CineScope
Laurence Olivier picture

Laurence Olivier

Acting
Known For

82 Years Old

Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM 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 should become an actor. After attending a drama school in London, Olivier learned his craft in a succession of acting jobs during the late 1920s. In 1930 he had his first important West End success in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and he appeared in his first film. In 1935 he played in a celebrated production of Romeo and Juliet alongside Gielgud and Ashcroft, and by the end of the decade he was an established star. In the 1940s, together with Richardson and John Burrell, Olivier was the co-director of the Old Vic, building it into a highly respected company. There his most celebrated roles included Shakespeare's Richard III and Sophocles's Oedipus. In the 1950s Olivier was an independent actor-manager, but his stage career was in the doldrums until he joined the avant garde English Stage Company in 1957 to play the title role in The Entertainer, a part he later played on film. From 1963 to 1973 he was the founding director of Britain's National Theatre, running a resident company that fostered many future stars. His own parts there included the title role in Othello (1965) and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (1970). 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Laurence Olivier, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Born

Dorking, Surrey, England, UK on 22nd May 1907

Died

11th July 1989

All Credits

The Dick Cavett Show Image
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
Great Performances Image
Great Performances
Self
Great Performances Image
Great Performances
Harry
The Carol Burnett Show Image
The Carol Burnett Show
Self - Audience Member
Golden Globe Awards Image
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Cecil B. DeMille Award Recipient
Golden Globe Awards Image
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
Golden Globe Awards Image
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner
Omnibus Image
Omnibus
Self (archive footage)
The Mike Douglas Show Image
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
Jesus of Nazareth Image
Jesus of Nazareth
Nicodemus
The Oscars Image
The Oscars
Self
The Ed Sullivan Show Image
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
Tony Awards Image
Tony Awards
Self - Recipient
Tony Awards Image
Tony Awards
Self
The World at War Image
The World at War
Narrator
Talking Pictures Image
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage)
Brideshead Revisited Image
Brideshead Revisited
Alexander Flyte, Lord Marchmain
Wagner Image
Wagner
Pfeuffer
Male of the Species Image
Male of the Species
Self - Presenter
Spartacus Image
Spartacus
Marcus Licinius Crassus
A Bridge Too Far Image
A Bridge Too Far
Dr. Jan Spaander
Clash of the Titans Image
Clash of the Titans
Zeus
Romeo and Juliet Image
Romeo and Juliet
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
ABC Stage 67 Image
ABC Stage 67
Self (archive footage)
ABC Stage 67 Image
ABC Stage 67
Self
Laurence Olivier Presents Image
Laurence Olivier Presents
Sir Joseph
Laurence Olivier Presents Image
Laurence Olivier Presents
Doc Delaney
Laurence Olivier Presents Image
Laurence Olivier Presents
Antonio
Laurence Olivier Presents Image
Laurence Olivier Presents
Big Daddy
Battle of Britain Image
Battle of Britain
Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding
Rebecca Image
Rebecca
Maxim de Winter
The Bounty Image
The Bounty
Admiral Hood
Marathon Man Image
Marathon Man
Szell
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Image
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Dr. Totenkopf (archive footage)
Lost Empires Image
Lost Empires
Harry Burrard
Wuthering Heights Image
Wuthering Heights
Heathcliff
Iconic Couples of Hollywood Image
Iconic Couples of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
Hamlet Image
Hamlet
Hamlet - Prince of Denmark / Voice of Ghost
The Last Days of Pompeii Image
The Last Days of Pompeii
Gaius
Sleuth Image
Sleuth
Andrew Wyke
The Boys from Brazil Image
The Boys from Brazil
Ezra Lieberman
Pride and Prejudice Image
Pride and Prejudice
Mr. Darcy
The Magic Box Image
The Magic Box
Police Constable 94-B
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony Image
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
Self (archive footage)
Peter the Great Image
Peter the Great
King William III of Orange
Dracula Image
Dracula
Prof. Abraham Van Helsing
Nicholas and Alexandra Image
Nicholas and Alexandra
Count Witte
And the Oscar Goes To... Image
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
The Shoes of the Fisherman Image
The Shoes of the Fisherman
Piotr Ilyich Kamenev
The Prince and the Showgirl Image
The Prince and the Showgirl
The Regent
Khartoum Image
Khartoum
Mahdi
49th Parallel Image
49th Parallel
Johnnie, the Trapper
Henry V Image
Henry V
King Henry
Bunny Lake Is Missing Image
Bunny Lake Is Missing
Supt. Newhouse
The Jazz Singer Image
The Jazz Singer
Cantor Rabinovitch
The Kid Stays in the Picture Image
The Kid Stays in the Picture
Self (archive footage)
Fire Over England Image
Fire Over England
Michael Ingolby
This Happy Breed Image
This Happy Breed
Narrator (voice)
The Devil's Disciple Image
The Devil's Disciple
Gen. Burgoyne
Richard III Image
Richard III
Richard III
Oh! What a Lovely War Image
Oh! What a Lovely War
Field Marshal Sir John French
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Image
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Self
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution Image
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Professor James Moriarty
A Little Romance Image
A Little Romance
Julius
The Jigsaw Man Image
The Jigsaw Man
Adm. Sir Gerald Scaith
Night of 100 Stars II Image
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
Carrie Image
Carrie
George Hurstwood
That Hamilton Woman Image
That Hamilton Woman
Lord Horatio Nelson
Othello Image
Othello
Othello
The Entertainer Image
