John Leyton

Known for his singing talent as well as his acting chops, John Leyton rose to fame on the British air-adventurer show "Biggles" and went on to star in "The Great Escape" and a number of other 1960s pictures. After completing his compulsory stint in the National Service, Leyton attended drama school while working in small roles to make his tuition. His dreamy looks helped him get the part of Ginger on Granada TV's "Biggles" in 1960, which earned him plenty of fans--mostly female. His agent accordingly persuaded him to launch a singing career, and he quickly scored a huge hit with 1961's "Johnny Remember Me." His popularity in the early 1960s also helped him to win many notable screen roles, for example, his part opposite Steve McQueen in the prison adventure "The Great Escape" and a major role alongside the esteemed Richard Attenborough in the 1964 African coup d'etat drama "Guns at Batasi." Leyton continued to ride high in Hollywood throughout the decade, with a role in Frank Sinatra's World War II escape action drama "Von Ryan's Express" and occasional television work. At the start of the '70s, Leyton came back to the U.K. and tried in vain to restart his career as a singer. He managed to find some screen work, playing opposite Tony Britton's Labour MP on "The Nearly Man," but had essentially retired from the screen by 1981. Leyton did reappear in a few cameos in the 2000s, and he still performs his hits across Europe.