This person was born on the 21 st February 1946, in West London. He was brought up by his mother from the age of 8 after his father died of cancer. In his teens he won a scholarship to West London's Latymer Upper School where he became involved in acting. But at the age of 18 he went into graphic design as a safer option than acting and enrolled at the Chelsea's Royal Collage Of Art & Design , from there he founded a Soho based design company. But at the age of 26 he knew his heart lay with acting so he left the design business and went to study at the Royal Academy Of Dramatic Arts where many years later he became the Vice Chairman. From there his acting career first started on stage then went onto the small screen starring in such roles as Mr Brownlow - Smiley's People, Isreal Yates - Spirit Of Man & Jacques Roux . – Revolutionary Witness.

But then Hollywood soon beckoned as the first few films that he starred in where all big hits some of the characters he played were Ed- January Man, Jamie - Truly Madly Deeply, Elliott Marston - Quigley Down Under & Lukas Hart II - Bob Roberts. One problem he had in doing some films was every time he had to shoot a gun in a scene he had an uncontrollable habit of flinching which caused quite a few problems as he could never have the gun aimed in the right direction!!!!

He was soon becoming well known all around the world and the film roles kept coming in starring in such roles as P.L. O'Hara - An Awfully Big Adventure, Franz Anton Mesmer - Mesmer, Colonel Brandon - Sense & Sensibility, Eamon De Valera - Michael Collins, Detective David Friedman - Judas Kiss & Metatron- Dogma. In between films he still went back to one of his first loves which was stage work starring in “Private Lives ”. He also provided the narration on Mike Oldfields Tubular Bells.

He is well known with all celebrities especially Ruby Wax who he met at quite a young age and persuaded her to go into comedy rather than acting which helped to put her where she is today. Over the years he has also picked up a BAFTA Award , An Emmy & A Golden Globe Award , some of the roles which helped him to get these awards were Alexander Dane - Galaxy Quest, Phil Allen - Blow Dry , Harry - Love Actually, Marvin - Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy & Hans Gruber - Die Hard. And in 1997 he even had a try at directing with the film The Winter Guest .

Probably his most famous role was when he played the very wicked but very funny Sheriff Of Nottingham a role which he made very much his own. But his most recent role was in the hugely popular Harry Potter films as the very unpopular Professor Snape he is of course: