Inside Howards’ Way star Tony Anholt’s relationship with famous son

Made to rival the high society American dramas like Dynasty and Dallas, Howards’ Way is still a key plank in 1980s dramas from the BBC.

Appearing across all six seasons was Tony Anholt, who played millionaire businessman Charles Frere, known for his suave mannerisms.

Away from the show, Tony, who died from a brain tumour at the age of 61 in 2002, also had major roles in the likes of The Protectors, Space: 1999 and Relic Hunter. The star was married twice, with his second marriage being to his Howards’ Way co-star, Tracey Childs, with the pair being married for eight years.

His first marriage was to Sheila Willet, with the pair being an item for 22 years. During the course of their relationship, the couple became parents to their son, Christien, who followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a famous actor.

Here’s all you need to know about the star…

Tony’s son Christien

Christien Anholt was born in 1971, and the 55-year-old made his acting debut in 1989, when he appeared in the drama film Reunion. The actor subsequently followed this up with appearances in Doctor Who, Hamlet, Dark Corners, Hard Times and Malory Towers.

However, his most famous role was as Nigel Bailey in the Canadian series Relic Hunter. Christien played the sidekick to Tia Carrere’s Sydney Fox across all 66 episodes of the show, with his father making a guest appearance in the episode ‘Love Letter’.

Speaking to Fab magazine, Christien opened up about his late father’s final months, speaking about how Tony was comforted by his beliefs in spiritualism. “He used to meditate religiously twice a day – half an hour, morning and evening,” he explained.

The actor continued: “I was aware of his meditation practice and the kind of books that I’d see him reading looked very spiritual, deep and life-meaningful. That was a theme of his life – he was interested in life and the universe. He wasn’t religious, but he was definitely interested in something other than this physical existence.”

© ABC

Recalling one of his favourite performances from Tony, Christien recalled: “The particular performance that stands out for me was Salieri in Amadeus, at Windsor. I was only 14 at the time, but I remember being quite enamoured by what I saw him doing then.

“If I had to choose, I would suggest that was his best performance. It’s one hell of a part and he was terrific in it. I went to see that several times.”