When was Laurence Olivier born and where?
Laurence Kerr Olivier was born on the 22nd of May 1907 in Dorking, Surrey. He was the youngest of three children of the Reverend Gerard Kerr Olivier and Agnes Louise Olivier.
Questions about Laurence Olivier
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What Shakespeare films did Laurence Olivier direct and star in?
Olivier directed and starred in three Shakespeare films: Henry V in 1944, Hamlet in 1948, and Richard III in 1955. Hamlet was the first non-American film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Olivier won Best Actor for the same film.
Who were Laurence Olivier's wives?
Olivier was married three times. He married the actress Jill Esmond in 1930; they divorced in 1940. He then married actress Vivien Leigh in August 1940; they divorced in December 1960. He married actress Joan Plowright in March 1961, and they remained together until his death in 1989.
What was Laurence Olivier's role at the National Theatre?
Olivier was the founding director of Britain's National Theatre, serving from 1963 to 1973. He recruited directors John Dexter and William Gaskill, along with Kenneth Tynan as literary adviser, and the company was initially based at the Old Vic while a new building was constructed on the South Bank. The largest auditorium in the National Theatre's new building was named in his honour.
What awards did Laurence Olivier win during his career?
Olivier received a competitive Academy Award for Best Actor for Hamlet, two Academy Honorary Awards in 1947 and 1979, five Emmy Awards, five British Academy Film Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Fellowship in 1976, and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1983. He was also knighted in 1947, received a life peerage in 1971, and was awarded the Order of Merit in 1981.
What was Laurence Olivier's role in The Entertainer and why was it important?
Olivier played the seedy variety comedian Archie Rice in John Osborne's The Entertainer, which opened at the Royal Court and transferred to the Palace Theatre in September 1957. The role marked a turning point; Olivier said playing Archie "made me feel like a modern actor again," and John Osborne noted that Olivier was far ahead of Gielgud and Richardson in embracing avant-garde work. It was also during the various runs of this production that Olivier met Joan Plowright, who would become his third wife.