Ian Ogilvy

A frequent guest star and supporting player in series and films, British actor Ian Ogilvy has occasionally been the leading man, perhaps most notably as an incarnation of the heroic thief Simon Templar in the popular series "Return of the Saint." Son of an actress and an advertising executive (and nephew of "the father of advertising," David Ogilvy), he studied at Eton and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts before performing for both stage and screen, including TV guest spots and early major film roles in the horror pictures of Michael Reeves opposite such genre legends as Boris Karloff and Vincent Price. In higher profile appearances, he joined an all-star cast including Rod Steiger, Christopher Plummer, and Orson Welles in the historical epic "Waterloo" and had a recurring part on the renowned dramatic series about domestic servants and their wealthy employers, "Upstairs, Downstairs," the latter earning him the attention of the producer of "The Saint" and the chance to fill the role made famous by Roger Moore in that show's two-season revival. A subsequent series, "Tom, Dick and Harriet" failed despite positive reviews and Ogilvy shifted back into supporting roles. Moving to the United States in the late '80s, he found parts in movies such as the comedy "Death Becomes Her," guest spots in popular series such as "Murder, She Wrote" and "Diagnosis Murder," and a regular slot in the short-lived nighttime soap, "Malibu Shores." Ogilvy has also written two novels and a successful series of children's books.