The handsome, blond, classically-trained Simon Ward is perhaps best remembered for his fine portrayal of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in "Young Churchill" (1972). When he was a teenager, Ward joined the nascent National Youth Theatre and because of his androgynous looks and high voice, was cast in the role of the French princess Katherine in a production of "Henry V". After training at RADA, he went on to appear in repertory and in the West End in such plays as Joe Orton's "Loot" (1966) and opposite Alec Guinness in "Wise Child" (1967). Lindsay Anderson cast the aristocratic-looking actor in a bit part in his look at life at an English boarding school, "if ..." (1968).
After achieving notoriety for his performance as Churchill, Ward alternated between stage and screen. For American TV, he co-starred with Jack Palance in "Dracula" (CBS, 1974) and played Major Andre in "Valley Forge" (NBC, 1975). Teamed with Anthony Hopkins, Ward was cast as novice veterinarian James Herriot in the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation of "All Creatures Great and Small" (NBC, 1975) and later co-starred with Beau Bridges and Robert Powell in the small screen remake "Four Feathers" (NBC, 1978).
On the big screen, Ward was generally cast in patrician roles like Lord Buckingham in both "The Three Musketeers" (1974) and "The Four Musketeers" (1975) and "Zulu Dawn" (1979). His output slowed in the 80s and 90s, partly as a result of injuries sustained in a burglary which required brain surgery. In 1992, he briefly appeared in "Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'" as the father of his real-life daughter Sophie.
Copyright © Baseline 2005.