The Entertainer
Archie Rice
The Filth and the Fury Image
The Filth and the Fury
Richard III (archive footage)
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story Image
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
Self (archive footage)
David Copperfield Image
David Copperfield
Mr. Creakle
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage Image
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Betsy Image
The Betsy
Loren Hardeman
Gregory Peck: His Own Man Image
Gregory Peck: His Own Man
Self (archive footage)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Image
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
Lady Caroline Lamb Image
Lady Caroline Lamb
Duke of Wellington
21 Days Together Image
21 Days Together
Larry Durrant
The Divorce of Lady X Image
The Divorce of Lady X
Everard Logan
Nothing Like a Dame Image
Nothing Like a Dame
Self (archive footage)
A Voyage Round My Father Image
A Voyage Round My Father
Clifford Mortimer
Inchon Image
Inchon
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
Q Planes Image
Q Planes
Tony McVane
Directed by William Wyler Image
Directed by William Wyler
Self
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind Image
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Self (archive footage)
Love Among the Ruins Image
Love Among the Ruins
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones
Hollywood: The Selznick Years Image
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Maxim de Winter (archive footage) (uncredited)
Wild Geese II Image
Wild Geese II
Rudolf Hess
Discovering Hamlet Image
Discovering Hamlet
Hamlet (archive footage)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff Image
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Self (archive footage)
Term of Trial Image
Term of Trial
Graham Weir
As You Like It Image
As You Like It
Orlando
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend Image
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Self (from The Prince and the Showgirl [1957]) (archive footage)
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker Image
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Superintendent Newhouse (archive footage) (uncredited)
Three Sisters Image
Three Sisters
Dr. Ivan Chebutikin
War Requiem Image
War Requiem
The Old Soldier
King Lear Image
King Lear
King Lear
Perfect Understanding Image
Perfect Understanding
Nicholas Randall
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories Image
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
Self (archive footage)
Jornal Português (1938-1951) Image
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
Self (archive footage)
The Power and the Glory Image
The Power and the Glory
Priest
Hollywood: Style Center of the World Image
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Self
The Bannfoot Ferry Image
The Bannfoot Ferry
Self (archive footage)
The Demi-Paradise Image
The Demi-Paradise
Ivan Kouznetsoff
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration Image
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration
Self (archive footage)
The Volunteer Image
The Volunteer
Self
A Queen Is Crowned Image
A Queen Is Crowned
Narrator
No Image
Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
Saturday, Sunday, Monday Image
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Antonio
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond Image
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
Self (archive footage)
The Rehearsal Image
The Rehearsal
Self
Moscow Nights Image
Moscow Nights
Captain Ivan Ignatoff
A Talent for Murder Image
A Talent for Murder
Dr. Anthony Wainwright
The Merchant of Venice Image
The Merchant of Venice
Shylock
Male of the Species Image
Male of the Species
Presenter
The Beggar's Opera Image
The Beggar's Opera
MacHeath
Potiphar's Wife Image
Potiphar's Wife
Straker
The Moon and Sixpence Image
The Moon and Sixpence
Charles Strickland
To Be Hamlet Image
To Be Hamlet
Self
Revisiting Brideshead Image
Revisiting Brideshead
Self (archive footage)
The Yellow Ticket Image
The Yellow Ticket
Julian Rolfe
The Collection Image
The Collection
Harry
The Gentleman Tramp Image
The Gentleman Tramp
Narrator
Long Day's Journey Into Night Image
Long Day's Journey Into Night
James Tyrone Sr.
Friends and Lovers Image
Friends and Lovers
Lieutenant Ned Nichols
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Image
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Big Daddy
The Conquest of the Air Image
The Conquest of the Air
Vincent Lunardi
No Image
Olivier Talks About Othello
Self - Host
No Image
Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson
Joe Halpern
At the Haunted End of the Day Image
At the Haunted End of the Day
Self
Words for Battle Image
Words for Battle
Narrator (voice)
Westward Passage Image
Westward Passage
Nicholas 'Nick' Allen
Come Back, Little Sheba Image
Come Back, Little Sheba
Doc Delaney
Daphne Laureola Image
Daphne Laureola
Sir Joseph
The Dance of Death Image
The Dance of Death
Edgar
No Funny Business Image
No Funny Business
Clive Dering
The Temporary Widow Image
The Temporary Widow
Peter Bille
The Magic of Hollywood... Is the Magic of People Image
The Magic of Hollywood... Is the Magic of People
Self
No Image
The Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci
Narrator
No Image
Tree of Life
Narrator
Uncle Vanya Image
Uncle Vanya
Dr. Astrov
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love Image
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
Self (archive footage)
Laurence Olivier: a life Image
Laurence Olivier: a life
Self
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent Image
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
Self (archive footage)
The Ebony Tower Image
The Ebony Tower
Henry Breasley
No Image
The South Bank Show: Noël Coward
Self (archival footage)
Malta G.C. Image
Malta G.C.
Narrator
Private lives Image
Private lives
Elyot Chase
Rebecca Image
Rebecca
Maxim de winter
Too Many Crooks Image
Too Many Crooks
The Boy
No Image
Great Acting: Laurence Olivier
Self - Interviewee