His first screen role was in the German film Annemarie, die Braut der Kompanie (Bride of the Company) in 1932.

[1][2] Owing to the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany and his wife Tatjana being Jewish, they moved to Britain in 1937.

However, he spent the years of the Second World War mainly in roles depicting Nazis in British films, not finding them overly challenging as an actor.

[5] In fact, however, he appeared in several other films for companies controlled by Rank during this period, as part of his contract.

[6] Married four times, Lieven is the grandfather of the England rugby union player Toby Flood.