Notable British actor, known for his early appearances on UK cinema and television screens in the late 1950s, quickly established a reputation for portraying unappealing or untrustworthy characters.
His distinctive, cold, and cunning facial features led to numerous guest roles on various UK television series, including "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" (1956) and "William Tell" (1958),with the 1960s marking the peak of his professional activity.
Nesbitt delivered strong, intelligent performances in a range of films, such as the World War I aviation spectacle "The Blue Max" (1966),where he played a cold war agent pursuing Frank Sinatra in "The Naked Runner" (1967),and arguably his most memorable role as Major Von Hapen, an icy Gestapo officer, in "Where Eagles Dare" (1968),where he thwarted the plans of Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton.
In addition to his on-screen work, Nesbitt also ventured into writing, directing, and starring in the relatively uneventful "The Amorous Milkman" (1975),and remained busy throughout the 1970s, primarily in espionage and action films.
However, by the end of the decade, his popularity began to wane significantly, following a series of newspaper articles suggesting that his on-screen persona was mirrored in his real-life demeanor.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Nesbitt made only a few film appearances, with his most recent role to date being in the crime thriller "Double X: The Name of the Game" (1992).