Tim Pigott-Smith was born in Rugby, England and took his degree at Bristol University before training for the stage at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

He is a major part of the British theatre establishment, having worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. Not content with this he established his own theatre company, Compass, of which he was artistic director from 1989-1992. He earned great acclaim in the recent productions of The Iceman Cometh both in the West End and on Broadway and Mourning Becomes Electra with Helen Mirren.

His wider fame was ensured by his role in the hugely successful television drama The Jewel in the Crown and his recent role in the BBC production of Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South.

His film career has included The Remains of the Day (1993), Gangs of New York (2002), Johnny English, The Four Feathers