Name
John Standing
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1934-08-16 (92 years old)
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Biography
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. Standing was born in London, the son of Kay Hammond (née Dorothy Katherine Standing), an actress, and Sir Ronald George Leon, 3rd Baronet, a stockbroker descended from Sir Herbert Leon, the builder of Bletchley Park. He succeeded his father as the 4th baronet in 1964, but does not use the title. The Leon family were, until 1937, owners of Bletchley Park, the country house in Buckinghamshire used in the Second World War as a code-breaking centre. He was educated at Eton College and Millfield School, Somerset. He served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps as a second lieutenant, before going on to study at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London
Standing began his career in Peter Brook's 1955 production of Titus Andronicus starring Laurence Olivier and wife Vivien Leigh and later played leading parts in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, Christopher Fry's Ring Round the Moon, A Sense of Detachment by John Osborne, and Noël Coward's Private Lives, with Maggie Smith. 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 (1966), The Psychopath (1966), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The Elephant Man (1980), Nightflyers (1987), Mrs Dalloway (1997) and A Good Woman (2004).
One of his first major television roles was as Sidney Godolphin in the BBC twelve-part serial, The First Churchills (1969). Other television appearances include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979); the ITV sitcom The Other 'Arf (1980–84), with Lorraine Chase; 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, and co-starred briefly with Robert Wagner and Samantha Smith in the action series Lime Street (1985). In 1976, he also appeared opposite Peter O'Toole in the little-seen BBC thriller film, Rogue Male, directed by Clive Donner. He appeared in the horror film Nightflyers (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. 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 in the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
Known For
7.898
In a world in which Great Britain has become a fascist state, a masked vigilante known onl...
8.052
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a ...
6.351
An American gets a ticket for an audience participation game in London, then gets involved...
6.211
In 1895, Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was the most famous writer in London, and Bosie Douglas, ...
- 2006 V for Vendetta as Lilliman
- 1980 The Elephant Man as Fox
- 1999 Rogue Trader as Peter Baring
- 1999 8 ½ Women as Philip Emmenthal
- 1976 The Eagle Has Landed as Father Verecker
- 1997 The Man Who Knew Too Little as Embleton
- 2002 The Falklands Play as Rt Hon William Whitelaw CH MC MP (Home Secretary)
- 1978 The Legacy as Jason Mountolive
- 2004 A Good Woman as Dumby
- 2006 Rabbit Fever as Ally's dad
- 1992 Chaplin as Butler
- 1970 All the Right Noises as Bernie
- 1987 Nightflyers as D'Branin
- 1966 Walk Don't Run as Julius D. Haversack
- 1997 Mrs. Dalloway as Richard Dalloway
- 1970 Wine of India as Russ
- 2000 The Calling as Jack Plummer
- 2007 The Shadow in the North as Webster Garland
- 2000 Longitude as Capt. Proctor
- 1983 Privates on Parade as Captain Sholto Savory
- 1966 The Psychopath as Mark Von Sturm
- 2003 Shoreditch as Jenson Thackery
- 1976 Rogue Male as Major Quive-Smith
- 1963 The Iron Maiden as Humphrey Gore-Brown
- 1990 Night of the Fox as Alan Stacey
- 2023 The Great Escaper as Arthur
- 1969 A Touch of Love as Roger
- 1978 The Class Of Miss MacMichael as Charles Fairbrother
- 1992 The Count of Solar as Coudray
- 2002 The Real Jane Austen as Mr. Austen
- 1984 To Catch a King as The Duke of Windsor
- 2007 The Contractor as Sir Anthony
- 2025 Can You Hear Me? as Ben
- 1962 The Wild and the Willing as Arthur
- 1983 Invitation to the Wedding
- 1992 Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel as Whitfield
- 2015 Queen & Country as Grandfather George
- 1967 Torture Garden as Leo Winston (segment 3 "Mr. Steinway")
- 1969 Charley's Aunt as Jack Chesney
- 2005 Lassie as French
- 2007 I Want Candy as Michael de Vere
- 1964 Sharp at Four as Sutcliffe
- 1987 Visitors as Jack
