Anthony Maitland Steel (21 May 1920 – 21 March 2001) was an English actor and singer best known for his appearances in British war films of the 1950s such as The Wooden Horse (1950), and his marriage to Anita Ekberg. He was described as "a glorious throwback to the Golden Age of Empire... the perfect Imperial actor, born out of his time, blue-eyed, square-jawed, clean-cut." Anthony Steel was born in Chelsea, the son of an Indian army officer, and educated at Alexander House Prep School, Broadstairs, Kent. He servedas an officer in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, and was badly wounded on patrol in the Middle East, then again in the Far East. He turned parachutist and made nine operational jumps. On demobilisation, Steel decided to become an actor and got some parts on stage, including appearing opposite Margaret Lockwood in 'Roses for Her Pillow'. He was dating a niece of J. Arthur Rank who introduced Steel to her uncle at a party. Rank subsequently signed the actor to a long-term contract with his company. Steel was trained at Rank's "charm school" and given a slow build up with small parts in several films, starting with Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948).