Raised in Guernsey, The Channel Islands

Served as an air gunner in the Royal Air Force during WWII; shot down and captured by the Germans

Was held in a prisoner of war camp in Germany; inmates put on plays

London stage debut, "Back Home Revue", a benefit for the Red Cross performed by former prisoners of war

Was a member of the Liverpool Repertory, Manchester Repertory and Oldham Repertory theatres

Founded Guernsey Repertory Theatre; left in 1957

Was a member of the acting company of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, which became Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961

Film debut, "Heroes of Telemark"

Starred in acclaimed TV special "The Caretaker"

Starred in one-person show, "Brief Lives," Hempstead Theatre Club, London; reprised show on Broadway in 1968

Headlined TV production of "Brief Lives" (BBC)

Starred in "Lock Up Your Daughters"

Played featured role of a Russian general in the epic "Nicholas and Alexandra"

Played Charles Dickens in "Dickens in London", a biographical drama aired on PBS' "Masterpiece Theater"

Appeared on Broadway in the one-person drama "Mr. Lincoln" at the Morosco Theater; reprised on NBC's "Hallmark Hall of Fame" the following year

Starred in "A Life" at Broadway's Morosco Theatre; earned Tony nomination

Appeared with American Shakespeare Festival

Starred in the title role of "Churchill", performed in L.A.

Cast as Mozart's father in the Oscar-winning "Amadeus"

Portrayed British monarch George IV in the syndicated miniseries "Shaka Zulu"

Cast as Arthur Conan Doyle in the ABC biopic "Young Harry Houdini"

Was series regular on the cult CBS drama "Beauty and the Beast", portraying the recluse who raised Vincent, the titular beast

Portrayed the coach of skaters training for the Olympics in "The Cutting Edge"

Starred as a maverick doctor who founded his own medical school in the Caribbean in the short-lived ABC series "Going to Extremes"

Played recurring role of a Catholic priest on the award-winning CBS drama series "Pickett Fences"

Acted in the ill-fated remake of "The Scarlet Letter"

Had recurring role of Mr. Big on the short-lived CBS spy series "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"

Co-starred on stage in "A Moon for the Misbegotten", featuring Cherry Jones and Gabriel Byrne; earned Tony as Featured Actor in a Play

Reteamed with Byrne as co-stars of the short-lived ABC sitcom "Madigan Men"