John Standing Biography

Sir John Standing is one of England's most respected stage, film and television actors. From a distinguished acting dynasty which includes his great-grandfather Herbert Standing (1846-1923) and his grandfather Sir Guy Standing (1873-1937) and his mother, the actress Kay Hammond. He succeeded his father Sir Ronald Leon, as the 4th baronet in 1964. Sir John has worked productively on both the London and New York stages over the decades with leading parts in 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' 'Ring Around the Moon,' 'A Sense of Detachment' by John Osborne, and, most notably, in Noel Coward's 'Private Lives,' with Maggie Smith. Lesser known for his film work, he has nevertheless supported and enhanced such cinematic offerings as Young and Willing (1962), his debut film, King Rat (1965), The Psychopath (1966), Walk Don't Run (1966), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The Elephant Man (1980), Nightflyers (1987), Mrs Dalloway (1997), and A Good Woman (2004). His prestigious television roles have included the classic mini-series "The First Churchills" (1969), "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979), and "The Choir" (1995), and King Solomon's Mines (2004) (TV). In the U.S., he has graced numerous weekly programmes including "L.A. Law" (1986), "Civil Wars" (1991), and "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) and co-starred briefly with Robert Wagner and the late Samantha Smith in the action series "Lime Street" (1985), which ended abruptly with the young girl's death in a plane crash. The 13-year-old Smith became an instant celebrity after writing a touching and concerned letter to the then Soviet President Yuri Andropov about the relations between the two dominant powers and being invited to Russia. His second wife is the actress Sarah Forbes, who is the daughter of the director Bryan Forbes and actress Nanette Newman.