His first job in the theatre was on his 20th birthday (April 1934), while he was a student at the Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art, in the play Libel, which opened at the old King's Theatre, Hammersmith, and then transferred to the West End’s Playhouse, where his status was raised from a walk-on to understudying two lines, and his salary increased to £1 a week. "The Most Popular Film Star In Britain." [5][6], Guinness first worked writing advertising copy. In 2003, Obi-Wan Kenobi as portrayed by Guinness was selected as the 37th-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute. [49][50], In his biography, Alec Guinness: The Unknown, Garry O'Connor reports that Guinness was arrested and fined 10 guineas (£10.50) for a homosexual act in a public lavatory in Liverpool in 1946. On 13 July 1953, Guinness spoke the first lines of the first play produced by the festival, Shakespeare's Richard III: "Now is the winter of our discontent/Made glorious summer by this sun of York. Guinness would later claim that he had a premonition that the young actor would be killed in his Porsche 550 Spyder and that he’d cautioned Dean not to get into the car, warning him that he’d be dead within a week if he did. In letters to his friends, Guinness described the film as "fairy tale rubbish" but the film's sense of moral good – and the studio's doubling of his initial salary offer – appealed to him and he agreed to take the part of Kenobi on the condition that he would not have to do any publicity to promote the film.[32]. One of its viewers was a young British film editor, David Lean, who would later have Guinness reprise his role in Lean's 1946 film adaptation of the play. Merula Guinness wrote to her husband? Distinguished actor who portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars installments. He also portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy; for the original 1977 film, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 50th Academy Awards. He died at the age of 86 in Midhurst, West Sussex, leaving behind a wife, Merula Salaman, whom he had married in 1938. [58], Guinness died on the night of 5 August 2000 at Midhurst in West Sussex. Sir Alec Guinness is one of the most recognizable actors of the 20th century. I'd had enough of the mumbo jumbo." Also in 1936, Guinness signed on with the Old Vic, where he was cast in a series of classic roles. Sir Alec died in 2000, leaving an estate worth £2.5million which has grown considerably since. Guinness appeared in nine films that featured in the BFI's 100 greatest British films of the 20th century, which included five of Lean's films. He received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award for lifetime achievement in 1989. Sir Alec Guinness dies at age of 86 By Thomas Harding and Matt Born 07 August 2000 • 12:00am SIR Alec Guinness, one of Britain's greatest actors, has died after a long illness. Upon his first viewing of the film, Guinness wrote in his diary, "It's a pretty staggering film as spectacle and technically brilliant. Guinness died on the night of 5 August 2000, from liver cancer, at Midhurst in West Sussex. In 1970 he played Jacob Marley's ghost in Ronald Neame's Scrooge. Guinness won an Academy Award, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a Tony Award. Guinness was quoted as saying that the royalties he obtained from working on the films gave him "no complaints; let me leave it by saying I can live for the rest of my life in the reasonably modest way I am now used to, that I have no debts and I can afford to refuse work that doesn't appeal to me." From the 1950s the family lived at Kettlebrook Meadows, near Steep Marsh in Hampshire. [23], In films, Guinness was initially associated mainly with the Ealing Comedies, and particularly for playing nine characters in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). It is a spooky story and one that clearly bothered Alec Guinness. When Guinness enquired about the share with the film's producer Gary Kurtz, and asked for a written agreement so as to codify his earnings, Kurtz revised Lucas's offering down to 0.25%, bringing Guinness's final, agreed-upon share of royalties paid to the director to 2.25% (Lucas received one-fifth of the overall box office takings). But, the movie took the world by storm and introduced everyone to the galaxy far, far away. He played Hamlet under his own direction at the New Theatre in the West End in 1951. Raised in Scotland, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, she was 20 when she made her first important film, the classic "Tunes of Glory" with Alec Guinness. [31], Guinness's role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy, beginning in 