He was offered the role of the Fourth Doctor following Jon Pertwee's departure from Doctor Who in 1974 but he turned it down due to his preference for the theatre. The part eventually went to Tom Baker who would become the longest running, most popular and best known Doctor in the series' history.
His younger sister Anne Crowden, a violinist, founded the Crowden School in Berkley, California, USA in 1983. She died on March 14, 2004 at the age of 76.