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 Minister" 's hit stage play, "The Madness of King George III".
He was vegetarian.
Honorary Patron of independent film production company, Salmac Productions.
He was created a Knight Bachelor in the 1999 Queens New Years Honours List for his services to drama.
He was awarded the CBE in the 1987 Queens New Year Honours List for his services to drama.
Has received numerous awards including: Clarence Derwent and SWET Awards for "Privates on Parade" - and the Broadcasting Press Guild Award, plus two BAFTA Awards and , for his role as "Sir Humphrey Appleby" in "Yes Minister" .
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 didnt 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 Pythons The 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 George III" at the Royal National Theatre. For his performance in its film adaptation The Madness of King George , he was nominated for Oscar of Best Actor in a Leading Role.
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 Broadways 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.
Was originally cast as "Sir William Gull" in From Hell but, when his cancer prevented him from working in the film, was replaced by Ian Holm.
He was considered for the roles of Hans Fallada, Sir Percy Helestine, Dr. Bukovsky and Dr. Armstrong in Lifeforce .
Although he played Maggie Smith s son in Richard III , he was more than five years her senior in real life.
Is one of 13 actors who have received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a real-life king. The others in chronological order are Charles Laughton for The Private Life of Henry VIII. , Robert Morley for Marie Antoinette , Basil Rathbone for If I Were King , Laurence Olivier for The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fifth with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France and Richard III , Jos Ferrer for Joan of Arc , Yul Brynner for The King and I , John Gielgud for Becket , Peter OToole for Becket and The Lion in Winter , Robert Shaw for A Man for All Seasons , Richard Burton for Anne of the Thousand Days , Kenneth Branagh for Henry V , and Colin Firth for The Kings Speech .
Generally regarded as the first openly gay actor to be nominated for an Academy Award (for the 1994 film, The Madness of King George).
Derek Fowlds , co-star from "Yes Minister" , said of him, "Together, with Paul Eddington , the three of us were together for seven, eight years. We were really good mates. We had many happy hours doing those shows... they were very special times".
