Edward de Souza Biography
Edward James de Souza was born on September 4, 1932, in Hull, England. He was the only child of Annie Adeline Swift and Edward Valentine De Souza Jr. who had Portuguese-Indian heritage. Unfortunately, his father passed away when de Souza was only 14, and he was primarily raised by his mother.
De Souza attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and made his acting debut in 1961 with the film The Fourth Square. He then became a regular cast member in the popular sitcom Marriage Lines from 1961 to 1966, where he starred alongside Richard Briers and Prunella Scales.
In 1962, Edward de Souza appeared in two Hammer horror films, The Phantom of the Opera and The Kiss of the Vampire. He also made a guest appearance in the popular British TV series The Avengers alongside Goldfinger star Honor Blackman.
Another of Edward de Souza’s notable roles was in the science fiction TV series Doctor Who, where he played space security agent Marc Cory in the episode Mission to the Unknown (1965). This episode was unique as it was the only one in the series not to feature the Doctor in any capacity.
Throughout his career, de Souza appeared in many other TV shows and films, including the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) as Bond’s long time friend Shiek Hosein. He also starred in the first series of British law drama Rumpole of the Bailey (1978). He later enjoyed a cameo in the 2007 fantasy film The Golden Compass.
Edward de Souza was also a prolific radio actor, and he played the role of The Man in Black on BBC Radio 4 between 1988 and 1992, succeeding Valentine Dyall, who originated the role.
In his personal life, Edward de Souza married Miranda Connell in 1960, and they have four children together. He passed away on July 31, 2021, at the age of 88.
