Born in Coventry, England on 5 April 1929. Raised in South Africa. Returned to the UK in the 1950s. Extensive theatre work in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby in the BBC comedy "Yes [Prime] Minister" won him international acclaim in the 1980s. In 1992 the Olivier Award for his George III in Alan Bennett's hit stage play The Madness of George III.
He was vegetarian. Honorary Patron of independent film production company, Salmac Productions. Knighted in the New Years honours list. [1999] In 1987, Queen Elizabeth II honored him with the title CBE (Commander of the Order British Empire). Has received numerous awards including: Clarence Derwent and SWET Awards for "Privates on Parade" - and the 'Broadcasting Press Guild' Award, plus two BAFTA Awards (1981) and (1982), for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby in _"Yes, Minister" (1980)_ . 2001 - Battled a recurrence of pancreatic cancer which was thought in remission after surgical therapy. Educated by the Christian Brothers in South Africa. Survived by his partner, writer Trevor Bentham. He lived quietly in a 15th-century manor house He didn't get on well with Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes during the making of Demolition Man. He did a small uncredited cameo in the Crimson Insurance short film by Terry Gilliam that is part of _"Monty Python's Meaning of Life"_ - he is the man that is walking by the building when the anchors are raised. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1992 (1991 season) for Best Actor for his performance in The Madness of King George III at the Royal National Theatre. One of his last major projects was the Anglo-Japanese stage adaptation of "King Lear" in Japan. He was awarded the 1992 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Madness of George III. He was awarded the 1991 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor for his performance in The Madness of King George III. Has played a former King of England (George III in The Madness of King George ) and a former President of the United States (Martin Van Buren in Amistad ). Was supposedly considered early on for the role of Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. His performance in "Shadowlands" on Broadway won him the 1991 Tony and New York Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actor for his performance. Won Broadway's 1991 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for "Shadowlands." Among the actors offered the part of Captain Striker (played by Keith Barron) in Doctor Who: Enlightenment