I was born on the 13th February 1938 in Wimbledon, England to my mother Marcia and father Peter, was a Sports journalist. It was was alleged that I was a descendant (through an illegitimate step) of Peter The Great, Tsar of Russia.


My brother Simon and I attended Ewell Castle school in Surrey, after which I served compulsory military service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. In 1959 I married for the first time and had one son, Mark. Kate and I divorced in 1969.


By the late 1950's I had developed a love of the arts and started my thespian career as an extra in a couple of Norman Wisdom films, The Square Peg and Bulldog Breed, although both were uncredited, as were my next three films, 'The Invisible Man', 'The Four Just Men' and 'The League of Gentlemen'.


My first significant roles started in 1960 with eight film roles for Hammer Horror film studios, and notable performances in films by Michael Winner, Ken Russell and almost became James Bond in the early 70's taking over from Sean Connery. But it was the 70's and early 80's for which I will be remembered.


It was the film versions of the Alexandre Dumas novels that you'll know me by, first the Three, then the Four and finally the 'Return of the Musketeers'. I marred in 1985 to Josephine Burge after a two day 106 pint pub crawl, so I did like a drink or two, just for medicinal purposes you understand. But my hell raising lifestyle took its toll in 1999 when I suffered a heart attack while filming 'Gladiator'. Who was I ?