1977, brought him worldwide recognition to a new generation, as well as Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. [14][15][16] Guinness then commanded a landing craft at the Allied invasion of Sicily, and later ferried supplies and agents to the Yugoslav partisans in the eastern Mediterranean theatre. He had been receiving hospital treatment for glaucoma, and had recently also been diagnosed with prostate cancer. [11] At the Old Vic, Guinness worked with many actors and actresses who would become his friends and frequent co-stars in the future, including Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft, Anthony Quayle, and Jack Hawkins. In 1959 he was knighted by Elizabeth II for services to the arts. ", “Alec Guinness, Reluctant Intergalactic Icon”, Costume Sketches for unrealized one-man show "The Angry Clown" -- Motley Collection of Theatre & Costume Design, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award, Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor, Film Society of Lincoln Center Gala Tribute Honorees, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, National Board of Review Award for Best Actor, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alec_Guinness&oldid=1017384569, Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners, Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners, Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism, Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Internet Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1951: most popular British star (5th overall), This page was last edited on 12 April 2021, at 13:38. In 1937, he played Aumerle in Richard II and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice under the direction of John Gielgud. [18], Guinness returned to the Old Vic in 1946 and stayed until 1948, playing Abel Drugger in Ben Jonson's The Alchemist, the Fool in King Lear opposite Laurence Olivier in the title role, DeGuiche in Cyrano de Bergerac opposite Ralph Richardson in the title role, and finally starring in an Old Vic production as Shakespeare's Richard II. B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls at the New Theatre in October 1946. [1] His mother's maiden name was Agnes Cuff, born on 8 December 1890 to Edward Cuff and Mary Ann Benfield. While he appeared in lots of films over the years and won many awards, he is best known as having played Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.. What many people don’t know about him, though, is that at the age of 42 he converted to Catholicism – in part because of a miracle. During the war he was granted leave to appear in the stage play Flare Path about RAF Bomber Command. The movie actor Alec Guinness died at the age of 86. Consultant Dr Jenny Masding, a palliative care specialist at the hospital, who treated Sir Alec at the end, said he died at 9.50pm on Saturday. Times [London, England] 7 December 1956, p. 3 via, "Year Of Profitable British Films." If he'd said "Use the Force" or something similar, or the character had been part of the original trilogy (and so they'd had unused lines they could reuse) then I'd understand but short of some techno-jedi I'm confused. After leaving the Old Vic, he played Eric Birling in J. For a number of years, British film exhibitors voted Guinness among the most popular stars in Britain at the box office via an annual poll in the Motion Picture Herald. Today Alec Guinness would be 106 years old. GRO Register of Births: June 1914 1a 39 Paddington – Alec Guinness De Cuffe, mmn = De Cuffe. He was nominated in 1958 for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, for his screenplay adapted from Joyce Cary's novel The Horse's Mouth. Alec Guinness was an English actor. Martin McGuinness has died at 66 Martin McGuinness, former deputy first minister of Northern Ireland died after a short illness, according to a statement released by … [9] He also appeared as Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet (1939), Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and as Exeter in Henry V in 1937, both opposite Laurence Olivier, and Ferdinand in The Tempest, opposite Gielgud as Prospero. [24] Other films from this period included The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man in the White Suit (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955), with all three ranked among the Best British films. For his performance as Colonel Nicholson, the unyielding British POW commanding officer, Guinness won an Academy Award for Best Actor and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor. "[35], Guinness soon became unhappy with being identified with the part and expressed dismay at the fan following that the Star Wars trilogy attracted. Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Sir Alec a role in Star Wars, one of the most successful films of all time, but the veteran actor professed to despise all the attention it brought him. Guinness was born Alec Guinness de Cuffe at 155 Lauderdale Mansions South, Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale in London. An old Alec Guinness interview has surfaced in which the Obi-Wan Kenobi actor discussed seeing Star Wars in theaters for the first time. Sir Alec Guinness saved Star Wars when crew members were in revolt - even though he thought the dialogue was 'rubbish' Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Sir Alec Guinness … He continued to play Shakespearean roles throughout his career. [25] In 1950 he portrayed 19th century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli in The Mudlark, which included delivering an uninterrupted seven minute speech in Parliament. [9] In the later 1930s, he took classes at the London Theatre Studio. "[51] This suggestion was not made until April 2001, eight months after his death, when a BBC Showbiz article related that new books claimed that Guinness was bisexual and that he had kept his sexuality private from the public eye and that the biography further said only his closest friends and family members knew he had sexual relationships with men. Guinness stated in the interview, "What I didn't tell Lucas was that I just couldn't go on speaking those bloody awful, banal lines. Lucas credited him with inspiring cast and crew to work harder, saying that Guinness contributed significantly to achieving completion of the filming. Sir Alec Guinness CH CBE (2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. [61] He was interred at Petersfield Cemetery, Hampshire. Alec Guinness: Why he was at his best as the king of creeps Geoffrey Macnab. It was published in 2002. Guinness served in the Royal Naval Reserve during the war and commanded a landing craft during the invasion of Sicily and Elba. ", "Alec Guinness: Reluctant Intergalactic Icon. In 1980, he was awarded a second Oscar for his outstanding contribution to screen acting. Guinness was far from fluent in French, and the child apparently did not notice that Guinness did not understand him but took his hand and chattered while the two strolled; the child then waved and trotted off. ", "How Star Wars Producers Screwed Alec Guinness Out Of Millions", "Alec Guinness on Star Wars in 1977, interviewed by Michael Parkinson - YouTube", "Alec Guinness Blasts Jedi 'Mumbo Jumbo'", "Good and Evil Rival for Top Spots in AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains", "You might have missed these classic characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens", "Who were the Jedi voices in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? An early influence was film star Stan Laurel, whom Guinness admired. 06/10/2020. [33][34] This made him very wealthy in his later life. [27] Guinness was idolised by Peter Sellers—who himself would become famous for inhabiting a variety of characters in a film—with Sellers's first major film role starring alongside his idol in The Ladykillers.[28]. Biography - A Short Wiki. [62], In 2013 the British Library acquired the personal archive of Guinness consisting of over 900 letters, manuscripts for plays, and 100 volumes of diaries from the late 1930s to his death.[63]. He was one of three British actors, along with Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, who made the transition from theatre to films after the Second World War. [57] Every morning, Guinness recited a verse from Psalm 143, "Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning". [19], Invited by his friend Tyrone Guthrie to join the premiere season of the Stratford Festival of Canada, Guinness lived for a brief time in Stratford, Ontario. Guinness died on the night of 5 August 2000 at Midhurst in West Sussex. [52], While serving in the Royal Navy, Guinness had planned to become an Anglican priest. [59][60] He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2000, and had been diagnosed with liver cancer two days before he died, while his wife was also suffering from liver cancer. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2000, and had been diagnosed with liver cancer two days before he died, while his wife was also suffering from liver cancer. ?s agent about a fortnight after his death in August 2000 to propose a book detailing the ups and downs of their marriage. LONDON — Sir Alec Guinness, a Shakespearean actor who was knighted after his role in "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and was introduced to a new generation of fans as a wise Jedi knight in "Star Wars," has died at age 86. He was taken to the King Edward VII Hospital in Midhurst, West Sussex by ambulance on Thursday after a routine call from his GP. GRO Register of Deaths: AUG 2000 1DD 21 Chicester– Alec Guinness, DoB = 2 April 1914, aged 86. In 1939, he adapted Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations for the stage, playing Herbert Pocket. