Sir John Ronald Leon, 4th Baronet (born 16 August 1934) is an English actor and baronet who is known as John Standing. He is the stepson of John Clements.

Early life

Standing was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, the son of

Kay Hammond Dorothy Katherine Standing, Lady Clements (18 February 1909 – 4 May 1980), known professionally as Kay Hammond, was an English stage and film actress. Family Kay Hammond was born in London, England as Dorothy Katherine Standing, the daught ...

(née Dorothy Katherine Standing), an actress, and Sir Ronald George Leon, 3rd Baronet; a

stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stock ...

descended from Sir

Herbert Leon Sir Herbert Samuel Leon, 1st Baronet (11 February 1850 – 23 July 1926) was an English financier and Liberal Party politician, now best known as the main figure in the development of the Bletchley Park estate in Buckinghamshire. Life He was t ...

, the builder of

Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire) that became the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. The mansion was constructed during the years following ...

. He succeeded his father as the 4th baronet in 1964, but does not use the title. The Leon family were, until 1937, owners of

, the country house in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-e ...

used in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

as a code-breaking centre. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

and

Millfield School Millfield is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) located in Street, Somerset, England. It was founded in 1935. Millfield is a registered charity and is the largest co-educational boarding schoo ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

, later serving in the

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United ...

as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

, before going to study at the

Byam Shaw School of Art The Byam Shaw School of Art, often known simply as Byam Shaw, was an independent art school in London, England, which specialised in fine art and offered foundation and degree level courses. It was founded in 1910 by John Liston Byam Shaw and ...

in London.

Career

He began his career in

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Sha ...

's 1955 production of ''

Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...

'' starring

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

and wife

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

and later played leading parts in

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'',

Christopher Fry Christopher Fry (18 December 1907 – 30 June 2005) was an English poet and playwright. He is best known for his verse dramas, especially '' The Lady's Not for Burning'', which made him a major force in theatre in the 1940s and 1950s. Biograp ...

's ''

Ring Round the Moon ''Ring Round the Moon'' is a 1950 adaptation by the English dramatist Christopher Fry of Jean Anouilh's '' Invitation to the Castle'' (1947). Peter Brook commissioned Fry to adapt the play and the first production of ''Ring Round the Moon'' was ...

'', ''A Sense of Detachment'' by

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play '' Look Back in Anger'' tr ...

, and

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

's ''

Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetu ...

'', with

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

. He was nominated for an Olivier award (1979) for ''Close of Play'' at the National Theatre. He made his film debut in '' The Wild and the Willing'' (1962), going on to appear in '' King Rat'' (1965), ''

Walk, Don't Run ''Walk, Don't Run'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Cary Grant, Samantha Eggar, and Jim Hutton. The film, which was Grant's last film role, is set during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It is a remake ...

'' (1966), ''The Psychopath'' (1966), '' The Eagle Has Landed'' (1976), '' The Elephant Man'' (1980), ''

Nightflyers ''Nightflyers'' is a science fiction horror novella by American writer George R. R. Martin, released as a short novella in 1980 and as an expanded novella in 1981. A short story collection of the same name was released in 1985 that includes the ...

'' (1987), ''

Mrs Dalloway ''Mrs. Dalloway'' is a novel by Virginia Woolf, published on 14 May 1925, that details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a fictional upper-class woman in post-First World War England. It is one of Woolf's best-known novels. The working ...

'' (1997) and '' A Good Woman'' (2004). One of his first major television roles was as

Sidney Godolphin Sidney Godolphin is the name of: * Sidney Godolphin (colonel) (1652–1732), Member of Parliament for fifty years * Sidney Godolphin (poet) (1610–1643), English poet * Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (c. 1640–1712), leading British poli ...

in the BBC twelve-part serial, ''

The First Churchills ''The First Churchills'' is a BBC serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. It stars John Neville as the duke and Susan Hampshire as the duchess, was writ ...

'' (1969). Other television appearances include '' Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' (1979); the ITV

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

The Other 'Arf ''The Other 'Arf'' is a British television ITV sitcom series broadcast from 30 May 1980 to 30 March 1984. It stars John Standing as upper class Conservative politician Charles Latimer, MP, who begins a relationship with working class cockney fashi ...

'' (1980–84), with

Lorraine Chase Lorraine Chase (born 16 July 1951) is an English actress and former model. She became well known for her strong south east London accent and frequent use of cockney slang, and found fame through a series of television adverts for Campari be ...

; ''The Choir'' (1995) and ''King Solomon's Mines'' (2004). In the United States, he made guest appearances in numerous weekly programmes including '' L.A. Law'', ''Civil Wars'' and ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'', and co-starred briefly with

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

and Samantha Smith in the action series '' Lime Street'' (1985). In 1976, he also appeared opposite

Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British stage and film actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old V ...

in the little-seen BBC thriller film, '' Rogue Male'', directed by

Clive Donner Clive Stanley Donner (21 January 1926 – 6 September 2010)Ronald Berganbr>Obituary: Clive Donner '' The Guardian'', 7 September 2010 was a British film director who was part of the British New Wave, directing films such as ''The Caretaker ...

