[2] In 1984, he appeared as lead guest actor playing Wilson Kemp in "The Greek Interpreter", an episode of the successful Granada TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and, in the same year, also played Philip the Bastard in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of The Life and Death of King John (alongside Leonard Rossiter in the title role).

He has since starred or featured in many television productions, including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (channelling Peter Lorre) Kavanagh QC, Coogan's Run, Connie, A Touch of Frost, Inspector Morse, Murder Most Horrid, London's Burning, The Bill, Holby City, The Long Firm, City Central, Vera, Dalziel and Pascoe, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Rockliffes Babies, The Beiderbecke Connection, New Tricks, Linda Green and Casualty.

In 2012, he appeared in William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, alongside David Hayman.

In July 2016, he played Sir Ethelred in the BBC's 3-part television adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel The Secret Agent.

[citation needed] His partner is the writer Julia North, with whom he wrote a 1990 episode of Birds of a Feather.