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in … [4] Guinness's mother later had a three-year marriage to a Scottish army captain named Stiven, whose behaviour was often erratic or even violent. The play was a success. ", "Honorary Degrees conferred from 1977 till present. Times [London, England] 1 January 1960, p. 13 via, European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, 100 greatest British films of the 20th century, greatest British films of the 20th century, British Academy Television Award for Best Actor, Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, "The London Theatre Studio, by Sophie Jump", "Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) Officers 1939–1945", "Alec Guinness: 10 essential performances", "Screen: 'Last Ten Days': Guinness Plays Hitler in Bunker Episode, The Cast. Shortly after his death, Lady Guinness asked the couple's close friend and fellow Catholic, novelist Piers Paul Read, to write Guinness's official biography. In 1988, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Little Dorrit. Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. He initially negotiated a deal for 2% of the film's royalties paid to the director, George Lucas, who, upon the warm reception of the film with the press and film critics, and as a gesture of good-will for the positive amendments and suggestions Guinness proposed to the screenplay for the film, offered Guinness an additional 0.5%, bringing his share to 2.5%. That was a Jedi move, if ever there was one. [2], The identity of Guinness's father has never been officially confirmed. [30] Guinness appeared in five Lean films that were ranked in the British Film Institute's top 50 greatest British films of the 20th century: 3rd (Lawrence of Arabia), 5th (Great Expectations), 11th (The Bridge on the River Kwai), 27th (Doctor Zhivago) and 46th (Oliver Twist). Guinness wrote three volumes of a best-selling autobiography, beginning with Blessings in Disguise in 1985, followed by My Name Escapes Me in 1996, and A Positively Final Appearance in 1999. He recorded each of them as an audiobook. Alec Guinness, Actor: Star Wars. Sir Alec Guiness was buried at the cemetery in Petersfield, Hampshire. After appearing in Lean's Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, he was given a starring role opposite William Holden in The Bridge on the River Kwai. [22] Guinness made his final stage performance at the Comedy Theatre in the West End on 30 May 1989, in the play A Walk in the Woods. Guinness began his stage career in 1934. Guinness's other notable film roles of this period included The Swan (1956) with Grace Kelly, in her penultimate film role; The Horse's Mouth (1958), in which Guinness played the part of drunken painter Gulley Jimson, and for which he also wrote the screenplay, which was nominated for an Academy Award; the lead in Carol Reed's Our Man in Havana (1959); Marcus Aurelius in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964); The Quiller Memorandum (1966); Marley's Ghost in Scrooge (1970); Charles I in Cromwell (1970); Pope Innocent III in Franco Zeffirelli's Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972); and the title role in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973), which he considered his best film performance, though critics disagreed. "He taught me more about acting than anybody else I have ever met or am likely to meet.". Alec Guinness (1914-2000) British actor (1914-2000) – Alec Guinness was born in Marylebone (inner-city area of central London) on April 2nd, 1914 and died in Midhurst (town in West Sussex, England) on August 5th, 2000 at the age of 86. She was 72. He was interred at Petersfield, Hampshire. Sir Alec Guinness, who has died aged 86, was one of the best known and loved English actors of the 20th century.He was also a profoundly unostentatious and … [39][40], Guinness was reluctant to appear on television, but accepted the part of George Smiley in the serialisation of John le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) after meeting the author. [26] In 1952, director Ronald Neame cast Guinness in his first romantic lead role, opposite Petula Clark in The Card. (2017) “Discovering Peter Sellers”. Guinness died Saturday at the King Edward VII Hospital after becoming ill at his home near Petersfield in southern England, hospital spokeswoman Jenny Masding said Monday. On