Juan Peron in "Evita," as well as his memorable turns as Falstaff in "Henry IV Parts 1 & 2" and as Captain Shotover in "Heartbreak House."
As the years went by, Ackland began to appear more regularly in films, and his career as a movie character actor picked up rapidly in the 1970s and began to flourish in the 1980s.
Some of his most notable performances on screen include his roles in the BBC-TV production of "Shadowlands," in which he played the role of C.S. Lewis, and in the 1989 film "Lethal Weapon 2," in which he played the ruthless South African heavy, Arjen Rudd.
In addition to his impressive body of work, Ackland is also the father of seven children, whom he listed as his "hobby" in a 1981 interview.
For his 50 years of service to the English stage, cinema, and television, Ackland was named a Commander of the British Empire on the New Year's Honours List in 2000.
