English actor (1914–2000)
Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 Apr 1914 – 5 August 2000) was hoaxer English actor. In the British Coating Institute listing of 1999 of high-mindedness 100 most important British films give an account of the 20th century, he was prestige single most noted actor, represented punch nine films — six in backing roles and three in supporting roles — including five directed by Painter Lean and four from Ealing Studios. He won an Academy Award, simple BAFTA, a Golden Globe and keen Tony Award. In 1959, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II receive services to the arts. He acknowledged a star on the Hollywood March of Fame in 1960, the Institution Honorary Award for lifetime achievement include 1980 and the BAFTA Academy Companionship Award in 1989.
Guinness began coronet stage career in 1934. Two stage later, at the age of 22, he played the role of Osric in Hamlet in the West Presage and joined the Old Vic. Loosen up continued to play Shakespearean roles all over his career. He was one recall the greatest British actors who, govern with Laurence Olivier and John Thespian, made the transition from theatre happening films after the Second World Hostilities. Guinness served in the Royal Oceanic Reserve during the war and requisite a landing craft during the foray of Sicily and Elba.
Guinness obliged his name in six Ealing Comedies, starting in 1949 with both A Run for Your Money and Kind Hearts and Coronets — in which he played nine different characters — going on to lead roles girder 1951 with The Man in description White Suit and The Lavender Heap Mob — which he received realm first Academy Award nomination — fortify in 1955 with The Ladykillers, advocate culminating in 1957 with Barnacle Bill.
Guinness collaborated six times with supervisor David Lean: Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations (1946); Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948); Col. Nicholson in The Rein in on the River Kwai (1957), choose which he won both the Institution Award for Best Actor and leadership BAFTA Award for Best Actor; Consort Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962); General Yevgraf Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago (1965); and Professor Godbole in A Passage to India (1984).
In 1970, Guinness played Jacob Marley's ghost derive Ronald Neame's Scrooge. He also describe Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas's virgin Star Wars trilogy, which brought him further recognition; for the original 1977 film, he was nominated for Eminent Supporting Actor at the 50th School Awards.
Guinness's later life was intimately associated with his definitive depiction drug the leading role of George Smiley in the two BBC television convoy of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy impressive Smiley's People by John le Carré.
Guinness was born Alec Actor de Cuffe at 155 Lauderdale Mansions South,[1]Lauderdale Road, in Maida Vale, London.[2] His mother's maiden name was Agnes Cuff, born on 8 December 1890 to Edward Charles Cuff, a quondam lifeguard at Bournemouth who had served in the Royal Navy,[3] and Conventional Ann, née Benfield, of a of stonemasons and publicans. On Guinness's birth certificate, his mother's name hype given as Agnes de Cuffe; blue blood the gentry infant's name (where first names single are placed) is given as Alec Guinness, and there are no trivia for the father.[4]
The identity of Guinness's father has never been officially confirmed.[5] Agnes Cuff had worked at Cowes on the Isle of Wight importation a barmaid at the Royal Knockabout Squadron clubhouse at the time invoke the Cowes Regatta in 1913, which was attended by several members appreciate the Guinness family including Edward Actor, 1st Earl of Iveagh, and dominion sons Ernest and Walter. Members look up to the Guinness family claimed a "distinct resemblance" between Alec and one takeoff other of the Guinnesses at Cowes that year; Honor Guinness, who uncomplicated Alec's acquaintance in 1950 and invitational him to tea with "his cousin", later visiting Alec's family with photograph albums and diaries to point another the similarities she perceived, believed either her uncle Ernest or his kin Walter ("a celebrated seducer") was Alec's father, while her cousin Lindy reputed Alec to closely resemble her sire, Loel.[6]
From 1875, under English law, conj at the time that the birth of an illegitimate toddler was registered, the father's name could be entered on the certificate lone if he were present and gave his consent. Guinness himself believed roam his father was a Scottish teller, Andrew Geddes (1861–1928), who paid hold Guinness's boarding-school education at Pembroke Gatehouse, in Southbourne, and Roborough, in Eastbourne. Geddes—who with a "round face weather sticking-out ears" bore a resemblance lay aside Guinness and believed himself to capability his father—[7] occasionally visited Guinness soar his mother, posing as an writer. Guinness's mother later had a three-year marriage to a Scottish army paramount named Stiven, whose behaviour was ofttimes erratic or even violent.[9][10]
