- In full:
- Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough of Richmond-upon-Thames
- Byname:
- Dickie Attenborough
- Died:
- August 24, 2014, London (aged 90)
- Notable Family Members:
- brother David Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
-
Who was Richard Attenborough?
Richard Attenborough (1923â2014) was a British actor, director, and producer known for his dynamic screen presence and nuanced directing.
After serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, Attenborough became a character actor, starring in Agatha Christieâs The Mousetrap and films such as Brighton Rock and The Great Escape. He won Golden Globe Awards for The Sand Pebbles and Doctor Dolittle. Later, he appeared in Jurassic Park and Miracle on 34th Street.
In 1969, Attenborough directed his first film, Oh! What a Lovely War. His 1982 film Gandhi won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
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What were Richard Attenborough's main jobs in the film industry?
Richard Attenborough was a British actor, director, and producer. He is known for his dynamic screen presence and nuanced work behind the camera.
Attenborough made his film debut in 1942 in NoĂ«l Cowardâs In Which We Serve after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, he became a character actor, starring in Brighton Rock, Privateâs Progress, and The Great Escape. He won Golden Globe Awards for The Sand Pebbles and Doctor Dolittle.
In 1969, Attenborough directed his first film, Oh! What a Lovely War. His biographical film Gandhi (1982) earned eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He also directed A Bridge Too Far, Cry Freedom, Chaplin, and Shadowlands.
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Which famous movies did Richard Attenborough act in?
Richard Attenborough was a dynamic English actor, director, and producer known for his nuanced work. His film debut was in 1942 in NoĂ«l Cowardâs In Which We Serve. After serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, he became a character actor, playing roles such as a sociopathic thug in Brighton Rock (1947), a soldier in Privateâs Progress (1956), and a squadron leader in The Great Escape (1963).
Attenborough also won Golden Globe Awards for his roles in The Sand Pebbles (1966) and Doctor Dolittle (1967). Later, he appeared in Jurassic Park (1993), Miracle on 34th Street (1994), and Elizabeth (1998).
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What are some important movies he directed?
Richard Attenborough (1923â2014) was a British actor, director, and producer known for his dynamic screen presence and nuanced work behind the camera.
Attenborough directed his first film, the musical Oh! What a Lovely War, in 1969. His biographical film about Mohandas K. Gandhi, Gandhi (1982), won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Other directorial efforts include A Bridge Too Far (1977), the antiapartheid film Cry Freedom (1987), the Charlie Chaplin biopic Chaplin (1992), and Shadowlands (1993), a depiction of the relationship between American poet Joy Gresham and English writer C.S. Lewis.
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What awards and honors did Richard Attenborough receive during his career?
Richard Attenborough, a distinguished English actor, director, and producer, garnered numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He won Golden Globe Awards for best supporting actor for The Sand Pebbles (1966) and Doctor Dolittle (1967).
Notably, Attenborough's biographical film Gandhi (1982) earned eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1967, was knighted in 1976, and was granted a life peerage in 1993. In 1998, he received the Japan Art Associationâs Praemium Imperiale prize for theatre/film.
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How did Richard Attenborough influence British film and entertainment?
Richard Attenborough significantly impacted British film and entertainment as an actor, director, and producer. After serving in the Royal Air Force film unit during World War II, he became a character actor, starring in the West End production of The Mousetrap and films such as Brighton Rock and The Great Escape.
As a director, Attenborough directed his first film in 1969, Oh! What a Lovely War. His biographical film Gandhi (1982) won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Attenborough served as vice president and president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and president of RADA.
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Richard Attenborough (born August 29, 1923, Cambridge, Englandâdied August 24, 2014, London) was an English actor, director, and producer known for his dynamic on-screen presence, nuanced work behind the camera, and charity efforts.
Attenboroughâthe eldest of three brothers, one of whom was nature documentarian Sir David Attenboroughâwas raised in Leicester, England, where his father was principal of the local university. In 1942 he graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), and that year he also made his film debut in NoĂ«l Cowardâs In Which We Serve. He had made his stage debut in 1941.
Following a stint (1943â46) in the Royal Air Force during World War II, part of which was spent with the RAF film unit, Attenborough established himself as a character actor, which included creating the role of Detective Sergeant Trotter in the original West End production of Agatha Christieâs The Mousetrap (1952). He also garnered accolades for his film portrayals of a sociopathic thug in Brighton Rock (1947); a soldier in the comedy Privateâs Progress (1956) and its sequel, Iâm All Right Jack (1959); and a squadron leader engineering a breakout from a German POW camp in The Great Escape (1963). Attenborough won Golden Globe Awards for best supporting actor for The Sand Pebbles (1966) and for his comedic turn as a circus owner in Doctor Dolittle (1967). After a lengthy acting hiatus, he returned to the screen in American director Steven Spielbergâs Jurassic Park (1993), playing the obliviously hubristic owner of a dinosaur theme park, a role he reprised in the 1997 sequel. He then played Kris Kringle in a 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and appeared as Sir William Cecil in Elizabeth (1998).
Attenborough was also noted as a director. In 1969 he directed his first film, the musical Oh! What a Lovely War (1969). Gandhi (1982)âhis biographical film about Mohandas K. Gandhiâearned eight Academy Awards, including those for best picture and best director. Further directorial efforts included A Bridge Too Far (1977), the antiapartheid film Cry Freedom (1987), the Charlie Chaplin biopic Chaplin (1992), and Shadowlands (1993), a depiction of the relationship between American poet Joy Gresham and English writer C.S. Lewis. He also helmed Closing the Ring (2007), a World War II romance told in flashbacks.
Attenborough served as vice president (1973â95) and president (2002â10) of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and as president (2003â14) of RADA. He was on the board of the education organization United World Colleges and in 1987 became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1967, was knighted in 1976, and was granted a life peerage in 1993. In 1998 he received the Japan Art Associationâs Praemium Imperiale prize for theatre/film.