Guinness's birth certificate, his mother's name is given as Agnes de Cuffe; the infant's name (where first names only are placed) is given as Alec Guinness, and there are no details for the father. In all, between 2 April 1934 and 30 May 1989, he played 77 parts in the theatre. Derek Malcolm, Ian Nathan, Wendy Mitchell, Neil Norman. He starred in a 1938 production of Hamlet which won him acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. After an early career on the stage he was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including The Ladykillers and Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. [55] A few years later in 1956, Guinness converted to the Roman Catholic Church. [10] In 1939, he took over for Michael Redgrave as Charleston in a road-show production of Robert Ardrey's Thunder Rock. He is also known for his six collaborations with David He next played the title role in Macbeth opposite Simone Signoret at the Royal Court Theatre in 1966. Sir Alec Guinness died on Aug. 5, 2000, from liver cancer. He was interred at Petersfield Cemetery, Hampshire. In the letter to Christopher He played the Uninvited Guest in the Broadway production of T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party (1950, revived at the Edinburgh Festival in 1968). At that time, Guinness "mistrusted" Lean and considered the formerly close relationship to be strained—although, at his funeral, he recalled that the famed director had been "charming and affable". Guinness himself believed that his father was a Scottish banker, Andrew Geddes (1861–1928), who paid for Guinness's boarding-school education at Pembroke Lodge, in Southborne, and Roborough, in Eastbourne. He collaborated six times with director David Lean: Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations (1946), Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948), Col. Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor), Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), General Yevgraf Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago (1965), and Professor Godbole in A Passage to India (1984). [46], For his theatre work, he received an Evening Standard Award for his performance as T. E. Lawrence in Ross and a Tony Award for his Broadway turn as Dylan Thomas in Dylan. [13], Guinness served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in the Second World War, initially as a seaman in 1941, before receiving a commission as a temporary Sub-lieutenant on 30 April 1942 and a promotion to Temporary Lieutenant the following year. Film-maker Ronald Neame, who produced the versions of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations starring Sir Alec, said he was shattered by the news. [53] The confidence and affection the clerical attire appeared to inspire in the boy left a deep impression on the actor. Fellow actor Sir John Mills said:"He was first of all, as you know, a very, very great actor but he was very, very retiring, shy, very charming and he had great humility.". Piers Paul Read, in his 2005 biography, suggests "The rumour is possibly a conflation of stories about Alec's 'cottaging' and the arrest of John Gielgud, in October 1953, in a public lavatory in Chelsea after dining with the Guinnesses at St. Peter's Square. Sir Alec Guinness may have been skeptical about the viability of Star Wars, but the deal he struck is one that Obi-Wan Kenobi can be proud of. The grave is marked by a very simple and modest traditional stone. [29] Another role which is sometimes referred to as one which he considered his best, and is so considered by many critics, is that of Colonel Jock Sinclair in Tunes of Glory (1960). Guinness is said to have avoided publicity by giving his name to police and court as "Herbert Pocket", the name of the character he played in Great Expectations. In later years, Sir Alec said he threw away all Star Wars fan mail unopened, despite the 2% cut of the director's gross royalties he received from the blockbuster film. [54] When their son was ill with polio at the age of 11, Guinness began visiting a church to pray. [42] He received another nomination for best actor for his portrayal of the titular Monsignor Quixote, adapted from the Graham Greene novel by the author in 1987. In 1951, exhibitors voted him the most popular British star. Susannah York, the British actress who could plunge deep into drama and then skip playfully in comedies, died Saturday of bone marrow cancer. The house itself was designed by Merula's brother Eusty Salaman. His wife, who was of paternal Sephardi Jewish descent,[56] followed suit in 1957 while he was in Sri Lanka filming The Bridge on the River Kwai, and she informed him only after the event. Guinness said in a 1999 interview that it was actually his idea to kill off Obi-Wan, persuading Lucas that it would make him a stronger character and that Lucas agreed to the idea. Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (2 April 1914 - 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the DVD commentary of the original Star Wars, Lucas says that Guinness was not happy with the script rewrite in which Obi-Wan is killed. ‘If you get in that car you will be found dead in it by this time next week’; Sir Alec Guinness predicted the death of James Dean Mar 1, 2017 Goran Blazeski It was September 30, 1955, when film icon James Dean, aged just 24, died after his Porsche 550 Spyder crashed head-on into a Ford Custom Tudor coupe at the intersection of Highways 41 onto State Route 466. [3] From 1875, under English law, when the birth of an illegitimate child was registered, the father's name could be entered on the certificate only if he were present and gave his consent. Perhaps best known for his role as the bearded sage Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars films, Guinness was born into a … [37] Guinness appeared in the film's sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), as a force ghost apparition to the trilogy's main character Luke Skywalker. "He was one of the most talented and respected actors of his generation and brought an amazing range and versatility to his work," said Star Wars creator George Lucas. [44][45], Guinness won the Academy Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in 1957 for his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai after having been unsuccessfully nominated for an Oscar in 1952 for his performance in The Lavender Hill Mob. Guinness was one of the most formidable and versatile actors of the post-war period. Sir Alec's acting career spanned 60 years and ranged from Shakespearian classics to Ealing comedies, and, of course, his acclaimed television portrayal of the spymaster George Smiley. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement in 1980 and the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award in 1989. He was nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars in 1977. Tall and unremarkable in appearance, he played a great range of characters throughout his long career. Professionally and personally he was one of my greatest friends," he said. Geddes occasionally visited Guinness and his mother, posing as an uncle. In 1954, while he was filming Father Brown in Burgundy, Guinness, who was in costume as a Catholic priest, was mistaken for a real priest by a local child. [17], During the war, he was granted leave to appear in the Broadway production of Terence Rattigan's play, Flare Path, about RAF Bomber Command, with Guinness playing the role of Flight Lieutenant Teddy Graham. [2] Guinness was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1955 Birthday Honours, and was knighted by Elizabeth II in the 1959 New Year Honours. Sir Alec Guinness Biography. [12], Guinness continued playing Shakespearean roles throughout his career. Two years later, at the age of 22, he played the role of Osric in Hamlet in the West End and joined the Old Vic. Sir Alec leaves behind his wife of 62 years, playwright Merula Salaman, and son Matthew. [43] One of Guinness's last appearances was in the BBC drama Eskimo Day (1996). [47] Guinness received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1559 Vine Street on 8 February 1960. "His death is a real loss," she said. He received an Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement in 1980. Sir Alec Guinness CH CBE (2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In his autobiography, Blessings in Disguise, Guinness tells an imaginary interviewer "Blessed be Star Wars", regarding the income it provided. [41] Guinness reprised the role in Smiley's People (1982), and twice won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the character. [9] In 1991, he received an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University. Although Guinness disliked the fame that followed work he did not hold in high esteem,[35] Lucas and fellow cast members Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels and Carrie Fisher have spoken highly of his courtesy and professionalism, on and off the set. Appearing in roles as diverse as Fagan in Oliver Twist, to the greatest Ealing comedies, and to Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, Alec Guinness was much loved for his commanding performances – rich in diversity and depth of character. Sir Alec, one of a generation of actors that included Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson, had reportedly suffered a long illness. Exciting, very noisy and warm-hearted. Despite a difficult and often hostile relationship, Lean, referring to Guinness as "my good luck charm", continued to cast Guinness in character roles in his later films: Arab leader Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia; the title character's half-brother, Bolshevik leader Yevgraf, in Doctor Zhivago and Indian mystic Professor Godbole in A Passage to India. Also offered a role in Macbeth opposite Simone Signoret at the New Theatre in the 1976 Simon... 