Although he was born in Sunderland, he spent the majority of his life in Scotland, where he considers himself a true Scot. As a child, he struggled with asthma, but he credits playing the bugle in the Boys' Brigade with his recovery.
He was educated in Glasgow, where he initially considered pursuing a career in teaching. However, after completing his national service in the Royal Scots Greys Armoured Corps, he was persuaded to follow in his father's footsteps and work in the flour mills. By the age of 24, he had risen through the ranks to become a sales manager.
In his free time, he worked with amateur drama groups, which ultimately led him to change his career direction. He then trained at the Glasgow College of Dramatic Art, before becoming an assistant stage manager at Glasgow's Citizen Theatre. Within three months, he was playing lead roles, including Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice and the Gentleman Caller in The Glass Menagerie.
After declining an offer to understudy Albert Finney at London's National Theatre, he was cast as Martin in the film The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966),followed by the television play Cock, Hen and Courting Pit (1966) and the film Ulysses (1967).
He then returned to the theatre, where he played MacDuff in Macbeth at London's Royal Court Theatre. During the run, he took over the title role from Alec Guinness, before starring in the theatre's next production of Soldiers of Fortune.
In his personal life, he was married to Scottish actress Jan Wilson, with whom he had a daughter, Sarah-Anne.