- 2006 Scoop as Garden Party Guest
- 2016 Churchill's Secret as Lord Camrose
- 2007 Consenting Adults as Lord Goddard
- 2002 The Gathering Storm as Lord Moyne
- 2001 Pandaemonium as Rev Holland
- 2001 Queen's Messenger as Foreign Secretary
- 1993 Riders as Malise Gordon
- 1972 Au Pair Girls as Buster
- 1989 The Endless Game as Belfrage
- 2017 The Hippopotamus as Podmore
- 2018 The Happy Prince as Dr. Tucker
- 1965 King Rat as Daven
- 1980 The Sea Wolves as Finley
- 1972 Zee and Co. as Gordon
- 2018 King Lear as Butler
- 1964 Hot Enough for June as Men's Room Attendant
- 1999 Mad Cows as Politician
- 1997 The Woman In White as Mr. Gilmore
- 1984 The Biko Inquest as Van Rensburg
- 2019 A Family Affair as Bernard
- 2019 Churchill and the Movie Mogul as Additional Voices (voice)
- 1989 Dark Holiday as Charnaud
- 2020 May… I Have This Dance? as Narrator
- 2005 Animal as Dean Frydman
- 1962 A Pair of Briefs as Hubert Shannon
- 2014 The Last Resort as Mr. Carpenter (voice)
- 1988 Flapjack Floozie as Dr. Kipper
- 1977 The Sinking of the HMS Victoria as Captain Winsloe
- 1989 Chameleons as Henry
- 1983 Pygmalion as Colonel Pickering
- 2001 Witness to a Kill as Foreign Secretary
- 1977 Nanny's Boy as John Tallwatch
- 1997 Midsomer Murders ( 1 episode ) as Charles Rust
- 1986 L.A. Law ( 1 episode ) as Nigel Morris
- 2003 Keen Eddie ( 1 episode )
- 1961 The Avengers ( 1 episode )
- 1982 Hotel ( 1 episode )
- 1979 Hart to Hart ( 1 episode )
- 1962 The Saint ( 1 episode ) as Gendarme
- 1984 Hunter ( 2 episodes ) as George Franklin
- 1972 Van der Valk ( 1 episode ) as Ehrlich
- 1985 Lime Street ( 8 episodes ) as Edward Wingate
- 1971 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes ( 1 episode ) as Lord Amberley
- 1969 The First Churchills ( 12 episodes ) as Sidney Godolphin
- 1980 The Other 'Arf ( 27 episodes )
- 1997 A Dance to the Music of Time ( 4 episodes ) as Nicholas Jenkins (older)
- 1988 Murphy's Law ( 1 episode )
- 1992 The Old Boy Network ( 7 episodes )
- 2018 Patrick Melrose ( 2 episodes ) as George Watford
- 1969 The Main Chance ( 1 episode ) as Lord Radchester
- 2011 Game of Thrones ( 1 episode ) as Jon Arryn
- 1997 Lexx ( 1 episode ) as Count Dracul
- 2001 In Deep ( 2 episodes ) as Ritchie
- 2011 Borgia ( 1 episode )
- 2016 The Crown ( 1 episode ) as Imbert-Terry
- 1999 Joan of Arc ( 2 episodes ) as Archbishop
- 1989 Paddington Bear ( 13 episodes ) as Mr. Brown
- 2006 The Line of Beauty ( 2 episodes ) as Lord Kessler
- 1977 Beryl Reid ( 1 episode )
- 2004 King Solomon's Mines ( 2 episodes ) as Dr. Sam Maitland
- 1991 Eerie, Indiana ( 1 episode ) as Professor Nigel Zirchon
- 1997 Midsomer Murders ( 1 episode ) as Will Tunstall
- 1995 The Choir ( 5 episodes ) as Bishop Robert Young
- 2007 Fallen Angel ( 3 episodes ) as Voice of Francis Youlgreave
- 1996 Gulliver's Travels ( 2 episodes ) as Admiral Bolgolam
- 2001 Love in a Cold Climate ( 2 episodes ) as Lord Montdore
- 1989 Agatha Christie's Poirot ( 1 episode ) as Colonnel Toby Luttrell
- 1975 Space: 1999 ( 1 episode ) as Pasc
- 1984 Murder, She Wrote ( 1 episode ) as Arthur Constable
- 1984 Murder, She Wrote ( 1 episode ) as Chief Daniel Trent
- 2012 Rosamunde Pilcher: The Other Wife ( 2 episodes ) as Lord George Meriot
- 1956 Armchair Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Sutcliffe
- 1965 BBC Play of the Month ( 1 episode ) as Jack Chesney
- 1965 BBC Play of the Month ( 1 episode ) as Cléante
- 1977 BBC2 Play of the Week ( 1 episode ) as Captain Winsloe
- 2000 Longitude ( 1 episode ) as Captain Proctor
- 1995 Look at the State We're In! ( 1 episode ) as Dr Smith
- 1961 Drama 61-67 ( 1 episode ) as Ronald Brook
- 1989 The Endless Game ( 2 episodes ) as Belfrage
- 1977 Jubilee 1977 ( 1 episode ) as John Tallwatch
- 1979 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ( 1 episode ) as Sam Collins
- 1981 Shillingbury Tales ( 1 episode ) as Dick Firman
- 1967 ITV Playhouse ( 1 episode )
- 1972 The Frighteners ( 1 episode ) as Tony Wardle
- 1999 The Vice ( 1 episode ) as Paul Weir
- 1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Captain Bluntschli
- 1985 Screen Two ( 1 episode ) as Jack
- 2003 Trust ( 1 episode ) as Teresa's Father
- 1964 The Wednesday Play ( 1 episode ) as Russ
- 1997 The Woman In White ( 2 episodes ) as Mr. Gilmore
- 1991 Civil Wars ( 1 episode ) as Terrence Hemnings
- 1991 Tonight at 8.30 ( 1 episode ) as Toby Cartwright
