Born Daniel Raymond Massey, October 10, 1933, in London, England; died of heart failure after suffering from Hodgkin's disease, March 25, 1998, in London,England.
Following in the tradition of his famous parents (Canadian actor Raymond Massey and English actress Adrianne Allen), Massey delighted audiences with his range as an actor. Calling him "a stylish and versatile actor," the New York Times said he "performed with equal ease in plays by Shaw, Wilde and Pinter as well as in Broadway musicals. . . . An actor in the classic tradition, he had a commanding stage presence: tall, limber, expressive, filled with charm." The Los Angeles Times noted that "he was famous for his deep, mellifluous voice." Massey made his stage debut in 1956 with a role in Peril at End House. He followed with performances in The Happiest Millionaire, Make Me an Offer, The Three Musketeers, A Month inthe Country, Barefoot in the Park, and The Importance of BeingEarnest. The 1970s and 1980s saw Massey starring in productions such as Don Juan Comes Back from the War, Man and Superman, and Timeof Your Life. His stage roles in the 1990s were in productions like Heartbreak House, Taking Sides, Love's Labour's Lost, and The Devil's Disciple. In addition to his work on stage, he appeared in films beginning in 1942 with In Which We Serve. His other films includedUpstairs and Downstairs; Mary, Queen of Scots; Victory;and In the Name of the Father. He took his talents to television as well with roles in miniseries such as The Roads to Freedom and movies such as Love with a Perfect Stranger, Intimate Contact, and Stalin. The godson of Noel Coward, he received an Academy Award nominationfor his role as Coward in Star!
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