Spanish father and Italian mother emigrated to London in the 1940s; grew up listening to a variety of accents, which he later drew on for his acting career.
Inspired to become an actor after seeing Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960) at age 9.
Became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977.
Made his big-screen debut as a villainous tour guide in the action-adventure classic Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).