Christopher Cazenove British stage, film and television actor. Date of Birth: 17.12.1943 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Christopher Cazenove
2. Early Life and Education
3. Acting Career
4. Television and Film Success
5. Personal Life and Death

Biography of Christopher Cazenove

Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove, born on December 17, 1943, in Winchester, Hampshire, England, was a British actor of theater, film, and television. He had a successful career with 65 film and television roles, with his last role being Aristotle in the adventure film "Young Alexander the Great" (2010).

Early Life and Education

Christopher was born into the Cazenove family on December 17, 1943, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. His parents were Arnold de Lerisson Cazenove and Elizabeth Laura Gurney. He spent his childhood in Bowlish, Somerset, and received his education at the prestigious Dragon School and Eton College. His father, who came from a Huguenot family that fled religious persecution in France, was a distinguished soldier, serving as a brigadier in the Coldstream Guards and as an aide-de-camp to King George VI. Christopher followed in his father's footsteps and attended Eton but did not pass the entrance exam for the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Realizing he was not suited for business, he decided to pursue an acting career.

Acting Career

After working as a nanny, chauffeur, and handyman, Cazenove trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and began working with various repertory theaters. He made his stage debut at the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester in 1967, in Bernard Shaw's play "Man and Superman." The following year, he played the lead role in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" at the Pitlochry Festival before making his debut on the London stage in 1970 in the play "The Lionel Touch." In the same year, he made his film debut with minor roles in "Julius Caesar" (1970) and "There's a Girl in My Soup" (1970), which led to his popularity on television.

Television and Film Success

In 1972, Cazenove landed the role of Lieutenant Richard Gaunt in the BBC costume drama "The Regiment," which followed the Cotswolds Regiment from the Anglo-Boer War to their service on the northwest frontier of India. He often portrayed English aristocrats, but his worldwide fame came with his role as the villainous Ben Carrington in the American soap opera "Dynasty," in which he appeared from 1986 to 1987.

Personal Life and Death

In 1973, Christopher married Welsh actress Angharad Rees, and they had two sons, Linford James and Rhys William. Unfortunately, Linford James passed away in a car accident in 1999. Christopher divorced Angharad in 1994 and had a close relationship with Isabel Davies from 2003 until his death. In February 2010, Christopher fell ill in his London home and was taken to St Thomas' Hospital, where he was diagnosed with sepsis. He passed away on April 7, 2010, at the age of 66, surrounded by his loved ones. His funeral took place on April 16, 2010, in Covent Garden, London.