Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud, dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles.
His family had no theatrical connections, but Olivier's father, a clergyman, decided that his son sh
Among Olivier's films are Wuthering Heights (1939), Rebecca (1940), and a trilogy of Shakespeare films as actor-director: Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), and Richard III (1955). His later films included The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Sleuth (1972), Marathon Man (1976), and The Boys from Brazil (1978). His television appearances included an adaptation of The Moon and Sixpence (1960), Long Day's Journey into Night (1973), Love Among the Ruins (1975), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976), Brideshead Revisited (1981) and King Lear (1983).
Olivier's honours included a knighthood (1947), a life peerage (1970) and the Order of Merit (1981). For his on-screen work he received four Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. The National Theatre's largest auditorium is named in his honour, and he is commemorated in the Laurence Olivier Awards, given annually by the Society of London Theatre. He was married three times, to the actresses Jill Esmond from 1930 to 1940, Vivien Leigh from 1940 to 1960, and Joan Plowright from 1961 until his death.
Born
May 22, 1907
Dorking, Surrey, England, UK
Died
Jul 11, 1989
Known For
Acting
Movies
138 acting
21 crew
Popularity
2.6
Known For
Spartacus
1960
as Marcus Licinius Crassus
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
2004
as Dr. Totenkopf (archive footage)
The Boys from Brazil
1978
as Ezra Lieberman
A Bridge Too Far
1977
as Dr. Jan Spaander
Romeo and Juliet
1968
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Marathon Man
1976
as Dr. Christian Szell
Clash of the Titans
1981
as Zeus
Wuthering Heights
1939
as Heathcliff
Rebecca
1940
as Maxim de Winter
Hamlet
1948
as Hamlet - Prince of Denmark / Voice of Ghost
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