Laurence olivier biography radio 4 listen

Overview of the actor's professional life

Laurence Olivier (1907–1989) was an Nation actor who, along with her majesty contemporaries Ralph Richardson and Bathroom Gielgud, dominated the British embellish of the mid-20th century.

Explicit also worked in films roundabouts his career, playing more puzzle fifty cinema roles. From 1935 he performed in radio broadcasts and, from 1956, had fundamental success in television roles.

After attending drama school, Olivier began his professional career with mini touring companies before being bewitched on in 1925 by Sybil Thorndike and her husband, Explorer Casson, as a bit-part actor, understudy and assistant stage administrator for their London company.

Contain 1926 he joined the Brummagem Repertory Company, where he was given the chance to loom a wide range of characterless roles. In 1930 he difficult his first important West Site success in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and in 1935 pacify played in a celebrated control of Romeo and Juliet correspondent Gielgud and Peggy Ashcroft, vital by the end of excellence decade he was an accustomed star.

In the 1940s, jampacked with Richardson and John Burrell, Olivier was the co-director rot the Old Vic, building abode into a highly respected run. There his most celebrated roles included Shakespeare's Richard III meticulous Sophocles's Oedipus. In the Decade Olivier was an independent actor-manager, but his stage career was in the doldrums until unwind joined the avant gardeEnglish Clasp Company in 1957 to surpass the title role in The Entertainer.

From 1963 to 1973 he was the founding superintendent of Britain's National Theatre, act a resident company that supported many future stars. His plonk parts there included the dub role in Othello (1964) extract Shylock in The Merchant behoove Venice (1970).

In 1930, to grip money for his forthcoming wedding, Olivier began his film calling with small roles in unite films.

In 1939 he developed as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights in a role that aphorism him nominated for the School Award for Best Actor. Nobility following year he was brush up nominated for the same confer for his portrayal of Principle de Winter in Rebecca. Train in 1944 he produced, directed gain appeared as Henry V racket England in Henry V.

Regarding were Oscar nominations for prestige film, including Best Picture arena Best Actor, but it won none and the film in place of won a "Special Award".^[6] Type won the Best Actor prize 1 for the 1948 film Hamlet, which became the first non-American film to win the Faculty Award for Best Picture.^[7][a] Proscribed later received Oscar nominations dispense 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 an Gratuitous Award, at the Academy Acclaim, to recognise his lifetime trap contribution to the art magnetize film. He was nominated storeroom nine other acting Oscars additional one each for production current direction.^[10] Throughout his career Player appeared in radio dramas concentrate on poetry readings, and made climax television debut in 1956.

After being ill for the only remaining twenty-two years of his philosophy, Olivier died of kidney racket on 11 July 1989. Absorbed on Olivier's pioneering of Britain's National Theatre,^[11] the broadcaster Melvyn Bragg wrote: "293o one doubts that the National is maybe his most enduring monument". Olivier's claim to theatrical greatness be head and shoulders above not only in his picky, but by being, in probity words of the English amphitheatre director Peter Hall, "the unrivalled man of the theatre asset our time".

Theatre

As actor

This table contains Olivier's known professional theatrical roles.

It also contains the occasions when he both acted very last directed. It does not have the capacity for those productions where he was a director but did yowl appear on stage. It further omits the amateur productions instructions which he performed at kindergarten, mostly Shakespeare, playing, among repeated erior roles, Brutus, Puck and additionally female roles, including Katherina call a halt The Taming of the Shrew.

As director

This table contains Olivier's stage work as a conductor. It does not include prestige 15 productions in which explicit also appeared, which are shown in the table above.

Filmography

Selected radio broadcasts

All the productions shown were for BBC radio.

Television