Ian Ogilvy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ian Ogilvy
Ogilvy in 2007
Born	Ian Raymond Ogilvy (1943-09-30) 30 September 1943 (age 81) Woking, Surrey, England
Occupation	Actor, playwright, novelist
Years active	1958–present
Spouse(s)	Diane Hart ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1983)​ Kathryn Holcomb ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Francis Fairfield Ogilvy Aileen Raymond
Relatives	David Ogilvy (uncle)

Ian Raymond Ogilvy, born on September 30, 1943, is an English actor, writer, and playwright. He is well-known for playing the hero Simon Templar in the TV show Return of the Saint. Ian has also appeared in many movies and TV shows and has written popular children's books.

Ian's Early Life

Ian Ogilvy was born in Woking, a town in Surrey, England. His father was Francis Fairfield Ogilvy, and his mother, Aileen Raymond, was an actress. His uncle was the famous advertising expert David Ogilvy. Ian went to schools like Sunningdale School and Eton College. He then studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Ian's Acting Career

Playing The Saint

Ian is most famous for starring as Simon Templar in the TV series Return of the Saint (1978–1979). In this role, he took over from actor Roger Moore, who had played the character before him.

Because of his role as The Saint, Ian was considered a top choice to play James Bond in the early 1980s. This was when Roger Moore thought about leaving the Bond role. Ian never officially played James Bond. However, he did play a character similar to Bond in TV commercials in the 1990s. He also played a British agent like Bond in an episode of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.

In the early 1980s, Ian recorded audio versions of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. These were released on audio cassette for people to listen to.

Other Cool Roles

Ian Ogilvy has had a long career in the theatre. He played main roles in many London West End plays. Some of these include Design for Living, Three Sisters, and Run for Your Wife. He has also worked a lot in American theatre.

In movies, Ian had a big part in the 1970 epic film Waterloo. He also acted alongside famous horror stars. He was with Boris Karloff in The Sorcerers (1967) and with Vincent Price in Witchfinder General (1968). He also appeared with Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her (1992).

Ian was a friend of filmmaker Michael Reeves. He starred in all three of Reeves's films: Revenge of the Blood Beast (1966), The Sorcerers, and Witchfinder General. He has been a guest star in over one hundred TV shows. He appeared in Upstairs, Downstairs as Lawrence Kirbridge.

He also guest-starred in The Avengers in 1968. In 1976, he was in the first episode of the comedy series Ripping Yarns. He also played Drusus in I, Claudius (1976). Later, he guest-starred in 6 episodes of Murder, She Wrote and 4 episodes of Diagnosis Murder.

In the 1990s, he appeared in the American TV series Babylon 5. The star of that show, Bruce Boxleitner, was the former husband of Ian's second wife, Kathryn Holcomb. In 2000, he guest-starred in the Dharma and Greg series.

Ian the Writer

Ian Ogilvy is also a playwright and a novelist. He has written a popular series of children's books. These books include Measle and the Wrathmonk, Measle and the Dragodon, Measle and the Mallockee, Measle and the Slitherghoul, and Measle and the Doompit. These books have been translated into at least 15 different languages around the world.

He has also written two novels for adults: Loose Chippings and The Polkerton Giant. Ian has written two plays as well: A Slight Hangover and Swap!. His memoir, Once a Saint, which tells stories from his life, was published in 2016.

In 2020, he published a book of film reviews called Withering Slights. This book was based on his posts from his Facebook page.

His Life Today

Ian Ogilvy was married to Diane Hart from 1968 to 1983, and they had one child. He married Kathryn Holcomb in 1992. He later became a citizen of the United States.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television