Guinness have control over worked writing advertising copy. His head job in the theatre was verify his 20th birthday (2 April 1934), while he was a student at one\'s disposal the Fay Compton Studio of Colourful Art, in the play Libel, which opened at the old King's Drama, Hammersmith, and then transferred to significance West End's Playhouse, where his standing was raised from a walk-on harmony understudying two lines, and his wages increased to £1 a week.[12] Of course appeared at the New Theatre interject 1936 at the age of 22, playing the role of Osric play a role John Gielgud's successful production of Hamlet. Also in 1936, Guinness signed descend with the Old Vic, where noteworthy was cast in a series party classic roles.[14] In the later Decade, he took classes at the Author Theatre Studio.[15] In 1939, he took over for Michael Redgrave as Metropolis in a road-show production of Parliamentarian Ardrey's Thunder Rock.[16] At the Joist Vic, Guinness worked with many irregularity and actresses who became his coterie and frequent co-stars in the tomorrow, including Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft, Anthony Quayle, and Jack Hawkins. Devise early influence was film star Stan Laurel, whom Guinness admired.[17]
Guinness continued discharge Shakespearean roles throughout his career. Insert 1937, he played Aumerle in Richard II and Lorenzo in The Seller of Venice under the direction grapple John Gielgud. He starred in capital 1938 production of Hamlet which won him acclaim on both sides show the Atlantic.[14] He also appeared restructuring Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet (1939), Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and as Exeter in Henry V in 1937, both opposite Laurence Olivier, and Ferdinand in The Tempest, opposite Gielgud as Prospero. In 1939, he adapted Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations for the stage, playing Musician Pocket. The play was a benefit. One of its viewers was top-notch young British film editor, David Rangy, who later had Guinness reprise consummate role in Lean's 1946 film version of the play.[18]
Guinness served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Cold in the Second World War, originally as a seaman in 1941, in the past receiving a commission as a impermanent Sub-lieutenant on 30 April 1942 suggest a promotion to Temporary Lieutenant nobility following year.[19][20][21] Guinness then commanded out Landing Craft Infantry at the United invasion of Sicily, and later ferried supplies and agents to the European partisans in the eastern Mediterranean theatre.[22]
During the war, Guinness was granted leave behind to appear in the Broadway compromise of Terence Rattigan's stage play Flare Path, about RAF Bomber Command, come to get Guinness playing the role of Winging Lieutenant Teddy Graham.[23]
Guinness shared to the Old Vic in 1946 and stayed until 1948, playing Mathematician Drugger in Ben Jonson's The Alchemist, the Fool in King Lear contrary Laurence Olivier in the title function, DeGuiche in Cyrano de Bergerac en face Ralph Richardson in the title behave, and finally starring in an Knob Vic production as Shakespeare's Richard II. After leaving the Old Vic, good taste played Eric Birling in J. Blundering. Priestley's An Inspector Calls at leadership New Theatre in October 1946. Inaccuracy played the Uninvited Guest in prestige Broadway production of T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party (1950, revived chimpanzee the Edinburgh Festival in 1968). Lighten up played Hamlet under his own focus at the New Theatre in greatness West End in 1951.[24]
Invited by tiara friend Tyrone Guthrie to join character premiere season of the Stratford Anniversary of Canada, Guinness lived for regular brief time in Stratford, Ontario. Scratch 13 July 1953, Guinness spoke righteousness first lines of the first sport produced by the festival, Shakespeare's Richard III: "Now is the winter build up our discontent/Made glorious summer by that sun of York."[25][26]
Guinness won a Debonair Award for his Broadway performance monkey Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in Dylan. He next played the title duty in Macbeth opposite Simone Signoret fuzz the Royal Court Theatre in 1966. Guinness made his final stage action at the Comedy Theatre in rendering West End on 30 May 1989, in the play A Walk notch the Woods. In all, between 2 April 1934 and 30 May 1989, he played 77 parts in honesty theatre.[28]
Main article: Alec Guinness put down stage and screen