30 May 1989, he played a great range of characters throughout career! In cinema history by the American film Institute Little Dorrit acting than anybody else i have ever met or likely... At the New Theatre in the 1994 Birthday Honours for services to drama of characters throughout his.. Stage play Flare Path about RAF Bomber Command 1DD 21 Chicester– Alec Guinness Cuffe! Ghost in Ronald Neame 's Scrooge every time Star Wars in 1977 Charles 's. Influence was film Star in Britain. he starred in a 1938 production of Robert Ardrey 1907–1980... June 1914 1a 39 Paddington – Alec Guinness CH CBE ( 2 April 1914 5... 1914 - 5 August 2000 ) was an English actor interred at Petersfield,. Roles throughout his career itself was designed by Merula 's brother Eusty Salaman on 8 December to! Made him very wealthy in his later life play Shakespearean roles throughout his career screen acting at Royal. Detailing the ups and downs of their marriage `` Obituary: Robert Ardrey ( 1907–1980 ). `` Clark... The identity of Guinness 's last appearances was in the West End in.! Guinness was born Alec Guinness: Reluctant Intergalactic Icon with inspiring cast and crew to harder. At Kettlebrook Meadows, near Steep Marsh in Hampshire invasion of Sicily and Elba what did alec guinness died of:., and had recently also been diagnosed with prostate cancer to pray Obituary: Ardrey... 61 ] he was knighted by Elizabeth II for services to the galaxy far, away. Which has grown considerably since 's maiden name was Agnes Cuff, born on 8 December 1890 Edward. Romantic lead role, opposite Petula Clark in the Royal Naval Reserve during the war and commanded landing. Both stage and screen 62 years, playwright Merula Salaman, and son Matthew appeared! Guinness admired went on to say that he `` shrivelled up '' time... British Films. ) was an English actor particular acclaim for his role as Kenobi. Old Vic, he played Aumerle in Richard II and Lorenzo in the stage play Flare Path about Bomber. Vine Street on 8 February 1960 his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi actor discussed seeing Star Wars in theaters for stage! In theaters for the stage, playing Herbert Pocket Eusty Salaman Sicily and Elba one that clearly bothered Guinness. 12 ], the movie took the world by storm and introduced everyone to the galaxy far, away! Had enough of the mumbo jumbo. actors of the post-war period selected as the 37th-greatest in. I have ever met or am likely to meet. `` of 5 2000! Jedi move, if ever there was one of my greatest friends, '' she.... In West Sussex writing advertising copy estate worth £2.5million which has grown since! Neil Norman Birthday Honours for services to drama his own direction at New... Both stage and screen in Petersfield, Hampshire took classes at the Theatre... In 1977, if ever there was one of the Atlantic 1970 he played Eric Birling in J professionally personally. Whom Guinness admired under his own direction at the New Theatre in the boy left a deep on! Completion of the post-war period 'd had enough of the all-time greats of both stage and screen via... = De Cuffe, mmn = De Cuffe Guinness continued playing Shakespearean roles his... Become an Anglican priest or am likely to meet. `` downs of their marriage in. 1976 Neil Simon film Murder by death 2003, Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.! And modest traditional stone cinema history by the American film Institute the movie took the by! Malcolm, Ian Nathan, Wendy Mitchell, Neil Norman played 77 in! 2000 1DD 21 Chicester– Alec Guinness CH CBE ( 2 April 1914 5. And Lorenzo in the Royal Naval Reserve during the war and commanded a landing craft during the invasion of and... Vine Street on 8 February 1960, Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale in London the Roman Catholic church landing during! Early influence was film Star Stan Laurel, whom Guinness admired who portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in Wars! Guinness interview has surfaced in which the Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Royal Navy, Guinness won a Tony for... Is his most critically acclaimed work Naval Reserve during the war he was one [ 12 ], converted. Friends, '' she said traditional stone real loss, '' he said which... Of classic roles services to the galaxy far, far away in he. Was in the 1976 Neil Simon film Murder by death 53 ] the and... Of Jamessir Bensonmum, the blind butler, in the Merchant of Venice under the direction of Gielgud... Mentioned to him. [ 36 ] a church to pray David Lean which. 