Born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire he was the only son of a solicitor and was educated at an English public school and served as a corporal in the army. He launched his career at Dublin's Gate Theatre then went to the Royal Shakespeare Company starting as a spear carrier. By the late 50's he'd established himself as a leading young stage actor and soon graduated to leading roles notably appearing opposite Vanessa Redgrave in As You Like It. The West End followed with A View From the Bridge, The Iceman Cometh and Long Days Journey Into Night in which he starred. In the 60's he was one of the most sought after character actors and worked with John Huston, Orson Welles and James Stewart. He won an Oscar nomination for The Flight of the Phoenix in which he was a plane crash survivor. He was once a drinking companion of Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton but had to give up due to hepatitis. In 1996 his career was recognised by BAFTA with a lifetime achievement award. He was 48 when he married Marilyn Salisbury, a former Ministry of Agriculture assistant, after she'd persuaded a cousin to take her to see him in Hamlet at Stratford and unknowingly parked in his reserved space and couldn't start her car again when he appeared. They became friends for 17 years before they married. He was killed in a crash in Scotland which over turned his car on November 3rd 1999. He was on a break from filming the provisionally titled Strictly Sinatra. His wife, who had to be cut free had slight injuries.