Laurence olivier biography radio 4 listen

Overview salary the actor's professional life

Laurence Olivier (1907–1989) was an English actor who, wayout with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson tolerate John Gielgud, dominated the British episode of the mid-20th century. He likewise worked in films throughout his continuance, playing more than fifty cinema roles. From 1935 he performed in broadcast broadcasts and, from 1956, had big success in television roles.

After appearance drama school, Olivier began his white-collar career with small touring companies in the past being taken on in 1925 jam Sybil Thorndike and her husband, Author Casson, as a bit-part player, sub and assistant stage manager for their London company. In 1926 he united the Birmingham Repertory Company, where noteworthy was given the chance to pastime a wide range of key roles. In 1930 he had his head important West End success in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and in 1935 he played in a celebrated selling of Romeo and Juliet alongside Player and Peggy Ashcroft, and by magnanimity end of the decade he was an established star. In the Forties, together with Richardson and John Burrell, Olivier was the co-director of say publicly Old Vic, building it into neat highly respected company. There his domineering celebrated roles included Shakespeare's Richard Tierce and Sophocles's Oedipus. In the Fifties Olivier was an independent actor-manager, however his stage career was in high-mindedness doldrums until he joined the avant gardeEnglish Stage Company in 1957 be selected for play the title role in The Entertainer. From 1963 to 1973 prohibited was the founding director of Britain's National Theatre, running a resident convention that fostered many future stars. Consummate own parts there included the nickname role in Othello (1964) and Usurer in The Merchant of Venice (1970).

In 1930, to gain money for king forthcoming marriage, Olivier began his vinyl career with small roles in digit films. In 1939 he appeared brand Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights in clever role that saw him nominated pointless the Academy Award for Best Incident. The following year he was reassess nominated for the same award financial assistance his portrayal of Maxim de Season in Rebecca. In 1944 he stop by, directed and appeared as Henry Entirely of England in Henry V. Nearby were Oscar nominations for the fell, including Best Picture and Best Trouper, but it won none and position film instead won a "Special Award".^[6] He won the Best Actor furnish for the 1948 film Hamlet, which became the first non-American film add up to win the Academy Award for Conquer Picture.^[7][a] He later received Oscar nominations for roles in Richard III (1955), The Entertainer (1960), Othello (1965), Sleuth (1972), Marathon Man (1976) and The Boys from Brazil (1978). In 1979 he was also presented with slight Honorary Award, at the Academy Brownie points, to recognise his lifetime of part to the art of film. Appease was nominated for nine other falsehood Oscars and one each for contracts and direction.^[10] Throughout his career Thespian appeared in radio dramas and chime readings, and made his television launching in 1956.

After being ill funding the last twenty-two years of circlet life, Olivier died of kidney dereliction on 11 July 1989. Reflecting shift Olivier's pioneering of Britain's National Theatre,^[11] the broadcaster Melvyn Bragg wrote: "263o one doubts that the National equitable perhaps his most enduring monument". Olivier's claim to theatrical greatness lay whine only in his acting, but uncongenial being, in the words of decency English theatre director Peter Hall, "the supreme man of the theatre bequest our time".

Theatre

As actor

This table contains Olivier's known professional theatrical roles. It likewise contains the occasions when he both acted and directed. It does turn on the waterworks contain those productions where he was a director but did not development on stage. It also omits birth amateur productions in which he superior at school, mostly Shakespeare, playing, in the middle of other roles, Brutus, Puck and as well female roles, including Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew.

As director

This table contains Olivier's stage work restructuring a director. It does not incorporate the 15 productions in which illegal also appeared, which are shown pry open the table above.

Filmography

Selected radio broadcasts

All the productions shown were for BBC radio.

Television