Ian Ogilvy

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Ian Ogilvy
Ian Ogilvy.jpg
Ogilvy in 2007
Born
Ian Raymond Ogilvy

(1943-09-30) 30 September 1943 (age 80)
Woking, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
Occupation(s)Actor, playwright, novelist
Years active1958–present
Spouses
Diane Hart
(m. 1968;div. 1983)
Kathryn Holcomb
(m. 1992)
Children1
Parent(s)Francis Fairfield Ogilvy
Aileen Raymond
Relatives David Ogilvy (uncle)
Website ianogilvy.com

Ian Raymond Ogilvy (born 30 September 1943) is an English actor, playwright and novelist. [1]

Contents

Early life

Ogilvy was born in Woking, Surrey, England, to Francis Fairfield Ogilvy, brother of advertising executive David Ogilvy, [2] and actress Aileen Raymond (who had previously been married to actor John Mills). His grandfather, Francis John Longley Ogilvy, was born in Argentina and a self-taught Gaelic-speaker who was a classics scholar and a failed financial broker. [3] He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. [4]

Career

Return of the Saint

He is best known as the star of the television series Return of the Saint (1978–79), in which he assumed the role of Simon Templar from Roger Moore (1962–69). [5]

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's 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. [6]

He recorded a series of readings of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels in the early 1980s, which were released on audio cassette by the Listen for Pleasure label.[ citation needed ]

Other notable roles

Ogilvy 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 Millionairess by Shaw, The Waltz of the Toreadors , and others. He has also worked widely in the American theatre. Among his films, Ogilvy had a major part in the 1970 epic film Waterloo.

He co-starred with Boris Karloff in The Sorcerers (1967); with James Mason, Bobby Darin, and Geraldine Chaplin in Stranger in the House (also 1967); with Vincent Price in Witchfinder General (also known as The Conqueror Worm, 1968); with Tom Courtenay and Candice Bergen in The Day the Fish Came Out (1967): with Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her (1992); with Peter Cushing in two films for horror specialists Amicus and with Richard Dreyfuss and Nia Vardalos in My Life in Ruins (2009) – among others. [7]

He was a friend of the film-maker Michael Reeves and starred in all three of Reeves's films: Revenge of the Blood Beast (1966), The Sorcerers and Witchfinder General. He also had a role in the short-lived 1990s American soap opera, Malibu Shores . He has had roles in over one hundred television shows, often appearing as a guest star. He appeared in the television series Upstairs, Downstairs (as Lawrence Kirbridge).

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.

In 1976, he featured in the pilot episode of the television comedy series Ripping Yarns , co-produced by former Monty Python members Michael Palin and Terry Jones. 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 dramatisation of The Spoils of Poynton (also 1970).

In the 1990s, he guest-starred in the American television series Babylon 5 , in the episode "In the Kingdom of the Blind" (1998). [8] The series' star, Bruce Boxleitner, is the former husband of Ogilvy's second wife, actress Kathryn Holcomb. A couple of years after Kathryn's divorce from Bruce Boxleitner, she introduced actress Melissa Gilbert to him, and they were married from 1995 to 2011. In 2000 he guest starred in Dharma and Greg series, Season 3 Episode 15, "The trouble with troubadours", as the sarcastic British hotel night manager.

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1979 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.[ citation needed ]

Writing career

Ogilvy is also 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. [9] The books have been translated into at least 15 languages.

He has written and published two novels Loose Chippings and The Polkerton Giant – and two plays: A Slight Hangover and Swap!, currently running in Poland in its third successful year. His memoir, Once a Saint, was published by Little Brown/Constable, in May 2016. [10]

His book of film reviews 'Withering Slights', based on his Facebook page, was published by Spiteful Puppet in 2020 [11]

