Christopher Guard

Christopher Guard is an English actor, singer, songwriter, artist and author. Guard has starred in many films and TV shows, including Dr Who and Lord of the Rings. He is the author of the novel The Cost of Flying and the memoir And Then It Was Now.

Christopher Guard was born in Hammersmith, London. He attended Latymer Upper School. As a 12-year-old, Christopher played the young David Copperfield in the BBC's 1966 TV serial adaptation of the book.

His early television roles included appearances in Dixon of Dock Green and the portrayal of young Pip in the 1967 BBC Dickens serial Great Expectations. Among Guard's other television credits are Marcellus in I, Claudius (1976), Marius in Les Misérables (1978), and Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings (1978) with his brother Dominic.

In the late '70s and early '80s, Guard's career soared with appearances in acclaimed productions like Shoestring, The Professionals, My Cousin Rachel (1983), and A Woman of Substance (1985). Noteworthy was his portrayal of Jim Hawkins in Return to Treasure Island (1986), a 10-part miniseries filmed across Wales, Spain, and Jamaica.

Guard delved into science fiction with the role of Bellboy in the Doctor Who serial The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (1988). From 1993, he played Clinical Nurse Specialist Ken Hodges in the long-running BBC drama Casualty.

In the early 2000s, Christopher Guard penned his first novel, The Cost of Flying. His memoir, And Then It Was Now (2022), provides an intimate glimpse into his unique world. The memoir is a captivating journey through his experiences growing up in a family of actors and writers, featuring anecdotes involving luminaries such as Sir John Gielgud, Jenny Agutter, Hugh Grant, Mel Smith, Sir Elton John, and more.

Photo credit: christopherguard.co.uk