British actor born William Reginald Gardiner on 27 February 1903 in London, United Kingdom. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London (RADA). He made his acting debut on Alfred Hitchcock's silent film The Lodger (1927) but his Hollywood film debut was on Born to Dance (1936). His most notable works include Christmas in Connecticut (1945), The Great Dictator (1940), and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942). He was married twice and had one child. He died of pneumonia and a heart attack on 7 July 1980.