Personal life

Ogilvy was married to Diane Hart from 1968 to 1983; they had one child. He married Kathryn Holcomb in 1992, and later became a naturalised United States citizen. [12]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1966 The She Beast Philip
1967 Stranger in the House Desmond Flower
1967 The Sorcerers Mike Roscoe
1967 The Day the Fish Came Out Peter
1968 Witchfinder General Richard Marshall
1970 Wuthering Heights Edgar Linton
1970 The Invincible Six Ronald
1970 Waterloo William Howe De Lancey
1973 No Sex Please, We're British David Hunter
1973 And Now the Screaming Starts! Charles Fengriffen
1974 From Beyond the Grave William Seaton
1978–1979The Saint - Television Series
1988 Maigret Daniel Portman
1992Invasion of PrivacyBrian
1992 Eddie Presley Captain Starch
1992 Death Becomes Her Chagall
1994 Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter Jennings
1996 The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson Gary
1999 Fugitive Mind Dr. Grace
2007After MidnightDennis
2009 My Life in Ruins Stewart Tullen
2014 We Still Kill the Old Way Richie Archer
2016 We Still Steal the Old Way Richie Archer
2017 The Saint Xander, The Fixer
2018MistrustIanCameo
2022 Renegades Major Frederick Peck
TBA Cold Sun Sir Peter BromvillePre-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 ITV Play of the Week Tom OlliphantEpisode: "Celebration Dinner"
1964The Hidden TruthDavid EastonEpisode: "Sweets to the Sweet"
1965 Theatre 625 FranzEpisode: "Ironhand"
1965 The Man in Room 17 Pedro Da SilvaEpisode: "Safe Conduct"
1966The LiarsRupertAll 13 episodes
1966 The Wednesday Play Viscount BallantyneEpisode: "The Connoisseur"
1966 Orlando Moz5 episodes
1967Half Hour StoryEdEpisode: "What Will You Do About Christmas?"
1967Boy Meets GirlAndréEpisode: "Goodnight Pelican"
1967 ITV Playhouse Lord WindermereEpisode: "Lady Windermere's Fan"
1968 Thirty-Minute Theatre PeterEpisode: "Child's Play"
1968DetectiveInspector ApplebyEpisode: "Lesson in Anatomy"
1968 The Avengers Baron Von CurtEpisode: "They Keep Killing Steed"
1969 Out of the Unknown HerbieEpisode: "Liar!"
1969 Armchair Theatre David Baurmarez-SmithEpisode: "The Brophy Story"
1969 Strange Report TobyEpisode: "Report 2493: Kidnap - Whose Pretty Girl Are You?"
1970 The Wednesday Play SamEpisode: "Wine of India"
1970 The Spoils of Poynton Owen GerethAll 4 episodes
1970 W. Somerset Maugham Alban TorelEpisode: "The Door of Opportunity"
1970 Thirty-Minute Theatre Prince of EgyptEpisode: "Helen"
1971Seasons of the YearHector RobinsonEpisode: "English Family Robinson"
1972 Man of Straw Wolfgang Buck3 episodes
1972 Upstairs, Downstairs Lawrence Kirbridge6 episodes
1972 BBC Play of the Month Arthur GowerEpisode: "Trelawny of the Wells"
1973 BBC Play of the Month CandideEpisode: "Candide"
1973 Armchair 30 The ManEpisode: "Alfred Potter's Story"
1974ZodiacMartin SeacombeEpisode: "Saturn's Rewards"
1974The Haggard FalconDominic AllardyceAll 4 episodes
1974Affairs of the HeartMorris TownsendEpisode: "Catherine"
1974 The Gathering Storm Edward VIII TV film
1975A Man in the ZooJohn CromartieTV film
1975 Comedy Premiere Nigel BensonEpisode: "For Richer for Poorer"
1975 BBC Play of the Month Rev. Gavin DishartEpisode: "The Little Minister"
1975 Moll Flanders Humphrey OliverTV film
1976 Ripping Yarns GraysonEpisode: "Tomkinson's Schooldays"
1976 I, Claudius Drusus2 episodes
1978 BBC Play of the Month Thomas AimwellEpisode: "The Beaux Stratagem"
1978–1979 Return of the Saint Simon Templar 24 episodes
1982 Q.E.D. Lord Sidney SarandonEpisode: "Infernal Device"
1982–1983 Tom, Dick and Harriet Richard Maddison12 episodes
1985 Anna Karenina StivaTV film
1985Time for MurderMax DonaldsonEpisode: "Mister Clay, Mister Clay"
