82
Years
45
Movies
49
TV Shows
7.7
Rating
Ian Raymond Ogilvy (born 30 September 1943) is an English film and television actor. He is best known as the star of the TV series Return of the Saint (1978–79), in which he assumed the role of Simon Templar from Roger Moore (1962–69).
82
Years Old
45
Movies
49
TV Shows
7.7
Avg Rating
Ian Raymond Ogilvy (born 30 September 1943) is an English film and television actor. He is best known as the star of the TV series Return of the Saint (1978–79), in which he assumed the role of Simon Templar from Roger Moore (1962–69).
1984
Ian Raymond Ogilvy (born 30 September 1943) is an English film and television actor. He is best known as the star of the TV series Return of the Saint (1978–79), in which he assumed the role of Simon Templar from Roger Moore (1962–69).
The role led to his being considered a leading contender for the role of James Bond in the early 1980s, when Moore announced his intention to leave the role. He never played the part (in part due to Moore reconsidering his resignation on several occasions), although he did play a Bond-like character in a series of North American TV commercials broadcast in the early 1990s. At least once, in an episode of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, "Dragon's Wing II", he played a Bond-like British agent, complete with white dinner jacket.
He was a friend of film-maker Michael Reeves and starred in all three of Reeves's films: Revenge of the Blood Beast (1966), The Sorcerers (1967), and Witchfinder General (also known as The Conqueror Worm, 1968). He guest-starred in The Avengers in the 1968 episode "They Keep Killing Steed" as Baron Von Curt, and on the BBC in Somerset Maugham's The Door of Opportunity, opposite Marianne Faithfull.
He appeared in the films Stranger in the House (1967), and The Day the Fish Came Out (1967), and had a major role in the epic film Waterloo (1970).
In 1976, he featured in the pilot episode of the television comedy series Ripping Yarns. He also appeared in I, Claudius (1976, as Drusus), and guest-starred in 6 episodes of Murder, She Wrote and 4 episodes of Diagnosis Murder. He appeared as Edgar Linton in a film version of Wuthering Heights (1970) and as Owen Gereth in BBC dramatization of The Spoils of Poynton (also 1970).
In the 1990s, he guest-starred in the TV series Babylon 5 (1998). The series' star, Bruce Boxleitner, is the former husband of Ogilvy's second wife, actress Kathryn Holcomb. He also had a role in the short-lived 1990s American soap opera, Malibu Shores. He appeared as Lawrence Kirbridge in the series Upstairs, Downstairs. He's had roles in over 100 TV shows, often appearing as a guest star. He then co-starred with Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her (1992); and with Richard Dreyfuss and Nia Vardalos in My Life in Ruins (2009), among others.
He has had an extensive career in the theatre playing leading roles in many London West End productions, including Design for Living, Happy Family, Three Sisters, Rookery Nook by Ben Travers, Run for Your Wife, The Millionaires by Shaw, The Waltz of the Toreadors, and others. He has also worked widely in the American theatre.
He is a playwright and novelist, currently working on a series of children's books: Measle and the Wrathmonk, Measle and the Dragodon, Measle and the Mallockee, Measle and the Slitherghoul, and Measle and the Doompit. He has written and published two novels – Loose Chippings and The Polkerton Giant – and two plays: A Slight Hangover and Swap!. His memoir, Once a Saint, was published in May 2016. His book of film reviews 'Withering Slights', based on his Facebook page, was published in 2020.
Gender
Male
Birthday
September 30, 1943
Birthplace
Woking, Surrey, England, UK
Also Known As
From Beyond the Grave
1974
The Saint Steps In... To Television
2008
Witchfinder General
1968
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
2021
The Little Minister
1975
The Saint and the Brave Goose
1979
We Still Steal the Old Way
2017
Horse Sense
1999
The Invincible Six
1970
Death Becomes Her
1992
The Young General: Reflections on Michael Reeves
2022
We Still Kill the Old Way
2014
Eddie Presley
1993
The Connoisseur
1966
The Athena Syndrome
—
The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson
1997
The Magnificent Obsession of Michael Reeves
2019
The Saint
2017
My Life in Ruins
2009
Invasion of Privacy
1992
+ 25 more movies
JAG
1995
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Baywatch
1989
Melrose Place
1992
Diagnosis: Murder
1993
Diagnosis: Murder
1993
Diagnosis: Murder
1993
Babylon 5
1994
The Avengers
1961
Walker, Texas Ranger
1993
BBC Play of the Month
1965
BBC Play of the Month
1965
BBC Play of the Month
1965
BBC Play of the Month
1965
Caroline in the City
1995
Early Edition
1996
The Parkers
1999
+ 29 more TV shows