. He appeared in the horror film ''

'' (1987) adapted from a short story by George R. R. Martin. In 2002, he had a speaking credit on '' Lost Horizons'', the second studio album from the British electronic duo

Lemon Jelly Lemon Jelly is a British electronic music duo from London that formed in 1998 and went on hiatus starting in 2008. Since its inception, the band members have always been Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. Lemon Jelly has been nominated for awards ...

. On track 1, "Elements", he lists the basic 'elements' that make up the world: ash, metal, water, wood, fire and sky. On track 3, "Ramblin' Man", Standing reads a long list of various locations around the world, ranging from small Sussex villages to major world capitals. In July 2010, it was confirmed that he would be appearing as

Jon Arryn George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga features a large cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the superhuman Others (A So ...

in the HBO series ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...

'', based on Martin's ''

A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, '' A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who i ...

'' novels.

Filmography

Film roles

* ''

A Pair of Briefs ''A Pair of Briefs'' is a 1962 black and white British courtroom comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Mary Peach, Brenda De Banzie and James Robertson Justice. The screenplay concerns a newly qualified female barri ...

'' (1962) – Hubert Shannon * '' The Wild and the Willing'' (1962) – Arthur * ''

The Iron Maiden ''The Iron Maiden'' is a 1963 British comedy film. The film was directed by Gerald Thomas, and stars Michael Craig, Anne Helm, Jeff Donnell and Alan Hale, Jr. There are minor roles for '' Carry On'' stalwarts Jim Dale and Joan Sims, and th ...

'' (1962) – Humphrey Gore-Brown * '' Hot Enough for June'' (1964) – Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) * '' King Rat'' (1965) – Daven * '' The Psychopath'' (1966) – Mark Von Sturm * ''

'' (1966) – Julius D. Haversack * '' Torture Garden'' (1967) – Leo Winston (segment 3 "Mr. Steinway") * '' A Touch of Love'' (1969) – Roger Henderson * ''

All the Right Noises ''All the Right Noises'' is a 1971 British drama film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Tom Bell (actor), Tom Bell, Olivia Hussey, Judy Carne and John Standing. It is set in London. Premise A married man with two young children, working as ...

'' (1971) – Nigel * ''

Zee and Co. ''Zee and Co'' (also known as ''X Y and Zee'' and ''Zee and Company'') is a 1972 British drama film directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Susannah York. Released by Columbia Pictures, it was based upon ...

'' (1972) – Gordon * ''

Au Pair Girls ''Au Pair Girls'' is a 1972 British sex comedy film directed by Val Guest. It stars Gabrielle Drake, Astrid Frank, Me Me Lai and Nancie Wait. Part of the British 1970s softcore sex comedy genre, the film also includes appearances by mainstre ...

'' (1972) – Buster * '' Rogue Male'' (1976) – Major Quive-Smith * '' The Eagle Has Landed'' (1976) – Father Philip Verecker * '' Space: 1999'', ''

The Mark of Archanon "The Mark of Archanon" is the eighth episode of the second series of '' Space: 1999'' (and the thirty-second episode overall of the programme). The screenplay was written by Lew Schwarz; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting scri ...

'' (1976) – Pasc * ''

The Legacy The Legacy may refer to: * '' Le Legs'' or ''The Legacy'', a play by Pierre de Marivaux * The Legacy (professional wrestling), a former professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Entertainment * ''The Legacy'' (album), an album by Testament ...

'' (1978) – Jason Mountolive * '' The Class of Miss MacMichael'' (1978) – Charles Fairbrother * ''

The Sea Wolves ''The Sea Wolves'' is a 1980 war film starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. The film, which is based on the 1978 book ''Boarding Party'' by James Leasor, is a fictionalised account of Operation Creek during the Second World War. In ...

'' (1980) – Finley * '' The Elephant Man'' (1980) – Fox * '' Privates on Parade'' (1983) – Captain Sholto Savory * ''

To Catch a King ''To Catch a King'' is a 1984 American thriller film directed by Clive Donner and written by Roger O. Hirson. Based on the 1979 novel by Jack Higgins (writing as Harry Patterson), the film stars Robert Wagner, Teri Garr, Horst Janson, John Stand ...

'' (1984, TV Movie) – Duke of Windsor * ''The Young Visiters'' (1984) – Prince of Wales * ''Invitation to the Wedding'' (1985) – Earl Harry * ''

'' (1987) – Michael D'Brannin * '' Chaplin'' (1992) – Butler * ''

'' (1997) – Richard Dalloway * ''

The Man Who Knew Too Little ''The Man Who Knew Too Little'' is a 1997 spy comedy film starring Bill Murray, directed by Jon Amiel, and written by Robert Farrar and Howard Franklin. The film is based on Farrar's 1997 novel ''Watch That Man'', and the title is a parody of A ...

'' (1997) – Gilbert Embleton * '' 8½ Women'' (1999) – Philip Emmenthal * ''

Rogue Trader A rogue trader is person who makes financial trades in an unauthorised manner. Rogue trader may also refer to: * ''Rogue Trader'' (book), the autobiography of (and later a movie about) Nick Leeson, the man who caused the collapse of Barings Bank * ...

