Sir Ben Kingsley CBE (born "Krishna Pandit Bhanji" on 31st December 1943 in Snainton, North Yorkshire) appeared on Coronation Street intermittently between November 1966 and March 1967 as Ron Jenkins.
He also appeared in the spin-offs Pardon the Expression and Turn out the Lights.
Educated at the Manchester Grammar School, he furthered his studies at De La Salle College in Salford and took an interest in amateur dramatics, making his professional stage debut upon graduation, aged 23.
The Academy Award-winning actor is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mohandas Gandhi in Richard Attenborough's 1982 film Gandhi, for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor. His other film credits include Fear Is the Key, Bugsy, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Schindler's List, Moses, Rules of Engagement, Sexy Beast, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Fifty Dead Men Walking, Shutter Island, Iron Man 3, Spider in the Web and Daliland.
Television credits include roles in Orlando, The Love School, Crown Court and Perpetual Grace, LTD.
On stage, he appeared in several productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company including The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, The Relapse, Troilus and Cressida, Much Ado About Nothing, The Silver Tassie, Bartholomew Fair, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Occupations, A Lesson in Blood and Roses, Hamlet and Baal. Other works include Dimetos, Volpone, Judgement, The Country Wife, Doctor Faustus, Edmund Kean and Waiting for Godot.
His first wife, actress Angela Morant, also appeared on Coronation Street.
He was awarded the CBE in 2000 and a knighthood in 2001.