His father, a wine importer loved the theatre and encouraged his acting
ambitions and got him his first job at 16 touring with a Shakespearean
company painting scenery and doing walk on parts. His mother
disapproved thinking it wasn't a job for a respectable middle class
young man. By 1939 he'd graduated to leading roles but then the war
came. He joined the army and rose through the ranks to become a major.
Within four days of leaving the service he was back in the theatre in a
play 'Fifty Fifty' and the 'Seagulls Over Sorento' which ran five
years.
His son, Simon, is a TV director and directed him in two episodes of 'Upstairs Downstairs'.
He was born one day after the sinking of the "Titanic".
He was the father of three sons, including the director Simon Langton.
Upon his death, his remains were cremated at Putney Vale Crematorium in Putney Vale, London, England.
He was supposed to have played Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart in The Web of Fear: Episode 3 (1968) but dropped out, so the considerably younger Nicholas Courtney took the part and became a regular cast member in the series until 1975.