He decided to become an actor after seeing George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cardiff.

He was credited for the film version of The Square Ring (1953), for Ealing; The Beachcomber (1954), as a native islander; The Face of Love (1954) for the BBC; and Fantastic Summer (1955) for TV.

He had a larger part in Helen of Troy (1955) as Aeneas[4] and provided some romantic interest in The Prisoner (1955), with Alec Guinness.

Lewis achieved attention with his stage performance in Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill, directed by Peter Hall (1955).

[6] This led to Alexander Korda signing Lewis to a contract with London Films and giving him a role in Storm Over the Nile (1956), as one of the main group of friends.

[9] Lewis was cast opposite Vivien Leigh in the London production of Noël Coward's South Sea Bubble (1956), replacing Peter Finch at the last minute.

[10][11] Rank tried to build Lewis into a star, giving him the lead in a thriller, The Secret Place (1957), alongside Belinda Lee.

Lewis had a support role in the comedy Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) and was back in the lead for Jigsaw (1962), a thriller directed by Guest.

[20][21] Lewis had a support role in Billy Budd (1962) and was the romantic lead to star Juliet Mills in the comedy Nurse on Wheels (1963), made by the Carry On team.

At the trial Lewis admitted driving while unfit through drink, assaulting a police officer, and being drunk and disorderly.

I remember Ronnie... and that drinking session at the White Horse all those years ago... he was a kind boy & people used him.