Biography
John Standing is an English actor. Born John Ronald Leon on 16 August 1934 in London, he is the son of actress Kay Hammond and succeeded his father as the 4th Baronet in 1964, though he does not use the title. He was educated at Eton College and Millfield School and studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art.
Standing began his stage career in Peter Brook's 1955 production of Titus Andronicus. He later appeared in leading roles in plays including The Importance of Being Earnest, Ring Round the Moon, A Sense of Detachment and Private Lives. He received an Olivier Award nomination in 1979 for Close of Play at the National Theatre. His film debut came in The Wild and the Willing (1962).
He is known for roles in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The Elephant Man (1980), V for Vendetta (2006) as Bishop Lilliman, and Game of Thrones (2011) as Jon Arryn, as well as appearances in The Crown (2016) and Scoop (2006). His second wife is actress and writer Sarah Forbes.
