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Laurence Olivier (1907–1989)

Actor | Producer | Director

He could speak William Shakespeare's lines as naturally as if he were "actually thinking them", said English playwright Charles Bennett, who met Laurence Olivier in 1927. One of Olivier's earliest successes as a Shakespearean actor on the London stage came in 1935 when he played "Romeo" and "Mercutio" in alternate performances of "Romeo and Juliet" with John Gielgud... See full bio »

Born:

Laurence Kerr Olivier
in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK

Died:

(age 82) in Steyning, West Sussex, England, UK
Laurence Olivier and Maureen Lipman Still of Laurence Olivier in Henry V Still of Laurence Olivier in Henry V Cast of Clash of the Titans Still of Laurence Olivier in Hamlet Still of Laurence Olivier in Henry V
86 photos | 19 videos | 1275 news articles »

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Known For


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Filmography

Hide HideActor (86 titles)
1989 War Requiem
Old Soldier
 
1986 Lost Empires (TV mini-series)
Harry Burrard
– Episode #1.1 (1986) … Harry Burrard
 
1986 Peter the Great (TV mini-series)
King William III of Orange
 
1985 Wild Geese II
Rudolf Hess
 
1984 The Ebony Tower (TV movie)
Henry Breasley
 
1984 The Jigsaw Man
Adm. Sir Gerald Scaith
 
1984 The Last Days of Pompeii (TV mini-series)
Gaius
– Part 3 (1984) … Gaius
– Part 2 (1984) … Gaius
– Part 1 (1984) … Gaius
 
1984 The Bounty
Admiral Hood
 
1984 A Voyage Round My Father (TV movie)
Clifford Mortimer
 
1984 A Talent for Murder (TV movie)
Dr. Anthony 'Tony' Wainwright
 
1983 Wagner (TV series)
Pfeuffer
– Episode #1.10 (1983) … Pfeuffer
– Episode #1.6 … Pfeuffer
– Episode #1.7 … Pfeuffer
– Episode #1.8 … Pfeuffer
– Episode #1.9 … Pfeuffer
 
1983 Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson (TV movie)
Joe Halpern
 
1983 King Lear (TV movie)
King Lear
 
1981 Brideshead Revisited (TV mini-series)
Lord Marchmain
– Brideshead Revisited (1981) … Lord Marchmain
– Home and Abroad (1981) … Lord Marchmain
 
1981 Clash of the Titans
Zeus
 
1981 Inchon
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
 
1980 The Jazz Singer
Cantor Rabinovitch
 
1979 Dracula
Prof. Abraham Van Helsing
 
1979 A Little Romance
Julius
 
1978 The Boys from Brazil
Ezra Lieberman
 
1978 The Betsy
Loren Hardeman
 
1978 Daphne Laureola (TV movie)
Sir Joseph
 
1978 Saturday, Sunday, Monday (TV movie)
Antonio
 
1977 Come Back, Little Sheba (TV movie)
Doc Delaney
 
1977 A Bridge Too Far
Doctor Spaander
 
1977 Jesus of Nazareth (TV mini-series)
Nicodemus
– Part 2 (1977) … Nicodemus
– Part 1 (1977) … Nicodemus
 
1976 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (TV movie)
Big Daddy
 
1976 The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Professor James Moriarty
 
1976 Marathon Man
Szell
 
1976 Great Performances (TV series)
Harry
– The Collection (1976) … Harry
 
1975 Love Among the Ruins (TV movie)
Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones
 
1974 The Rehearsal
 
1973 The Merchant of Venice (TV movie)
Shylock
 
1973 ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV series)
James Tyrone Sr.
– Long Day's Journey Into Night (1973) … James Tyrone Sr.
 
