This Is Your Life: Christopher Cazenove

Christopher CAZENOVE (1943-2010)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Christopher Cazenove, actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while filming a scene for the American television soap opera Dynasty in Hollywood.

Christopher, who was born in Winchester and educated at Eton College, trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He began his professional acting career in repertory in Leicester, Pitlochry and Windsor before achieving West End success with plays such as The Winslow Boy.

He broke into television in 1972 in the drama series The Regiment and later appeared in several other notable television series, including Jenny's War and Duchess of Duke Street. His first significant film role was in Zulu Dawn, and he later appeared in Eye of the Needle and Heat and Dust.

programme details...

Edition No: 724
Subject No: 720
Broadcast date: Wed 25 Feb 1987
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 18 Feb 1987
Repeated: Wed 24 Feb 1988 7.00pm
Venue: ABC Television Studios, Hollywood
Series: 27
Edition: 20
Code name: Guard

on the guest list...

Terri Garber
Jack Coleman
Gordon Thomson
Leann Hunley
Cassie Yates
Wayne Northrop
Heather Locklear
Angharad Rees - wife
Linford - son
Rhys William - son
Elizabeth - mother
Cecilia - sister
Dyan Cannon
John Standing
Judy Geeson
Sheila Abel
Marsha Fitzalan
Burt Lancaster
Joan Collins
Robert - brother
Isabel - sister
Viscount Raynham
Peter Hennessy
Jeremy Deedes
Jeremy Child
Ian Ogilvy
Gemma Jones
Simon Williams
Margaret Courtney
Prof William Linford-Rees - father-in-law
Catherine Linford-Rees - mother-in-law
family members
Roddy Llewelyn
Tatiana Llewelyn
David Shilling
Donald Pickering
Marcia Warren
Douglas Martin
Sam Neill

production team...

Researcher: David N Mason
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
Associate Producer: Brian Klein
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Eamonn Andrews

a brief biography

The Audience

the applause, laughter and tears

Ian Ogilvy

Simon Williams

Screenshots of Christopher Cazenove This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

We had visited Dynasty two years before, in February 1987, in search of the heart-throb British actor, then playing Ben Carrington, Christopher Cazenove.

I had flown in with then associate producer Brian Klein (now a producer/director) as the advance party. On the plane we talked about an absolute 'grabber' of a pick-up if we could open with Joan Collins about to descend the famous Carrington mansion staircase, not with Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) but with Eamonn.

Eamonn had still to arrive in Hollywood, but we were convinced he would go with the idea, so we approached Joan Collins who, great professional that she is, loved it.

But just before Eamonn flew in, there was a snag. Joan had to fly to Europe to film just twenty-four hours before our glamorous pick-up. Then I snapped my fingers (a habit that gets to you in Hollywood) and announced an idea that could still save it.

Brian and I were waiting for Eamonn when he and Grainne arrived at the third floor suite at the Beverly Wilshire. Grainne slept off the jet lag, but Eamonn poured us drinks. I outlined the plan agreed with Joan Collins. It is a technique used every day in this town. We shoot the scene at the top of the stairs with Eamonn and Joan Collins. We film the walk down, and at the door to the kitchen Joan says to Eamonn, 'He's in there, Eamonn, having breakfast with his daughter (that is his screen daughter, the stunning Terri Garber). Fingers crossed, good luck.'

Joan then flies off to her location, and Eamonn returns next day to do the actual 'hit'. Brian Klein and I sit back with our martinis in the plush surroundings, convinced we have solved the problem.

Eamonn sinks his martini. He shakes his head.

'What time must we shoot this?'

We tell him it will be early. About 8am. Another shake of the head.

'I can't appear with Joan Collins looking like this,' he says. Clearly, he is convinced a few hours' sleep will not improve his condition.

Then, suddenly, he says, 'Look, I know you've been knocking your brains out to make this idea work, but I can't do it because it would be a lie. We would be cheating the viewers.' He leaves us to finish our drinks and goes to bed.

So Eamonn appeared at the top of the staircase by himself. When we arrived to film Joan Collins, as planned, the first thing she said was, 'Where's Eamonn?' and we offered some 'not very well' excuse. And Joan did her bit without him.

But John Forsythe and Linda Evans were there to point him in the right direction, and stars Heather Locklear, Gordon Thompson, Jack Coleman and Terri Garber were on set, joined by Dyan Cannon and Angharad Rees, former Poldark star and Christopher's wife.

It was Angharad who insisted we fly in actress Marsha Fitzalan (Rik Mayall's wife in television's hit comedy series The New Statesman). The reason was that when Christopher and Angharad were going through a crisis in their marriage, Marsha rang to invite him out to dinner 'to the noisiest restaurant in Clapham High Street'. The purpose of the dinner was to let Christopher know that Angharad 'still loved him dearly'.

Hollywood legend Burt Lancaster, with whom he'd filmed Zulu Dawn in the African bush, gave Christopher the final accolade.

Series 27 subjects