
Ian Ogilvy
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1943-09-30 (81 years old)
Place of Birth
Woking, Surrey, England, UK
Ian Ogilvy
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.
Acting
The Athena Syndrome
as Sir Peter William Bromville GCMG
(2025)
Knightfall
as Charles Knight
(2022)
Renegades
as Peck
(2022)
(2021)
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
as Self / Poem Reader (voice)
(2021)
(2019)
(2018)
Mistrust
as Ian
(2017)
The Saint
as The Fixer
(2017)
We Still Steal the Old Way
as Richie Archer
(2014)
We Still Kill the Old Way
as Richie Archer
(2009)
My Life in Ruins
as Mr. Stewart Tullen
(2008)
The Saint Steps In... To Television
as Himself
(2005)
Tigon Tales of Terror
as Himself
(1999)
Horse Sense
as Miles
(1999)
Fugitive Mind
as Dr. Grace
(1999)
(1997)
(1994)
Puppet Master 5
as Dr. Jennings
(1993)
Eddie Presley
as Captain Starch
(1992)
Death Becomes Her
as Chagall
(1992)
Invasion of Privacy
as Brian
(1992)
Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue
as Interviewer
(1988)
Maigret
as Daniel Portman
(1985)
Anna Karenina
as Stiva
(1979)
The Saint and the Brave Goose
as Simon Templar
(1976)
Tomkinson's Schooldays
as Grayson
(1975)
The Little Minister
as Rev. Gavin Dishart
(1974)
From Beyond the Grave
as William Seaton
(1974)
The Gathering Storm
as Edward VIII
(1973)
And Now the Screaming Starts!
as Charles Fengriffen
(1973)
No Sex Please: We're British
as David Hunter
(1970)
Waterloo
as De Lancey
(1970)
Wuthering Heights
as Edgar Linton
(1970)
Wine of India
as Sam
(1970)
The Invincible Six
as Ronald
(1968)
Witchfinder General
as Richard Marshall
(1967)
The Day the Fish Came Out
as Peter
(1967)
Cop-Out
as Desmond Flower
(1967)
The Sorcerers
as Mike Roscoe
(1966)
The She Beast
as Philip
(1966)
The Connoisseur
as Viscount Ballantyne
(1961)