Richard Durden

If casting directors could grant honorary degrees, seasoned character actor Richard Durden would be one of the most learned people on the planet. He has played doctors, politicians, professors, barristers and other distinguished gentleman throughout a career that has spanned over four decades. Durden, who is a classically trained actor, was a member of Oxford's famed Experimental Theatre Club during the late 1960s. Fellow players there included Michael Palin and Terry Jones, who would go on to become founding members of absurdist comedy troupe Monty Python. Durden is a veteran of British television and has frequently appeared in mysteries--including guest spots on multiple installments of "Miss Marple"; "Inspector Morse," and "Poiriot"--and in police procedurals from "The Bill" to "McCallum." His later career has also featured many performances in period films, including 2004's made-for-TV historical drama "Dunkirk" and the 1920s-era thriller "The Awakening." During a 2010 interview on BBC Radio 4, journalist Lynn Barber claimed that it was her breakup with a young Durden during their time at Oxford that led her to the promiscuous lifestyle described in parts of her memoir, "An Education." The book was a follow-up to the magazine article that inspired novelist Nick Hornby's screenplay for Danish director Lone Scherfig's acclaimed 2009 film of the same name.