Peter Ustinov was renowned throughout the world as an actor, playwright, director, novelist, wit and raconteur. Born in England in 1921 of Russian immigrant parents, he discovered an ability to mimic while at school. He wrote his first play before he was 20 and he had more than a dozen produced, three of which were later filmed. As an actor he won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in SPARTACUS and TOPKAPI, and he also made three appearances as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. More recently he directed operas in every major opera house in Europe. His one-man show, AN EVENING WITH PETER USTINOV was a hit in London and on Broadway, and he published several novels and one early volume of memoirs. This warm and revealing biography looks behind the public image to give an enthralling portrait of a man whose unique gift of laughter made him one of the world's most popular and respected entertainers.