Peter Egan

Peter Joseph Egan (born 28 September 1946) is a British actor known for his TV roles, including Hogarth in Big Breadwinner Hog, the future King George IV of the United Kingdom in Prince Regent (1979); smooth neighbour Paul Ryman in the sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–89); and Hugh "Shrimpie" MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire, in Downton Abbey (2012–15). He is married to retired actress Myra Frances. 2Early life Egan was born in Hampstead, London, the son of Doris (née Pick) and Michael Thomas Egan, who is of Irish descent. He was educated at St. George's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School, Maida Vale. He also attended the London Oratory School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. 2Life and career Peter Egan's first stage performance was in 'Charlie Girl'. Peter Egan's first television role was as the sex-and-cinema-obsessed Seth Starkadder in a BBC serialisation of Cold Comfort Farm (1968). In 1969 he had come to notoriety as the acid-throwing gangster Hogarth in the controversial Granada TV series Big Breadwinner Hog. Later he had other starring roles as John Everett Millais in the BBC serial The Love School (1975), and as Oscar Wilde in the serial Lillie (1978), starring Francesca Annis as Lillie Langtry; as Magnus Pym in the BBC dramatisation of John le Carré's A Perfect Spy (1987) and another BBC sitcom, Joint Account (1989–90