Joss Ackland Movies and Career Information

Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE (born 29 February 1928), known as Joss Ackland, is an English actor who has appeared in more than 130 films in his career, as well as numerous television appearances. Ackland was born in North Kensington, London, the son of Ruth Izod and Sydney Norman Ackland. He was trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Ackland and his wife, the former Rosemary Kirkcaldy, were married on 18 August 1951 when Ackland was 23 and she 22. She was an actress and Ackland wooed her when they appeared on stage together in Pitlochry, Scotland. The couple struggled initially as Ackland's acting career was in its infancy. They moved to Kenya, where Ackland had decided to try his luck managing a tea plantation before moving to Cape Town, South Africa after six months when they decided it was too dangerous. Though they both obtained steady acting jobs in South Africa, after two years, they returned to England in 1957. Ackland joined the Old Vic, appearing alongside such luminaries as Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Tom Courtenay. Ackland's career advanced with parts in The Sicilian, Lethal Weapon 2, The Hunt For Red October and White Mischief. He has since kept busy