'' (1999) – Peter Baring * ''Mad Cows'' (1999) – Politician * '' Pandaemonium'' (2000) – Rev. Holland * '' The Calling'' (2000) – Jack Plummer * ''

Queen's Messenger The Corps of King's Messengers (or Corps of Queen's Messengers during the reign of a female monarch) are couriers employed by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They hand-carry secret and important documents to Br ...

'' (2001) – Foreign Secretary * ''Witness to a Kill'' (2001) – Foreign Secretary * ''Shoreditch'' (2003) – Jenson Thackery * ''Jack Brown and the Curse of the Crown'' (2004) – Sheldon Gotti * '' A Good Woman'' (2004) – Dumby * ''

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage ...

'' (2005) – Dean Frydman * ''

V for Vendetta ''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing serial in the British anthol ...

'' (2006) – Bishop Anthony Lilliman * ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

'' (2005) – French * ''

Scoop Scoop, Scoops or The scoop may refer to: Objects * Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging * Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things * Scoop stretcher, a device used for casualt ...

'' (2006) – Garden Party Guests * ''Rabbit Fever'' (2006) – Ally's dad * ''

Outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill th ...

'' (2007) – Captain Mardell * ''

I Want Candy "I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by the Strangeloves in 1965 that reached No. 11 in the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat. Original version "I Want Candy" ...

'' (2007) – Michael de Vere * ''

Before the Rains ''Before the Rains'' is a 2007 Indian-British period drama film directed by Santosh Sivan. The film is adapted from a story from the 2001 anthology Israeli film '' Asphalt Zahov''. It was filmed on location in Kerala, India and was released ...

'' (2007) – Charles Humphries * ''

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding ''Cheerful Weather for the Wedding'' (1932) is a novella by Julia Strachey. Published by the Hogarth Press in 1932, it tells the story of a brisk March day in England, somewhere on the Dorset coast, during which Dolly is due to marry the Honou ...

'' (2012) – Horace Spigott * '' Queen and Country'' (2014) – Grandfather George * '' The Hippopotamus'' (2017) – Podmore * '' The Happy Prince'' (2018) – Dr. Tucker

Television roles

* '' The Avengers'' (1963) – East * '' The Saint'' (1963) – Gendarme * ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...

'' (1964) – Siaru * ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'' (1965) – James * ''

'' (1969) – Sidney Godolphin * '' Space: 1999'' (1976) – Pasc * ''

Van der Valk ''Van der Valk'' is a British television crime drama series produced for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The first series ran from 1972 to 1992; followed by a remake in 2020. Created by Nicolas Freeling and based on his novels about a dete ...

'' (1977) – Ehrlich * ''

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' is a 1974 spy novel by British author John le Carré. It follows the endeavours of taciturn, aging spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service. The novel has receive ...

'' (1979, TV Mini-Series) – Sam Collins * '' Pygmalion'' (1983, TV Movie) – Col. Pickering * ''

'' (1987–1990) – Chief Daniel Trent / Arthur Constable * ''

The Endless Game ''The Endless Game'' is a two-part television miniseries that premiered on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 20 August 1989 before eventually appearing on Showtime in the United States in 1990. An espionage thriller based on a novel by filmm ...

'' (1989) – Belfrage * '' L.A. Law'' (1990) – Nigel Morris * ''

The Old Boy Network ''The Old Boy Network'' is a British comedy television series which first aired on ITV in 1992.Newcomb p.1303 Created by the writing team of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it is a parody of various spy films and series. Main cast * Tom Conti a ...

'' (1992) – Peter Duckham * '' Riders'' (1993, TV Movie) – Malise Gordon * ''

Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...

'' (1996, TV Mini-Series) – Admiral Bolgolam * ''

A Dance to the Music of Time ''A Dance to the Music of Time'' is a 12-volume ''roman-fleuve'' by English writer Anthony Powell, published between 1951 and 1975 to critical acclaim. The story is an often comic examination of movements and manners, power and passivity in Eng ...

'' (1997, TV Mini-Series) – Nicholas Jenkins * ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...

'' (2000) – Jimmy Cheatham * '' The Real Jane Austen'' (2002) - Mr. Austen * ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'' (2004) - Charles Rust - “Bad Tidings” * '' The Line of Beauty'' (2006) – Lord Kessler *''Midsomer Murders'' (2009) - Will Tunstall - “The Dogleg Murders” * ''

'' (2011) (Episode: "

Winter Is Coming "Winter Is Coming" is the series premiere of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The first episode of the first season, it was written by series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, in an adaptation of the first ...

") – Jon Arryn (corpse) *''Agatha Christie’s Poirot'' (2013) - Colonel Toby Luttrell - “Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case” * ''

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has differ ...

'' (2016) – Imbert-Terry

Arms

References

External links

*
John Standing, photo, filmography, biography and awards; Juggle.com
*
John Standing
Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Standing, John 1934 births Alumni of the Byam Shaw School of Art Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom English male film actors English male television actors King's Royal Rifle Corps officers Living people People educated at Eton College People educated at Millfield Male actors from London Standing family