He attended the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) with such other notables as Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt. He and John Hurt starred in their first movie together - The Wild and The Willing (aka Young and Willing). He had to leave RADA a couple weeks before graduation in order to do the film, but they gave him his diploma anyway. He and John Hurt made their professional stage debut together too - also in 1962 - in a play called "Infanticide in the House of Fred Ginger." I've read that he performed in his first play, first film and first television series in the same year (1962). The IMDb has an episode of Armchair Theatre listed for 1962, so I'm thinking that must have been his first TV role? Anyone know if John Hurt was in that too? (grin) [IMDb doesn't list Hurt in the credits for that, but it's not necessarily complete.]

He's perfect as the charming leading man type, but he's equally perfect as the villainous street thug type too. At 5'9", he is smaller than most of the guys he goes up against, but he is so damned convincing as a tough guy, it's easy to believe he could rip your throat out. The first thing I probably noticed him in was a film called Sitting Target. I don't remember a whole lot about it now, it was so long ago that I saw it, but I do remember being frightened by Oliver Reed's character and enamoured with Ian McShane. What can I say? It's the dark curly hair and the smouldering eyes that seem to change color depending on his mood.

I have copied an article that appeared in A&E Monthly Magazine in January of 1994 that will tell you more. (This magazine is no longer in production, having sort of morphed into their Biography magazine some years ago). This interview mentions Lovejoy being in it's fourth season on A&E, but he would have been filming the final season (#6) in Britain. Click on the button below and it will open in a new window/tab. I've reproduced it faithfully and have changed nothing. It mentions a son named Michael, but I do believe his son is actually named Morgan.