1986 The Two Ronnies James PommfritEpisode: #12.5
1986 Robin of Sherwood Lord EdgarEpisode: "Rutterkin"
1986MaggieDenholm SinclairTV film
1988 Menace Unseen Duncan FreeAll 3 episodes
1988 Maigret Daniel PortmanTV film
1989 Murder, She Wrote Harold BainesEpisode: "Appointment in Athens"
1990 Campion Jimmy Sutane2 episodes
1990 B.L. Stryker Jason StoneEpisode: "Grand Theft Hotel"
1990–1991 Generations Reginald Hewitt52 episodes
1990 Murder, She Wrote Peter BainesEpisode: "The Sicilian Encounter"
1990 Over My Dead Body Inspector Miles CottrellEpisode: "A Passing Inspection"
1991 P.S. I Luv U Archibald BondEpisode: "Smile, You're Dead"
1992 Murder, She Wrote Peter TempletonEpisode: "The Monte Carlo Murders"
1992 Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue InterviewerTV film
1993 It Had to Be You ColinEpisode: "London Calling"
1993 Murder, She Wrote Lawson ChildressEpisode: "Murder in White"
1994 The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. FurlongEpisode: "Bounty Hunters' Convention"
1994 Burke's Law RomeoEpisode: "Who Killed Romeo?"
1994 Walker, Texas Ranger Shredder StonhamEpisode: "Rampage"
1994 Phenom Poindexter BondEpisode: "Just a Family of Doolans Sittin' Around Talkin'"
1994 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues SterlingEpisode: "Dragonswing II"
1994 Murder, She Wrote Wade FosterEpisode: "Murder of the Month Club"
1996 Hope & Gloria David KirkwoodEpisode: "A Sentimental Education"
1996 The Faculty MarionEpisode: "Opportunity Knockers"
1996 Malibu Shores Marc Delacourt7 episodes
1996 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Dr. SmallwoodEpisode: "Village of the Doomed"
1997 Murphy Brown Duncan BriggsEpisode: "How to Marry a Billionaire"
1997 Caroline in the City Lionel Spencer2 episodes
1997 JAG Jeffrey MasonEpisode: "The Good of the Service"
1998 Babylon 5 Lord JanoEpisode: "In the Kingdom of the Blind"
1998 Early Edition Clive HarbisonEpisode: "Show Me the Monet"
1999 Love Boat: The Next Wave Jack CampbellEpisode: "Other People's Business"
1999 Melrose Place Leo TurnlowEpisode: "Saving Ryan's Privates"
1999 Baywatch Miles ClaytonEpisode: "Water Dance"
1999 Diagnosis Murder Jerry Lane2 episodes
1999 Horse Sense MilesTV film
2000 Dharma & Greg GeoffreyEpisode: "The Trouble with Troubador"
2002 The Parkers SeymourEpisode: "And the Winner Is..."
2010 Agatha Christie's Marple Johnny RestarickEpisode: "They Do It with Mirrors"

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References

  1. "Ian Ogilvy profile". filmreference.com. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  2. "Ian Ogilvy profile". Ian Ogilvy. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  3. Roman, Kenneth (8 June 2010). The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising. St. Martin's Press. ISBN   9780230618343.
  4. Saunders, Tim (8 November 2004). "The Saint who has turned scribe". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  5. Watkins, Nick (12 November 2014). "Ian Ogilvy: Cars don't impress women as much as men" . Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  6. "Dragonswing II". IMDb.com. 7 November 1994. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  7. "Ian Ogilvy: Saints, Sorcerers and Secret Agents". cinemaretro.com. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  8. "In the Kingdom of the Blind". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  9. Hodges, Jodie. "Ian Ogilvy - Children's Author". unitedagents.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  10. Ian Ogilvy (5 May 2016). Once A Saint: An Actor's Memoir eBook: Ian Ogilvy: Kindle Store. Constable. Retrieved 16 December 2016 via Amazon.com.
  11. "Withering Slights (Paperback)".
  12. Ian Ogilvy at IMDb