Boyd was born Gordon William Needham at Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England.
After flight training in the United States, Boyd was posted to Ceylon, where he flew PBY Catalina flying boats and served with several Australian military personnel.
In 1955, Boyd made his film debut in a minor role in Richard III, Laurence Olivier's adaptation of the Shakespeare play.
[2] Boyd also appeared in numerous British films and TV programs, including Hammer Films' The Revenge of Frankenstein, the medieval adventure series Ivanhoe, an episode of The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (playing an Australian) and an early episode of The Avengers.
[2] In later years, Boyd made several acting appearances on Australian drama series including A Country Practice in 1981 and 1984, and All Saints in 2002 and 2003.