Mel Ferrer, who died on 2 June, 2008, aged 90, was an American actor and director who became the envy of men around the world when he married Audrey Hepburn in 1954.

He met Ms Hepburn when they starred together in the play Ondine and would later appear on screen with her in War and Peace (1956) and Mayerling (1957). They also worked together on Wait Until Dark (1967) which Mr Ferrer produced during the latter part of his career.

His other roles included Robert Cohn in The Sun Also Rises (1957) and the Greek painter El Greco (1966). As well as historical drama, he appeared in numerous horror films, particularly during the years he spent working in Europe in the ’60s and ’70s.

Melchior Gaston Ferrer was born in the Elberon area of New Jersey on 25 August, 1917, and dropped out of Princeton to become an actor. He danced on Broadway for two years, eventually getting the chance to act himself. Polio took him off the stage for a few years, in which time he learnt the direction and production skills he would fall back on in later life.

After a few years as a dialogue coach, he made his film debut in 1947’s The Fugitive (1947) and two years later he starred in Lost Boundaries, the screenplay of which won an award at Cannes. His performance in The Brave Bulls (1951) won him much acclaim and he gave arguably the finest performance of his career in Lili (1953).

In 1965 he made Cabriola (marketed internationally as Every Day Is a Holiday, 1965), a film he wrote, directed and produced. During his varied career he also wrote a children’s book and was editor of a local newspaper. In his 60s he was best known as lawyer Phillip Erikson in the soap Falcon Crest, starring opposite Jane Wyman .

Ms Hepburn was the fourth of his five wives, the last of which – Elizabeth Soukhotine whom he married in 1971 – survived him after his death at his California ranch. He had four sons, including a son with Ms Hepburn, Sean, and two daughters