English actor Charles Kay (his real surname is Piff) was born on August 31, 1930 in Coventry, West Midlands, U.K. to parents Charles Beckingham and Frances (Petty) Piff.

Kay attended the University of Birmingham for dentistry and, after graduation, did his two year National Service with the rank of captain in the RAMC. It was in his early twenties that Kay decided to train for the stage. Receiving a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Kay graduated from the distinguished acting school at twenty-eight.

After graduation, Kay joined the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. He created the roles of Jimmy in Arnold Wesker's Roots (1959) and Charles V in John Osborne's Luther (1961) and also appeared in Wesker's The Kitchen, The Changeling (1961), and Twelfth Night (1962).

In 1963, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in Stratford and at the Aldwych, London. Playing a wide variety of roles, his stage credits included Octavius Caesar in Julius Caesar, Clarence in The Wars of the Roses, Launcelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice, Antipholus of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors, Osric in the David Warner version of Hamlet, Dobchinsky in The Government Inspector and Moloch in Robert Bolt's The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew.

He remained with RSC until 1966, when he joined the National Theatre. During his six-year run with National, Sir Laurence Olivier headed the company which, in addition to Kay, included an extraordinary group of stage actors including Ronald Pickup, Derek Jacobi, Jeremy Brett, and Joan Plowright. Amongst his credits were the female role of Celia in the all-male production of As You Like It (1967) and Peter Nichols's The National Health (1969).

In the early '70s, Kay made a leap from the stage into television and, over the following decades, has acted in several noteworthy teleplays and miniseries. Some of those include The Duchess of Malfi (1972), Tsar Nicholas II in Fall of Eagles (1974), I, Claudius (1976), The Devil's Crown (1978), Alcock in To Serve Them All My Days (1980), The Citadel (1983), By the Sword Divided (1983), Guy Pendleton in Edge of Darkness (1985), and Fortunes of War (1987).

One of his highest profile film performances came as Count Orsini-Rosenberg in the Academy Award-winning movie Amadeus (1984). Other feature film credits include his theatrical debut in Bachelor of Hearts (1958), Kenneth Branagh's Henry V (1989), Beautiful People (1999), and The Importance of Being Earnest (2002).

Kay's most recent work includes the acclaimed London productions of Tosca's Kiss (2006) and The Last Confession (2007). He is an associate member of RADA and continues to perform on stage and in television.



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(curtesy of the Chichester Festival Theatre)

Previously appeared at Chichester as Caius Cassius in Julius Caesar, Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel (Festival Theatre) and Stephen in Simply Disconnected (Minerva Theatre).

Most recent theatre credits include Tosca's Kiss (Orange Tree).

Other theatre credits include seasons at the Royal Court including The Wesker Trilogy, The Kitchen, The Changeling and Luther. West End credits include The Homecoming, The Millionairess, The Scarlet Pimpernel, the original cast of The Woman in Black, Amadeus, Penny For a Song, Cressida, Home and Beauty. He joined the RSC in it's early days to play Clarence in Peter Hall's Wars of the Roses and stayed with the company for four years, after which he joined Olivier's National Theatre at the Old Vic for six years where parts included Celia in the all-male As You Like It, Danton's Death, Three Sisters, The National Health, The Merchant of Venice, Back to Methuselah, Love's Labour's Lost, Edward II. Later RSC credits include Life's A Dream, Waste (Clarence Derwent Award), Pentecost and most recently All's Well That Ends Well.

For the National Theatre The Miser, The Madness of George III.

Television credits include Miss Marple, Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II, Midsomer Murders, Love from Colditz, Goodnight Mr. Tom, Darling Buds of May, Sherlock Holmes, Edge of Darkness, Fortunes of War, To Serve Them All My Days, My Cousin Rachel, Fall of Eagles.

Films include Amadeus, Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, Beautiful People and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Trained at RADA.