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Laurence Olivier Biography

Birth Name:Laurence Kerr Olivier

Birth Place:Dorking, England

Profession Actor, Producer, Director, Soundtrack, Writer

Fast Facts

Became a Knight Bachelor in 1947, the youngest actor at the time to ever be honored with the distinction
Honored by the Society of London Theatre when they renamed their annual acting award ceremony the Laurence Olivier Awards in 1984
Ranked No․ 14 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years․․․ 100 Stars list for male legends
Born into a strict household, so he often found refuge on stage in school productions at a young age
Quote: "Without Acting I Cannot Breathe․"
Quote: "Of all the things I've done in life, directing a motion picture is the most beautiful․ It's the most exciting and the nearest that an interpretive craftsman, such as an actor․․․can possibly get to being a creator․"
Began studying Shakespeare formally at the age of 17, but it was not until his early 20s that he would eventually land lead roles such as Hamlet and Macbeth
Took on Hollywood film roles in the late 1930s after realizing that the theater industry might not be as superior to film as he once thought and then began to gain critical and commercial success in America
Had an onscreen career that spanned nearly six decades
Struggled to find funding for his fourth Shakespeare-inspired project, "Macbeth," due to a lack of financial return from "Richard III․"
Received the honor of being interred in Poets' Corner in London's Westminster Abbey
Was bestowed with honors and distinctions but always preferred everyone to call him Larry

Awards

1939NBR Award-Best Acting: winner
1939Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (June): winner
1940Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1940Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (May): winner
1941Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1941Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (June): winner
1942Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (May): winner
1946NBR Award-Best Actor: winner
1946NYFCC Award-Best Actor: winner
1946NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
1946Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (November): winner
1946Gold Medal-Best Actor: winner
1946International Critics Award - Special Mention-Feature Films: winner
1947Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1947Honorary Award-: winner
1948NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
1948NYFCC Award-Best Actor: winner
1948Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (October): winner
1948Grand International Award-: winner
1949Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1949Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: winner
1949Bodil-Best European Film (Bedste europæiske film): winner
1949Golden Globe-Best Actor: winner
1949Kinema Junpo Award-Best Foreign Language Film: winner
1949Gold Medal-Best Actor: winner
1950Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): winner
1952Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (July): winner
1953BAFTA Film Award-Best British Actor: nominated
1956BAFTA Film Award-Best British Actor: winner
1956Silver Berlin Bear-International Prize: winner
1956NYFCC Award-Best Actor: nominated
1957Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1957David-Best Foreign Production (Migliore Produzione Straniera): winner
1957David-Best Foreign Actor (Migliore Attore Straniero): winner
1957Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
1957Jussi-Best Foreign Actor: winner
1958BAFTA Film Award-Best British Actor: nominated
1960BAFTA Film Award-Best British Actor: nominated
1960Best Actor-: winner
1960NYFCC Award-Best Actor: nominated
1960Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor (Lead or Support): winner
1961Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1961BAFTA Film Award-Best British Actor: nominated
1961Golden Globe-Best Actor - Drama: nominated
1963BAFTA Film Award-Best British Actor: nominated
1966Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1967NSFC Award-Best Actor: nominated
1968Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Dramatic Program: nominated
1970BAFTA Film Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
1970Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1972NYFCC Award-Best Actor: winner
1973Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1973David-Best Foreign Actor (Migliore Attore Straniero): winner
1973Golden Globe-Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
1974BAFTA Film Award-Best Actor: nominated
1975Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy: winner
1977Oscar-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
1977Golden Globe-Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture: winner
1978NBR Award-Best Actor: winner
1978Stinker Award-Worst Supporting Actor: nominated
1978Stinker Award-Worst Fake Accent: Male: nominated
1979Oscar-Best Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
1979Saturn Award-Best Actor: nominated
1980Golden Globe-Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture: nominated
1980Stinker Award-Worst Supporting Actor: nominated
1980Stinker Award-Most Annoying Fake Accent: Male: nominated
1981Razzie Award-Worst Supporting Actor: winner
1982Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special: winner
1983BAFTA TV Award-Best Actor: nominated
1983Razzie Award-Worst Actor: winner
1984ACE-Actor in a Dramatic or Theatrical Program: winner
1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special: winner