Ian Richardson

Ian William Richardson (7 April 19349 February 2007) was a British actor from Edinburgh, Scotland. He was best known for his portrayal of Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's ''House of Cards'' (1990–1995) television trilogy, as well as the British spy Bill Haydon in ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' (1979). Other notable screen work included a portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in two films (''The Sign of Four'' and ''The Hound of the Baskervilles''), as well as significant roles in ''Brazil'', ''M. Butterfly'', and ''Dark City''.

Richardson was also a leading stage actor, well known for his Shakespearean works as well as his portrayal of Jean-Paul Marat in the Broadway production of ''Marat/Sade''. Provided by Wikipedia