1973 Lady Caroline Lamb
Duke of Wellington
 
1972 Sleuth
Andrew Wyke
 
1971 Nicholas and Alexandra
Count Witte
 
1970 Three Sisters
Dr. Ivan Chebutikin
 
1969 David Copperfield (TV movie)
Mr. Creakle
 
1969 Battle of Britain
Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding
 
1969 The Dance of Death
Edgar
 
1969 Oh! What a Lovely War
Field Marshal Sir John French
 
1969 Male of the Species (TV movie)
Narrator
 
1968/I The Shoes of the Fisherman
Piotr Ilyich Kamenev (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
 
1968 Romeo and Juliet
Narrator (voice: English version) (uncredited)
 
1967 NET Playhouse (TV series)
Astrov
– Uncle Vanya (1967) … Astrov
 
1966 Khartoum
The Mahdi
 
1965 Othello
Othello
 
1965 Bunny Lake Is Missing
Superintendent Newhouse
 
1963 Uncle Vanya
Dr. Astrov
 
1962 Term of Trial
Graham Weir
 
1961 The Power and the Glory (TV movie)
Priest
 
1960 Spartacus
Crassus
 
1960 The Entertainer
Archie Rice
 
1959 The Moon and Sixpence (TV movie)
Charles Strickland
 
1959 The Devil's Disciple
Gen. Burgoyne
 
1958 ITV Play of the Week (TV series)
John Gabriel Borkman
– John Gabriel Borkman (1958) … John Gabriel Borkman
 
1957 The Prince and the Showgirl
The Regent
 
1955 Richard III
Richard III
 
1953 The Beggar's Opera
Captain MacHeath
 
1952 Carrie
George Hurstwood
 
1951 The Magic Box
Police Constable 94-B
 
1948 Hamlet
Hamlet - Prince of Denmark
 
1944 Henry V
King Henry V of England
 
1944 This Happy Breed
Narrator (uncredited)
 
1943 Adventure for Two
Ivan Kouznetsoff
 
1941 49th Parallel
Johnnie - the Trapper
 
1941 That Hamilton Woman
Lord Horatio Nelson
 
1940 Pride and Prejudice
Mr. Darcy
 
1940 Rebecca
'Maxim' de Winter
 
1940 21 Days Together
Larry Durrant
 
1939 Wuthering Heights
Heathcliff
 
1939 Clouds Over Europe
Tony McVane
 
1938 The Divorce of Lady X
Everard Logan
 
1937 Fire Over England
Michael Ingolby
 
1936 Conquest of the Air
Vincent Lunardi
 
1936 As You Like It
Orlando
 
1935 I Stand Condemned
Captain Ivan Ignatoff
 
1933 No Funny Business
Clive Dering
 
1933 Perfect Understanding
Nicholas Randall
 
1932 Westward Passage
Nicholas 'Nick' Allen
 
1931 The Yellow Ticket
Julian Rolfe
 
1931 Friends and Lovers
Lieutenant Ned Nichols
 
1931 Potiphar's Wife
Straker
 
1930 The Temporary Widow
Peter Bille
 
1930 Too Many Crooks
The Man
 
Show ShowProducer (9 titles)
1978 Daphne Laureola (TV movie) (executive producer)
 
1977 Come Back, Little Sheba (TV movie) (creative producer)
 
1976 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (TV movie) (producer)
 
1976 Great Performances (TV series) (producer - 1 episode)
– The Collection (1976) (producer)
 
1967 NET Playhouse (TV series) (producer - 1 episode)
– Uncle Vanya (1967) (producer)
 
1957 The Prince and the Showgirl (producer)
 
1955 Richard III (producer)
 
1953 The Beggar's Opera (producer)
 
1944 Henry V (producer)
 
Show ShowDirector (6 titles)
1976 Hindle Wakes (TV movie)
 
1970 Three Sisters
 
1957 The Prince and the Showgirl
 
1955 Richard III
 
1948 Hamlet
 
1944 Henry V
 
Show ShowSoundtrack (5 titles)
1960 The Entertainer (performer: "Why Should I Care?" - uncredited, "Hide Your Face, Mom" - uncredited, "Thank God I'm Normal" - uncredited, "I Don't Care Where They Bury My Body" - uncredited)
 
1953 The Beggar's Opera (performer: "At The Tree I Shall Suffer" Uncredited, "How Happy Could I Be With Either" - uncredited, "The Charge Is Prepared" - uncredited)
 
1941 49th Parallel (performer: "Alouette")
 
