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Laurence Olivier

File:Lord_Olivier_6_Allan_Warren.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Laurence Olivier

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Also known as Baron Olivier of Brighton, The Lord Olivier, Sir Laurence Olivier

English actor and director (1907–1989)

AI overview

Laurence Olivier was an English actor and director who lived from 1907 to 1989 and became one of the most celebrated figures in theater and film. He matters because his performances and directorial work had a major influence on acting and cinema during the 20th century.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Film & TV

Dorking, Surrey, England, UK

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.…

Known for

  • Charmed Lives: A Family Romance — Self (archive footage)2028
  • The Bannfoot Ferry — Self (archive footage)2024
  • Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration — Self (archive footage)2024
  • Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story — Self (archive footage)2023
  • 1939: Secrets of Hollywood's Golden Year2023
  • Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony — Self (archive footage)2021
  • Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent — Self (archive footage)2021
  • Churchill and the Movie Mogul — Self (archive footage)2019
  • Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood — Self (archive footage)2018
  • Nothing Like a Dame — Self (archive footage)2018

via TMDB

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Gender
male
Citizenship
United Kingdom
Place of birth
Dorking
Place of death
West Sussex
Spouse
Joan Plowright
Educated at
St Edward's School
Languages spoken
English language
Award
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Notable work
Henry V
Noble title
baron
Student of
Claude Rains
Genre
Shakespearean comedy
Conflict
World War II
Military branch
Royal Navy
Official website
www.laurenceolivier.com
Image
Lord Olivier 6 Allan Warren.jpg
Work location
United Kingdom
Show 15 more facts
date of birth
1907-05-22
date of death
1989-07-11
place of burial
Westminster Abbey
Commons category
Laurence Olivier
cause of death
kidney failure
manner of death
natural causes
name in native language
Laurence Olivier
member of
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Commons gallery
Laurence Olivier
archives at
British Library
topic's main category
Category:Laurence Olivier
related category
Category:Films directed by Laurence Olivier
has works in the collection
Het Scheepvaartmuseum
nominated for
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor
birth name
Laurence Kerr Olivier
Sources (15)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Encyclopedic overview

Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (/əˈlɪvieɪ/ ə-LIV-ee-ay; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989), was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Sir John Gielgud, Sir Michael Redgrave and Sir Ralph Richardson made up a quartet of male actors who 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.

Olivier's family had no theatrical connections, but his 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 Peggy 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.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Laurence Olivier” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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