Lyndon Brook, a renowned stage and screen actor, was born in Los Angeles to Clive Brook, a distinguished silent British film star, and Mildred Evelyn, an actress. His older sister, Faith Brook, is a prominent stage and TV actress in her own right. Brook is best known for his quiet and sympathetic roles in films such as The Purple Plain (1954) and Reach for the Sky (1956),as well as his success as a writer of dramas and light comedies.
Educated in England at Stowe and Cambridge, Brook founded his own drama group at Cambridge, where he both acted and directed. He began his stage career in London in the 1940s, before gaining wider recognition in the cinema during the 1950s. One of his most memorable roles was as "Johnny Sanderson" in Reach for the Sky (1956),a biographical drama based on the life of RAF hero Douglas Bader.
Brook also narrated the film, which went on to become one of the cinema's most successful World War Two dramas. In 1951, he met his future wife, actress Elizabeth Kentish, while they were appearing on the London stage in a play with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. His later notable film appearances included Song Without End (1960),in which he played "Wagner" to Dirk Bogarde's "Liszt", Pope Joan (1972),with Liv Ullmann, The Hireling (1973),and Defense of the Realm (1985).
Brook made numerous television appearances, but one of his most memorable roles was as "King George VI" in Churchill and the Generals (1979). His most successful play was "Mixed Doubles" (1969),which has been performed all over the world.