1937 Fire Over England ("The Spanish Lady's Love")
 
1932 Westward Passage (performer: "The Wedding March" - uncredited, "What'll I Do?" - uncredited)
 
Show ShowMiscellaneous Crew (3 titles)
1963 Uncle Vanya (stage director)
 
1955 Richard III (presenter)
 
1948 Hamlet (presents, voice: Ghost of Hamlet's Father - uncredited)
 
Show ShowWriter (3 titles)
1955 Richard III (uncredited)
 
1948 Hamlet (uncredited)
 
1944 Henry V (uncredited)
 
Show ShowSelf (35 titles)
1986 American Masters (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Directed by William Wyler (1986) … Himself
 
1985 The 57th Annual Academy Awards (TV special documentary)
Himself - Presenter: Best Picture
 
1985 Night of 100 Stars II (TV movie)
Himself
 
1983 The 40th Annual Golden Globe Awards (TV movie)
Himself - Winner: Cecil B. DeMille Award
 
1983 Great Performances (TV series)
Himself
– Laurence Olivier: A Life (1983) … Himself
 
1980 Today (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 6 March 1980 (1980) … Himself
– Episode dated 5 March 1980 (1980) … Himself
– Episode dated 21 February 1980 (1980) … Himself
 
1980 The 37th Annual Golden Globe Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1980 A New Germany, 1933-1939 (TV documentary)
Narrator
 
1979 The 51st Annual Academy Awards (TV special documentary)
Himself - Honorary Award Recipient & Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role
 
1976 The Gentleman Tramp (documentary)
Narrator
 
1976 The Magic of Hollywood... Is the Magic of People (documentary short)
Himself
 
1975 Arena (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Theatre (1975) … Himself
 
1974 The 1974 Annual Entertainment Hall of Fame Awards (TV movie)
Himself - Honoree
 
1973-1974 The World at War (TV series documentary)
Himself - Narrator
– Remember (1974) … Himself - Narrator (voice)
– Reckoning: 1945... and After (1974) … Himself - Narrator (voice)
– The Bomb: February-September 1945 (1974) … Himself - Narrator (voice)
– Pacific: February 1942-July 1945 (1974) … Himself - Narrator (voice)
– Japan: 1941-1945 (1974) … Himself - Narrator (voice)
See all 26 episodes »
 
1973 The Morecambe & Wise Show (TV series)
Himself
– 1973 Christmas Special (1973) … Himself
 
1973 Film Night (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 26 January 1973 (1973) … Himself
 
1972 The Films of Robert Bolt (documentary short)
Himself
 
1970 Cinema (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Sir Laurence Olivier (1970) … Himself (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
 
1970 Frost on Sunday (TV series)
Himself - Best Supporting Actor Winner
– Frost at the London Palladium for the British Film and Television Awards (1970) … Himself - Best Supporting Actor Winner (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
 
1970 The American National Theater of Arts Academy Honors Laurence Olivier (TV movie)
Himself - Honoree
 
1969 The Battle for The Battle of Britain (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1968/II The Shoes of the Fisherman (documentary short)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1967 ABC Stage 67 (TV series)
Himself
– David Frost's Night Out in London (1967) … Himself
 
1966 Great Acting: Laurence Olivier (TV documentary)
Himself (interviewee) (also archive footage)
 
1963 Farewell to the Vic (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1963 The 35th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself (pre-recorded)
 
1959 The 31st Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Co-Host
 
1958 The 12th Annual Tony Awards (TV movie)
Himself - Presenter
 
1956 Korda Interviews (TV documentary)
Interviewee
 
1953 A Queen Is Crowned (documentary)
Narrator (voice)
 
1952 The Ed Sullivan Show (TV series)
Himself
– Episode #6.13 (1952) … Himself
 
1944 The Volunteer (short)
Himself - impersonating a fish outside restaurant window
 
1942 Malta G.C. (documentary short)
Narrator (voice) (as Lieut. Laurence Olivier)
 
1941 Words for Battle (documentary short) (voice)
 
1940 Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (documentary short)
Himself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (52 titles)
2012 Shakespeare Uncovered (TV mini-series documentary)
 