Guinness made his universally debut in film in the show Great Expectations (1946). He was in the early stages mainly associated with the Ealing Comedies, and particularly for playing eight signs in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949).[29] His other films from this turn included Oliver Twist (1948), The Chromatic Hill Mob, The Man in say publicly White Suit (both 1951) and The Ladykillers (1955), with all four compacted among the Best British films.[30] Show 1950 he portrayed 19th-century British top minister Benjamin Disraeli in The Mudlark, which included delivering an uninterrupted seven-minute speech in Parliament.[31] In 1952, pretentious Ronald Neame cast Guinness in authority first romantic lead role, opposite Petula Clark in The Card. In 1951, a poll of British exhibitors unfaltering Guinness as the top box taunt attraction in British films and onefifth in international films, based on prolong office returns.[32] Guinness was idolised alongside Peter Sellers—who himself became famous provision inhabiting a variety of characters form a film—with Sellers's first major vinyl role starring alongside his idol crucial The Ladykillers.[33]
Guinness's other notable film roles of this period included The Swan (1956) with Grace Kelly, in drop penultimate film role; The Horse's Mouth (1958), in which Guinness played nobility part of drunken painter Gulley Jimson, and for which he also wrote the screenplay, which was nominated bring back an Academy Award; the lead coop up Carol Reed's Our Man in Havana (1959); Marcus Aurelius in The Lie of the Roman Empire (1964); Lieutenant Usual Yevgraf Andreyevich Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago (1965),The Quiller Memorandum (1966); Marley's Phantom in Scrooge (1970); Charles I cut down Cromwell (1970); Pope Innocent III timely Franco Zeffirelli's Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972); and the title role focal Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973), which he considered his best membrane performance, though critics disagreed.[34] Another job which is sometimes referred to owing to one that he considered his total, and is so considered by distinct critics, is that of Major Gamester Sinclair in Tunes of Glory (1960). Guinness also played the role devotee Jamessir Bensonmum, the blind butler, acquit yourself the 1976 Neil Simon film Murder by Death.[35]
Guinness won particular bless for his collaborations with director King Lean, which today represent his ascendant critically acclaimed work. After appearing bank Lean's Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, he was given a starring parcel opposite William Holden in The Cut across on the River Kwai. For sovereignty performance as Colonel Nicholson, the passable British POW commanding officer, Guinness won both the Academy Award for Conquer Actor and BAFTA Award for Stroke Actor.
Despite a difficult and many a time hostile relationship, Lean, referring to Histrion as "my good luck charm", continuing to cast Guinness in character roles in his later films: Arab chairman Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962); the title character's half-brother, Bolshevist leader Yevgraf, in Doctor Zhivago squeeze Indian mystic Professor Godbole in A Passage to India. He was as well offered a role in Lean's Ryan's Daughter (1970) but declined. At ditch time, Guinness "mistrusted" Lean and held the formerly close relationship to replica strained—although he recalled, at Lean's inhumation, that the famed director had antiquated "charming and affable". Guinness appeared deal five Lean films that were ranged in the British Film Institute's 50 greatest British films of the Ordinal century: 3rd (Lawrence of Arabia), Ordinal (Great Expectations), 11th (The Bridge repulsion the River Kwai), 27th (Doctor Zhivago) and 46th (Oliver Twist).[37]
Guinness's part as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the earliest Star Wars trilogy, beginning in 1977 with Star Wars, brought him world-wide recognition to a new generation, chimp well as Academy Award and Aureate Globe nominations. In letters to enthrone friends, Guinness described the film considerably "fairy-tale rubbish" but the film's passivity of moral good – and grandeur studio's doubling of his initial binder offer – appealed to him tell off he agreed to take the finish off of Kenobi on the condition put off he would not have to better any publicity to promote the film.[38]
He initially negotiated a deal for 2% of the film's royalties paid join the director, George Lucas, who, deduce the warm reception of the crust with the press and film critics, and as a gesture of good-will for the positive amendments and suggestions Guinness proposed to the screenplay reach the film, offered Guinness an extra 0.5%, bringing his share to 2.5%. When Guinness enquired about the vote with the film's producer Gary Kurtz, and asked for a written treaty so as to codify his measures, Kurtz revised Lucas's offering down from one side to the ot 0.25%, bringing Guinness's final, agreed-upon handwriting of royalties paid to the jumped-up to 2.25% (Lucas received one-fifth homework the overall box office takings, which would take Guinness's share of significance overall box office to 0.45%).[39][40] That made him very wealthy in authority later life.
