- Title: PROFILE: Former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton turns 80 on March 21
- Date: 20th March 2026
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - DECEMBER 2, 2022) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ACTOR, TIMOTHY DALTON AT "1923" PREMIERE, WALKING OVER TO SPEAK TO REPORTER, NEXT TO ACTOR HARRISON FORD (LEFT) ON MEDIA LINE LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - OCTOBER 16, 2015) (REUTERS) MADAME TUSSAUDS WAXWORKS OF THE SIX JAMES BONDS (LEFT TO RIGHT)
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- Keywords: 007 actor James Bond actor Licence to Kill The Living Daylights Timothy Dalton
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: UK
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001338212032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton turns 80 on Saturday (March 21).
Born in 1946 in Colwyn Bay in Wales, the actor began his career on stage before making his film debut at age 22 as Philip II of France in 1968 Oscar-winning historical drama "The Lion in Winter."
Other screen roles followed in the 1970s, including a portrayal of Emily Bronte's doomed lover Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights," Prince Rupert in "Cromwell," and Henry, Lord Darnley in "Mary, Queen of Scots," opposite actor Vanessa Redgrave who became his real-life partner after meeting on set in 1971, to 1986.
In the 1980s, Dalton appeared on television, including in miniseries "Jane Eyre" as Rochester, and in TV movie "Antony and Cleopatra" as Marc Anthony, opposite Lynn Redgrave's Cleopatra, actor sister of Vanessa.
However in 1987, Dalton was catapulted to global stardom as James Bond in "The Living Daylights," an iconic British spy character created by author Ian Fleming. Replacing actor Roger Moore as 007, and following in the footsteps of previous Bonds including Sean Connery and George Lazenby, "The Living Daylights" follows Dalton as Bond as he investigates a KGB policy to kill all enemy spies, and uncovers an arms deal that could have catastrophic global ramifications.
Two years later, Dalton returned as 007 in "Licence to Kill," this time on the vengeful hunt to take down a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death. This would be Dalton's last Bond role.
The 1990s saw the actor appear both on television and the big screen, including TV series "Scarlett" and "Cleopatra" - this time as Julius Caesar, and in films "The Rocketeer" and "The Informant."
In 2007 police comedy "Hot Fuzz" by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, Dalton plays Simon Skinner, the main antagonist and a competitive supermarket manager and key member of the Neighborhood Watch Alliance (NWA), who constantly taunts Sergeant Angel, played by Pegg. Skinner is eventually revealed to be the culprit behind the deaths in the village as he strives to win the "Village of the Year" contest.
Dalton has also lent his voice to stuffed hedgehog character Mr. Pricklepants in "Toy Story 3" in 2010, and later in the fourth saga in 2019.
The actor returned to television to portray Group Captain Peter Townsend, who dated Britain's Princess Margaret, in award-winning Netflix drama series "The Crown," that follows events surrounding the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
More recently, Dalton has starred opposite Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in Emmy-nominated Paramount+ period drama series "1923," a prequel to western drama series "Yellowstone." He plays Donald Whitfield, another primary antagonist to the Dutton family, and wealthy, ruthless developer and landowner.
Although Dalton has never been married, he does have a son, Alexander, 28, with his former long-term partner (from 1995-2003), Russian singer-songwriter and musician Oksana Grigorieva.
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