Biography

Prior to acting, tried his hand at farming, as a dock labourer, a door-to-door salesman, as a timber mill worker and a reporter. Gained his first acting experience, aged 20, with the Napier Repertory Players.

Gravel-voiced New Zealand-born character actor with a distinctive high forehead and dark eyebrows. Trained at RADA in 1947, then worked with various repertory companies in London, Nottingham and Oxford. On British screens from 1948. Got his big break, when cast as Sergeant Lucas in Maigret (1960), filmed on location in Paris. The believability of his character was helped somewhat by the fact that Solon spoke fluent French. He subsequently returned to the stage at the Bristol Old Vic and the West End. From 1971 to 1974, he spent time guest-starring in Australian television series. After his return to England in 1975, he lent gravitas to two instalments of Doctor Who (1963).