Ian Ogilvy

Birthday: 1943-09-30
Birthplace: Woking, Surrey, England, UK
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

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.

Credits

Year Title Character
The Athena Syndrome Sir Peter William Bromville GCMG
2022-12-02 Renegades Peck
2018-06-01 Mistrust Ian
2017-07-11 The Saint The Fixer
2017-01-09 We Still Steal the Old Way Richie Archer
2014-12-12 We Still Kill the Old Way Richie Archer
2009-06-05 My Life in Ruins Mr. Stewart Tullen
1999-11-20 Horse Sense Miles
1999-09-14 Fugitive Mind Dr. Grace
1997-07-25 The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson Gary
1994-09-21 Puppet Master 5 Dr. Jennings
1993-05-20 Eddie Presley Captain Starch
1992-12-07 Invasion of Privacy Brian
1992-12-05 Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue Interviewer
1992-07-30 Death Becomes Her Chagall
1988-02-22 Maigret Daniel Portman
1985-01-01 Anna Karenina Stiva
1979-01-07 The Saint and the Brave Goose Simon Templar
1976-01-07 Tomkinson's Schooldays Grayson
1975-11-02 The Little Minister Rev. Gavin Dishart
1974-11-29 The Gathering Storm Edward VIII
1974-02-21 From Beyond the Grave William Seaton
1973-07-25 No Sex Please: We're British David Hunter
1973-04-27 And Now the Screaming Starts! Charles Fengriffen
1970-10-26 Waterloo De Lancey
1970-06-10 The Invincible Six Ronald
1970-06-09 Wuthering Heights Edgar Linton
1970-04-15 Wine of India Sam
1968-05-17 Witchfinder General Richard Marshall
1967-09-27 The Day the Fish Came Out Peter
1967-06-25 The Sorcerers Mike Roscoe
1967-05-23 Cop-Out Desmond Flower
1966-05-24 The Connoisseur Viscount Ballantyne
1966-05-02 The She Beast Philip
1961-12-29 Intrusion