Laurence Olivier

Lore & Background

Olivier's family had no theatrical connections, but his father, a clergyman, decided his son should become an actor. After attending a drama school in London, Olivier learned his craft in acting jobs during the late 1920s. In 1930 he had his first important West End success in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and 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.

In the 1950s Olivier was an independent actor-manager, but his stage career stagnated until he joined the avant-garde English Stage Company in 1957 to play the title role in The Entertainer, a part he later reprised 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 Spartacus (1960), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Sleuth (1972), Marathon Man (1976) and The Boys from Brazil (1978).

Reader's Guide

Olivier's significance lies in his central role in mid-20th century British theatre and film. As co-director of the Old Vic and founding director of the National Theatre, he shaped institutional theatre and fostered future stars. His Shakespeare film trilogy as actor/director—Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III—brought Shakespeare to wide cinema audiences. His honours included a knighthood (1947), a life peerage (1970), and the Order of Merit (1981). He received an Academy Award, five British Academy Film Awards, five Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, plus two non-competitive Academy Honorary Awards (1947 and 1979), the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award (1983), and a BAFTA Fellowship (1976). The National Theatre's largest auditorium is named in his honour, and the Laurence Olivier Awards are given annually by the Society of London Theatre. He was married three times: to Jill Esmond (1930–1940), Vivien Leigh (1940–1960), and Joan Plowright (1961 until his death), and had four children.

Did You Know?

• Olivier's father, a clergyman, decided his son should become an actor.
• At age ten, Olivier played Brutus in a school production of Julius Caesar, impressing Ellen Terry.
• Olivier was the founding director of Britain's National Theatre from 1963 to 1973.
• He received a knighthood in 1947 and a life peerage in 1970.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Oscar winning English actor and director, esteemed by many as the greatest actor of the 20th century." — Laurence Olivier "Acting is illusion, as much illusion as magic is — and not so much a matter of being real. I mean, I would probably shock Lee Strasberg." — Laurence Olivier "Never. The shot is too big for the cannon." — Laurence Olivier "I think that bloody old National nearly killed me." — Laurence Olivier