Ian Ogilvy
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 30, 1943 (age 83)
- Birthplace
- Woking, Surrey, England, UK
Biography
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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Athena Syndrome
Movie · as Sir Peter William Bromville GCMG
Knightfall
Movie · as Charles Knight
The Young General: Reflections on Michael Reeves
Movie · as Self
Renegades
Movie · as Peck
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
Movie · as Self
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
Movie · as Self / Poem Reader (voice)
The Magnificent Obsession of Michael Reeves
Movie · as Himself
Mistrust
Movie · as Ian
We Still Steal the Old Way
Movie · as Richie Archer
The Saint
Movie · as The Fixer
We Still Kill the Old Way
Movie · as Richie Archer
My Life in Ruins
Movie · as Mr. Stewart Tullen
The Saint Steps In... To Television
Movie · as Himself
After Midnight
Movie · as Dennis
Tigon Tales of Terror
Movie · as Himself
Horse Sense
Movie · as Miles
Fugitive Mind
Movie · as Dr. Grace
The Blood Beast: The Films of Michael Reeves
Movie · as himself
The Parkers
TV · 1 ep
Eurotika!
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson
Movie · as Gary
Dharma & Greg
TV · as Geoffrey · 1 ep
Early Edition
TV · as Clive Harbison · 1 ep
Malibu Shores
TV · as Marc Delacourt · 10 eps
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
TV · as Dr. Smallwood (voice) · 1 ep
JAG
TV · as Jeffrey Mason · 1 ep
Hope and Gloria
TV · as David Kirkwood · 1 ep
Caroline in the City
TV · as Mr. Spencer · 2 eps
Puppet Master 5
Movie · as Dr. Jennings
One West Waikiki
TV · 1 ep
Babylon 5
TV · as Lord Jano · 1 ep
Burke's Law
TV · as Romeo · 1 ep
Eddie Presley
Movie · as Captain Starch
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
TV · as Sterling · 1 ep
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
TV · as Furlong · 1 ep
Walker, Texas Ranger
TV · as Shredder Stonham · 1 ep
Diagnosis: Murder
TV · as Lyle Fairbanks, Larry Duggin, Jerry Lane · 1 ep
Death Becomes Her
Movie · as Chagall
Invasion of Privacy
Movie · as Brian
Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue
Movie · as Interviewer
Melrose Place
TV · 2 eps
P.S. I Luv U
TV · 1 ep
Baywatch
TV · 1 ep
Campion
TV · as Jimmy Sutane · 2 eps
Maigret
Movie · as Daniel Portman
Menace Unseen
TV · as Duncan Free · 3 eps
Maggie
Movie · as Denholm Sinclair
Anna Karenina
Movie · as Stiva
Time for Murder
TV · as Max Donaldson · 1 ep
Murder, She Wrote
TV · as Harold Baines, Peter Templeton, Lawson Childress, Wade Foster · 2 eps
Robin of Sherwood
TV · as Lord Edgar · 1 ep
Tom, Dick and Harriet
TV · 12 eps
Q.E.D.
TV · as Lord Sidney Sarandon · 1 ep
The Saint and the Brave Goose
Movie · as Simon Templar
Return of the Saint
TV · as Simon Templar · 24 eps
Tomkinson's Schooldays
Movie · as Grayson
Ripping Yarns
TV · 1 ep
I, Claudius
TV · as Drusus · 1 ep
The Little Minister
Movie · as Rev. Gavin Dishart
A Man in the Zoo
Movie · as John Cromartie
Moll Flanders
Movie · as Humphrey Oliver
From Beyond the Grave
Movie · as William Seaton
The Gathering Storm
Movie · as Edward VIII
Zodiac
TV · as Martin Seacombe · 1 ep
Affairs of the Heart
TV · as Dr Morris Townsend · 1 ep
And Now the Screaming Starts!
Movie · as Charles Fengriffen
No Sex Please - We're British
Movie · as David Hunter
Armchair 30
TV · as A Man · 1 ep
Upstairs, Downstairs
TV · as self · 6 eps
Wine of India
Movie · as Sam
Waterloo
Movie · as De Lancey
Wuthering Heights
Movie · as Edgar Linton
The Invincible Six
Movie · as Ronald
The Spoils of Poynton
TV · as Owen Gereth · 4 eps
Liar!
Movie · as Herbie, RB34
W. Somerset Maugham
TV · as Alban Torel · 1 ep
Witchfinder General
Movie · as Richard Marshall
The Sorcerers
Movie · as Mike Roscoe
Stranger in the House
Movie · as Desmond Flower
The Day the Fish Came Out
Movie · as Peter
ITV Playhouse
TV · as Lord Windermere · 1 ep
Half Hour Story
TV · as Ed · 1 ep
Boy Meets Girl
TV · as André · 1 ep
The Connoisseur
Movie · as Viscount Ballantyne
The She Beast
Movie · as Philip
The Liars
TV · as Rupert · 13 eps
BBC Play of the Month
TV · as Candide, Rev. Gavin Dishart, Arthur Gower, Thomas Aimwell · 1 ep
The Man in Room 17
TV · as Pedro Da Silva · 1 ep
Out of the Unknown
TV · as Herbie, RB34 · 1 ep
Thirty-Minute Theatre
TV · as Peter · 1 ep
Theatre 625
TV · as Franz · 1 ep
Detective
TV · as Inspector Appleby · 1 ep
Intrusion
Movie
The Avengers
TV · as Baron Von Curt · 1 ep
Armchair Theatre
TV · as David Baurmarez-Smith · 1 ep
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV · as Edward VIII · 1 ep