Michael Charles Gauntlet Wilding

Michael Wilding was an English actor. Born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, Wilding was a successful commercial artist when he joined the art department of a London movie studio in 1933. He soon embarked on an acting career.

He appeared in numerous British motion pictures, often opposite Anna Neagle, but had a less productive career in Hollywood. His screen performances include Sailors Three (1940), In Which We Serve (1942), Undercover (film) (1943), Piccadilly Incident (1946), Spring in Park Lane (1948), Stage Fright (1950) and The World of Suzie Wong (1960).

His last appearance was in an uncredited, non-speaking cameo in Lady Caroline Lamb (1972), which co-starred his last wife, Margaret Leighton.

He also appeared on television, including the title role in the 1957 episode "The Trial of Colonel Blood" of NBC's anthology series, The Joseph Cotten Show.

Wilding had four wives, Kay Young (married 1937, divorced 1951), actress Elizabeth Taylor (married 1952, divorced 1957), Susan Neill (married 1958, divorced 1962), and actress Margaret Leighton (married 1964 until her death in 1976).

He and Taylor had two sons, Michael Howard Wilding (born 1953) and Christopher Edward Wilding (born 1955). In 1957 he had a short-lived romance with actress Marie McDonald, who was nicknamed "The Body"

In the 1960s, he was forced to cut back on his movie appearances due to illness related to his lifelong epilepsy.

Michael Wilding died in Chichester, West Sussex, due to head injuries suffered from a fall down a flight of stairs during an epileptic seizure. His body was cremated and the ashes were scattered.