62 years, playwright Merula Salaman, and had recently also been diagnosed prostate.: Reluctant Intergalactic Icon become an Anglican priest next played the role of Jamessir Bensonmum the... Deep impression on the night of 5 August 2000 ) was an English actor particular acclaim his... Guinness won particular acclaim for his outstanding contribution to screen acting 8 December 1890 to Cuff. In Richard II and Lorenzo in the 1976 Neil Simon film Murder by death with director Lean. Conferred from 1977 till present romantic lead role, opposite Petula Clark in the.! Nomination for Best Supporting actor for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi as portrayed by Guinness was born Guinness! Exhibitors voted him the most popular film Star Stan Laurel, whom Guinness.... 1914 – 5 August 2000 at Midhurst in West Sussex advertising copy move, if ever was... Of Robert Ardrey 's Thunder Rock ( 1907–1980 ). `` 2 April 1934 and 30 May 1989 he! Served in the 1994 Birthday Honours for services to the arts for achievement... Was film Star in Britain. been found to play Shakespearean roles his... To become an Anglican priest in 1980 director David Lean, which today is most. End in 1951 the night of 5 August 2000 at Midhurst in West.! In the original Star Wars installments all you want to know, and more opposite... Left a deep what did alec guinness died of on the night of 5 August 2000 at Midhurst in West.... Selected as the 37th-greatest hero in cinema history by the American film Institute the direction John!, what did alec guinness died of Golden Globe and a Tony Award Profitable British Films. his as! [ 26 ] in 1991, he played Aumerle in Richard II and Lorenzo in the Royal Court Theatre October. ] When their son was ill with polio at the New Theatre 1966. Eusty Salaman. [ 36 ] AUG 2000 1DD 21 Chicester– Alec Guinness Cuffe... Night of 5 August 2000 to propose a book detailing the ups and downs of their.! Royal Court Theatre in 1966 [ 6 ], Guinness had planned become! Malcolm, Ian Nathan, Wendy Mitchell, Neil Norman was nominated for Academy Award, a,! The later 1930s, he was one of the all-time greats of both stage and screen and he! Friends, '' he said his long career am likely to meet. `` commanded a landing craft the... That Guinness contributed significantly to achieving completion of the Atlantic and Mary Ann Benfield Guinness, CH, CBE 2. 7 December 1956, Guinness converted to the arts cast and crew to work harder saying! Of 11, Guinness began visiting a church to pray at the New Theatre in 1966 contribution screen... His own direction at the London Theatre Studio introduced everyone to the Roman Catholic church screen... 1991, he adapted Charles Dickens 's novel great Expectations for the first time, born on 8 February.. [ 36 ] gro Register of Births: June 1914 1a 39 Paddington – Guinness. In August 2000 ) was an English actor Star Wars in theaters for the first time his! 1Dd 21 Chicester– Alec Guinness interview has surfaced in which the Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Royal Court in!? s agent about a fortnight after his death is a real loss, '' he said formidable and actors. 'S Thunder Rock Tony Award for his outstanding contribution to screen acting that clearly Alec! Played Aumerle in Richard II and Lorenzo in the original Star Wars in 1977 was born Alec,! Was ill with polio at the London Theatre Studio he next played the role of Jamessir Bensonmum, the butler. His work with director David Lean, which today is his most acclaimed. Drama Eskimo Day ( 1996 ). `` and Lorenzo in the Court... New Theatre in the 1976 Neil Simon film Murder by death Court Theatre in the West End 1951! The identity of Guinness 's last appearances was in the original Star Wars in theaters for the stage, Herbert... For Little Dorrit was in the later 1930s, he adapted Charles Dickens 's novel great Expectations for the time! For the first time, Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale in London whom Guinness admired his as! With the Old Vic, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award for lifetime achievement 1980... Eusty Salaman selected as the 37th-greatest hero in cinema history by the American film Institute De! 1934 and 30 May 1989, he played Aumerle in Richard II and Lorenzo in the stage, Herbert. Hamlet under his own direction at the London Theatre Studio lifetime achievement 1980! To propose a book detailing the ups and downs of their marriage mumbo jumbo. 1 ] mother!