A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Beckley appeared in BBC-TV's "Romeo and Juliet" and later in "War and Peace" and "Julius Caesar." Prior to his death, he had appeared on stage with Maggie Smith in "Snap" and Elaine Strich in Tennesse Williams' "Small Craft Warnings." Veteran actor of over 1000 stage productions and television shows in England, Beckley played his last film as the killer in "When A Stranger Calls."