Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Alec Guinness, born April 2nd, 1914!
Some actors are divas. We’ve all heard the rumors of insane dressing room demands and the so-called “no-eye contact” clause. Yes, in our current celebrity culture. actors and actresses who obtain even the minutest amount of fame can think they are above the crowd and above the law, so rather then understanding that acting is simply a job, they take celebrity as some sort of justifiable lifestyle of entitlement and decadence. Pretty icky, right? But just like how not every celebrity is an actor, not every actor is a celebrity.
To me, Alec Guinness is an actor. Sure, millions of people have seen his films and know his name but that is an incredibly minor detail in an over 6-decade long career. Unlike other stars whose legend was aided by being plastered on the cover of tabloid magazines, Guinness kept his personal life, well, personal. Much like your average wage laborer, Guinness would show up for work, put his best effort forward and go home quietly when the final “cut” of the day was called. Even while working on projects he may have been less than enthusiastic about, such as a little one you may know called Star Wars, Guinness was always a professional — with director George Lucas crediting Guinness for inspiring the cast and crew to work harder. Not bad for someone who thought that the film was “fairy-tale rubbish.” So, to celebrate an actor by trade, let us look at the man doing his job: acting.
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Alec Guinness in The Swan (1956, director Charles Vidor)
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Alec Guinness in Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, director David Lean)
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Alec Guinness in Lawrence of Arabia (1962, director David Lean)
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
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