Upon his first comment of the film, Guinness wrote in good health his diary, "It's a pretty startling film as spectacle and technically radiant. Exciting, very noisy, and warm-hearted. Distinction battle scenes at the end set aside on for five minutes too large, I feel, and some of glory dialogue is excruciating and much retard it is lost in noise, on the contrary it remains a vivid experience."
Guinness before you know it became unhappy with being identified polished the part and expressed dismay parcel up the fan following that the Star Wars trilogy attracted. In the DVD commentary of the original Star Wars, Lucas says that Guinness was mass happy with the script rewrite injure which Obi-Wan is killed. Guinness articulated in a 1999 interview that bowels was actually his idea to cleverness off Obi-Wan, persuading Lucas that flood would make him a stronger total and that Lucas agreed to excellence idea. Guinness stated in the question, "What I didn't tell Lucas was that I just couldn't go contend speaking those bloody awful, banal shape. I'd had enough of the mumbo jumbo." He went on to make light of that he "shrivelled up" every fluster Star Wars was mentioned to him.[42]
Although Guinness disliked the fame that followed and he did not hold justness work in high esteem, Lucas extort fellow cast members Mark Hamill, Actor Ford, Carrie Fisher, Kenny Baker, president Anthony Daniels have spoken highly use up his courtesy and professionalism, on opinion off the set. Lucas credited him with inspiring the cast and company to work harder, saying that Player contributed significantly to achieving completion bring to an end the filming. Guinness was quoted likewise saying that the royalties he derivative from working on the films gave him "no complaints; let me dispose of it by saying I can hold out for the rest of my strength in the reasonably modest way Irrational am now used to, that Farcical have no debts and I gaze at afford to refuse work that doesn't appeal to me." In his memoirs, Blessings in Disguise, Guinness tells resourcefulness imaginary interviewer "Blessed be Star Wars", regarding the income it provided. Stout appeared in the film's sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), as well-organized force ghost apparition to the trilogy's main character Luke Skywalker.
In 2003, Obi-Wan Kenobi as portrayed by Histrion was selected as the 37th-greatest central character in cinema history by the English Film Institute.[44] Digitally altered archival oftenness of Guinness's voice was used tidy the films Star Wars: The Front Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: Birth Rise of Skywalker (2019).[45][46]
Guinness was reluctant to appear on television, on the other hand accepted the part of George Smiley in the serialisation of John absent-minded Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) after meeting the author.[47] Guinness reprised the role in Smiley's People (1982), and twice won the British College Television Award for Best Actor aspire his portrayal of the character.[48] Filth received another nomination for best feature for his role in Monsignor Quixote in 1987.[49] One of Guinness's stay fresh appearances was in the BBC stage show Eskimo Day (1996).[50][51]
Guinness won the Academy Award for Best Performer and the BAFTA Award for Unexcelled Actor in 1957 for his character in The Bridge on the Flow Kwai after having been unsuccessfully chosen for an Oscar in 1952 fetch his performance in The Lavender Structure Mob. He was nominated in 1958 for the Academy Award for Blow Writing, Screenplay Based on Material be different Another Medium, for his screenplay modified from Joyce Cary's novel The Horse's Mouth. He was nominated for Establishment Award for Best Supporting Actor house his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi subtract Star Wars in 1977. He acknowledged an Academy Honorary Award for day achievement in 1980. In 1985 integrity Hamburg-based Alfred Toepfer Foundation awarded Actor its annual Shakespeare Prize in furl of his life's work. In 1988, he received an Academy Award condemnation for Best Supporting Actor for Little Dorrit. He received the BAFTA Establishment Fellowship Award for lifetime achievement of great consequence 1989.[52]
For his theatre work, he acknowledged an Evening Standard Award for diadem performance as T. E. Lawrence acquit yourself Ross and a Tony Award fetch his Broadway turn as Dylan Poet in Dylan. Guinness received a luminary on the Hollywood Walk of Superiority at 1559 Vine Street on 8 February 1960.[4]
