John Gielgud Overview:

Legendary actor, John Gielgud, was born Arthur John Gielgud on Apr 14, 1904 in South Kensington, England. Gielgud died at the age of 96 on May 21, 2000 in Wotton Underwood, England and was laid to rest in Oxford Crematorium Cemetery in Headington, England.

MINI BIO:

Tall, slim, stern-looking British actor who achieved greatest distinction in Shakespearian roles on stage. He appeared briefly as an aesthetic leading man in a few pre-war films, but most post-war parts were cameos that were unworthy both of the actor and his reedily mellifluous voice. Knighted in 1953. Won an Academy Award for Arthur. Also nominated for Becket. The longest film career in the history of the British cinema to date.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Film Stars).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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John Gielgud was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one for Best Supporting Actor for Arthur (as Hobson) in 1981.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1964Best Supporting ActorBecket (1964)King Louis VII of FranceNominated
1981Best Supporting ActorArthur (1981)HobsonWon
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John Gielgud Quotes:

Cassius: Ye gods, it doth amaze me/ A man of such a feeble temper / Should so get the start of the majestic world/And bear the palm alone.


Benjamin 'Dizzy' Disraeli, aka Lord Beaconsfield- Disraeli: In an autocracy, the leader is the people. Europe is at the mercy of the most ruthless band of autocrats the world has yet seen. I know these dictators, these men of blood and iron, they have one weakness; they are always in a hurry. Their god is power, and its kingdom is on this Earth. They are men without humility and without hearts. The virtues we hold dear they call weaknesses, and what we love they despise. They hold themselves a race apart, divinely ordained to rule the world to the exclusion of all others. That is a form of madness that must eventually destroy the world or be destroyed, it cannot be appeased by soft words or good neighbourliness. All civilised methods of approach to international agreement are signs of weakness to these men. They recognise one argument, and one argument alone - FORCE!


George, Duke of Clarence: [speaking about Edward IV, who has sent Clarence to the Tower] He hearkens after dreams and prophecies / And from the crossrow plucks the letter 'G', / And says a wizard told him that by 'G' / His issue disinherited would be. / And for my name of George begins with G / It follows in his thoughts that I am he. /These and such like toys /Have moved his Highness to commit me now.


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Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1981





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John Gielgud Facts
Actor William Redfield, who appeared as Guildernstern in the Gielgud-directed stage version of Richard Burton's "Hamlet" (a filmed version of the stage production was released in 1964, as Hamlet (1964/I)) wrote in his 1967 memoir of the event, "Notes of an Actor", that Gielgud had an encyclopedia knowledge of the play and could play any and all parts of it from memory for his cast as he directed the production.

Three-time Tony winner, Gielgud graced the Broadway boards as a live performer 15 times between 1928 and 1976, yet never won an acting Tony Award. He was nominated twice for Best Actor (Dramatic): Edward Albee's "Tiny Alice" and in 1971 for David Storey's "Home." It was as a director that he was honored, with the 1961 Tony as Best Director (Dramatic) for "Big Fish, Little Fish." Directing a total of 15 Broadway productions starring himself or others, he also was nominated as Best Director (Dramatic) in 1963 for Richard B. Sheridan's "The School for Scandal." He won two other Tonys, a 1959 Special Award "for his contribution to theatre for his extraordinary insight into the writings of Shakespeare as demonstrated in his one-man play, 'Ages of Man'," and shared in a 1948 award for Oustanding Foreign Company for Oscar Wilde 's "The Importance of Being Earnest," which he produced, directed and starred in.

Was J.K. Rowling's original inspiration for the character of Albus Dumbledore.

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