Raised in Thornaby, England

Dropped out of school at age 15 and worked as a porter

Won six months work as member of BBC Radio Drama repertory company (date approximate)

Worked in the provinces of England as a stage manager and member of obscure acting companies

Returned to Manchester; became member of director David Scase's company; made TV debut in small roles in Granada TV dramas

Joined Royal Shakespeare Company (date approximate);

Made first film appearance, "It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet"; re-released three years later as "All Things Bright and Beautiful"

Offered impressive turn as Bottom in the RSC production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Won raves for his performances as Lariosik in "The White Guard" and as George in "Once in a Lifetime" on London stage

Played the husband of an American (Elaine Stritch) living in England in the British TV comedy "Nobody's Perfect" (ITV); reprised role in second series in 1982

Appeared in small role in the Oscar-winning "Chariots of Fire"

Played a British reporter in "Gandhi"

Was perfectly cast as Sir John Falstaff in the BBC TV production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor"

Cast as a mild-mannered computer programer Henry Jay who runs afoul of a financial conspiracy in the four-part TV thriller "Bird of Prey" (BBC)

First significant film role, Anton in "Gorky Park"

Played both "Volpone" and "Henry VIII" at the RSC

Reprised role of the computer programmer Henry Jay in the four-part thriller "Bird of Prey 2" (BBC)

Co-starred with Madonna and Sean Penn in the bomb "Shanghai Surprise"

Delivered memorable performance as the lusty Uncle Monty in "Withnail and I"

Starred as a wine merchant in the British comedy series "Ffizz" (ITV); reprised role in second series of episodes aired in 1989

Cast as a teacher who moves from Bolton to London with his resentful wife and newborn child in the series "A Kind of Living" (ITV)

Played dual roles of a German scientist and an American Southerner in the comedy "The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear"

Had title role in "The Life of Galileo" at the Alameida Theatre

Starred in the British sitcom "Pie in the Sky" (BBC)

Co-starred in "Guarding Tess"

Was featured in "Funny Bones"

Played one of the magistrates in "Sleepy Hollow"

Offered a memorable performance as the corpulent kitchen master in the British miniseries "Gormenghast" (BBC)

Portrayed a doctor in "Vatel"

Acted on the London stage in "Art" alongside George Segal and Paul Freeman

Played Uncle Dursley in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

Co-starred in the London stage production "Luther" alongside Rufus Sewell

Returned as Uncle Dursley in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Again played Uncle Dursley in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

Starred opposite Claire Danes and Billy Crudup in "Stage Beauty" based on the play by Jeffrey Hatcher

Played a beloved teacher in the Broadway production of "The History Boys"

Reprised his role for the film version of "The History Boys"

Starred opposite Peter O'Toole in "Venus" a film directed by Roger Michell and written by Hanif Kureishi