2012 The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (TV documentary)
Himself - Film Commentator (voice) (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
 
2012 Frost on Interviews (TV documentary)
Himself (as Lord Olivier)
 
2010 Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (documentary)
Himself
 
2009 Casper och den förbjudna filmen (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2009 A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (TV documentary)
 
2009 To Oz! The Making of a Classic (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2008 Truly, Madly, Cheaply!: British B Movies (TV documentary)
King Henry V of England (uncredited)
 
2008 Sunday AM (TV series)
 
2008 Spisok korabley (documentary)
 
2007 Never Apologize (documentary)
Himself
 
2007 Brando (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2006 60 Minutes (TV series documentary)
 
2006 John Osborne and the Gift of Friendship (video)
Himself
 
2006 The World's Greatest Actor (TV documentary)
Himself (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
 
2005 Pride and Prejudice Revisited (TV documentary)
Mr. Darcy (uncredited)
 
2005 Cinema mil (TV series)
 
2005 Brave New World (video documentary)
Dr. Totenkopf
 
2004 Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Dr. Totenkopf (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
 
2004 The South Bank Show (TV series documentary)
 
2004 The Prince, the Showgirl and Me (TV documentary)
 
2004 The Revamping of Dracula (video documentary short)
 
2002 The Kid Stays in the Picture (documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1998-2001 American Masters (TV series documentary)
 
2001 Larry and Vivien: The Oliviers in Love (TV documentary)
 
2000 Heroes of Comedy (TV series documentary)
 
1995-2000 Biography (TV series documentary)
 
2000 The Filth and the Fury (documentary)
Himself
 
2000 Aleph, lectures contades (TV series documentary)
 
2000 William Shakespeare (documentary)
Hamlet/Henry V
 
2000 Sir John Mills' Moving Memories (video documentary)
Himself
 
1999 Shakespeare's Women & Claire Bloom (TV documentary)
Richard III
 
1999 Shylock (documentary)
Shylock
 
1998 Classified X (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1996 Intimate Portrait (TV series documentary)
 
1993 One on One: Classic Television Interviews (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1993 The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion (TV documentary)
Himself (as Sir Lawrence Olivier)
 
1991 60 Minutes: The Entertainers (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1990 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1990 Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1990 The Tales of Helpmann (documentary)
Himself
 
1989 Darlings of the Gods (TV movie)
Himself
 
1988 The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1987 Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend (documentary)
The Regent (archive footage: The Prince and the Showgirl [1957])
 
1985 The Golden Gong (TV documentary)
 
1983 Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1981 Clapper Board (TV series)
 
1970 Hamlet Revisited: Approaches to Hamlet (TV documentary)
Hamlet
 
1969 Hollywood: The Selznick Years (TV documentary)
Himself, film clip from 'Rebecca' (uncredited)
 
1966 The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1966 The Ed Sullivan Show (TV series)
 
1940 Hollywood: Style Center of the World (documentary short)
Himself
 

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Personal Details

Other Works:

(1951) Stage: Played Antony in "Antony and Cleopatra" by William Shakespeare , directed by Michael Benthall (St. James' Theatre, London). See more »

Publicity Listings:

3 Biographical Movies  | 11 Print Biographies  | 17 Articles  | 8 Magazine Cover Photos  | See more »

Official Sites:

Estate of Laurence Olivier c/o CMG Worldwide | See more »

Alternate Names:

Lieut. Laurence Olivier | Lord Olivier | Sir Laurence Olivier | Sir Lawrence Olivier

Height:

5' 10" (1.78 m)
Edit

Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[1989] Time I was gone. Time I was dead. See more »

Trivia:

The Olivier Theatre, the largest theatre in the new National Theatre complex on the south bank of the Thames, opened on 10/4/76 with Albert Finney playing Christopher Marlowe's "Tamburlaine The Grea"t, directed by Peter Hall. The Queen officially opened the National Theatre on October 25. Years later... See more »

Trademark:

Roles in Shakespeare adaptations See more »

Nickname:

Larry See more »

Star Sign:

Gemini