Alec McCowen

Born: May 26, 1925
Where: Tunbridge Wells, Kent

He is one of Britain's best-loved Shakespearean actors who has also seen success on Broadway and in Hollywood.

McCowen started out on stage in the UK and in 1950 he travelled to New York with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh for his Broadway debut in Anthony and Cleopatra before appearing in his first film, The Cruel Sea.

On the heel of these two successes, McCowen was cast by two directing giants, George Cukor in Travels with My Aunt and Alfred Hitchcock in Frenzy.

By this point he was a name to be reckoned with in the business, and offers were flooding in, including directing jobs in London's West End and on Broadway.

It was in the 60's, that McCowen joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.

One of McCowen's most famous moments was in 1983's Never Say Never Again when he played Q, 007's favourite quartermaster.

His list of credits also includes Kenneth Branagh's Henry V and Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence.

In 1987 he played the Acting High Commissioner in Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom, and his last feature to date was in 1995 in Cruel Train.