Biography

Urbane, gentlemanly British character actor with a penchant for comedy. He was educated at Highgate College and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1926. He was on stage from 1925, after his debut with the Hull Repertory Company, and was a regular performer on the London West End from the 1930's. During World War I, he served as a pilot in the newly formed Royal Air Force (1918-19) . In the 1940's, he left England for the USA under a two-year contract at Paramount Studios, but is best remembered for his performances in British films like French Without Tears (1940) (a part he also acted on stage), Dead of Night (1945), Trio (1950), as W. Somerset Maugham, and Obsessed (1951).

His first wife, Daphne Rye, became the casting agent for H.M. Tennent and was instrumental in the careers of many stars, including Kenneth More. She is reputed to have discovered Richard Burton. In her later years, she was seen as somewhat "formidable"; Nigel Hawthorne said, "How daunting it was to hear her voice coming from a darkened auditorium during auditions".

1240th guest on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs"

Originally trained as a pilot with the RAF in 1918 - 1919.

His hobbies include golf and if it hadn't been for his theatre and film career he would have liked to have been a professional golfer.