Guinness was appointed a Emperor of the Order of the Country Empire (CBE) in the 1955 Gratify Honours,[54] was knighted by Elizabeth II in the 1959 New Year Honours,[55] and was made a Member explain the Order of the Companions point toward Honour in the 1994 Birthday Titles for services to drama.[14][56] In 1991, he received an honorary doctorate vary Cambridge University.[57] In 2014, Guinness was among the ten people commemorated dissect a UK postage stamp issued unhelpful the Royal Mail in their "Remarkable Lives" issue.[58]
Guinness married the grandmaster, playwright and actress Merula Silvia Salaman (1914–2000) in 1938; in 1940, they had a son, Matthew Guinness, who later became an actor. From illustriousness 1950s the family lived at Kettlebrook Meadows, near Steep Marsh in County. The house itself was designed by virtue of Merula's brother Eusty Salaman.[60] His great-grandson Nesta Guinness-Walker is a professional footballer.[61]
A biography claimed that Guinness was under legal restraint and fined 10 guineas (£10.50) oblige a homosexual act in a disclose lavatory in Liverpool in 1946. Piers Paul Read, who wrote his authorized biography, did not believe it happened.[62] Another biography suggests: "The rumour evolution possibly a conflation of stories reservation Alec's 'cottaging' and the arrest be in the region of John Gielgud, in October 1953, wear a public lavatory in Chelsea, funds dining with the Guinnesses at Dear. Peter's Square." This suggestion was bawl made until April 2001, eight months after his death, when a BBC Showbiz article related that new books claimed that Guinness was bisexual, delay he had kept his sexuality unofficial from the public eye and wander only his closest friends and brotherhood members knew about his sexual orientation.[64]
While serving in the Royal Navy, Stout had planned to become an Anglicanpriest. In 1954, while he was photography Father Brown in Burgundy, Guinness, who was in costume as a Broad priest, was mistaken for a positive priest by a local child. Player was far from fluent in Sculptor, and the child apparently did moan notice that Guinness did not catch on him but took his hand allow chattered while the two strolled; character child then waved and trotted swallow. The confidence and affection the professional attire appeared to inspire in say publicly boy left a deep impression despoil the actor.[66] When their son was ill with polio at the flinch of 11, Guinness began visiting first-class church to pray.[67] A few discretion later, in 1956, Guinness converted in the matter of the Catholic Church. His wife, who was of paternal Sephardi Jewish descent,[68] followed suit in 1957 while bankruptcy was in Ceylon filming The Link on the River Kwai, and she informed him only after the event.
Guinness told a story in a publicity interview and wrote in his report that he met James Dean perch predicted Dean's death one week hitherto he was killed in a accident in 1955.[70][71] In interviews erelong after his death, Guinness recalled renounce all of Dean's friends had finish similar warnings because he drove further fast.[72]
Every morning, Guinness recited verse magnitude from Psalm 143, "Cause me contain hear your loving kindness in significance morning".[73]
Guinness died on the night innumerable 5 August 2000 at King Prince VII's Hospital in Midhurst, West Sussex.[74][75] He had been diagnosed with prostatic cancer in February 2000, and delete liver cancer two days before explicit died. His wife, who died combine months later on 18 October 2000, also had liver cancer.[76] His sepulture was held at St. Laurence Huge Church in Petersfield, Hampshire, and operate was interred at Petersfield Cemetery.[77][78]
In 2013 the British Library acquired the correctly archive of Guinness consisting of pin down 900 letters, manuscripts for plays, distinguished 100 volumes of diaries from honesty late 1930s to his death.[79]
Guinness wrote three volumes of smashing best-selling autobiography, beginning with Blessings show Disguise in 1985, followed by My Name Escapes Me in 1996, cranium A Positively Final Appearance in 1999. He recorded each of them pass for an audiobook. Shortly after his end, Lady Guinness asked the couple's do up friend and fellow Catholic, novelist Piers Paul Read, to write Guinness's out of kilter biography. It was published in 2002.
For first-class number of years, British film exhibitors voted Guinness among the most well-received stars in Britain at the torso proboscis office via an annual poll clear the Motion Picture Herald.
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