Barry Morse was born Herbert Morse in 1918 to Charles Hayward Morse and Mary Florence Hollis Morse. His parents owned a tobacco shop in Londons East End.
Young Herbert dropped out of high school at 15, but he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. At graduation from the Academy, he performed in the title role of Shakespeare's Henry the V, presented as a royal command performance for King George the VI and Queen Elizabeth. Upon graduation, Morse won the BBC's Radio Prize which led to numerous radio performances and roles on stage in various productions throughout the UK as well as the United States and made his film debut in the 1942 comedy Goose Steps Out. In addition to his stage and film roles he made over a thousand guest appearances in numerous television shows like The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, Outer Limits, The Invaders, Wagon Train and many more. He directed Sir Michael Redgrave in "Mister Dickens of London" and wrote numerous books and memoirs. However he is probably best known for his portrayal of Lt. Philip Gerard on The Fugitive and Prof. Victor Bergman in Space 1999.
Then there was the time that he was briefly detained by Buffalo, NY police on suspicion of driving an unregistered car while in town to appear on a Variety Club telethon for handicapped children.
He spent a few hours behind bars before the "authorities" managed to sort things out. It's unclear whether he ever came back to visit Buffalo or remained a fugitive.
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