Sir Alec Guinness
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Sir Alec Guinness CH CBE |
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Sir Alec Guinness in 1973 by Allan Warren
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| Born |
Alec Guinness de Cuffe 2 April 1914 Paddington, London, England |
| Died | 5 August 2000 (aged 86) Midhurst, West Sussex, England |
| Cause of death | Liver cancer |
| Resting place | Petersfield Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–1996 |
| Spouse(s) | Merula Salaman (m. 1938; his death 2000) |
| Children | Matthew Guinness |
Sir Alec Guinness CH CBE (2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. 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. He is also known for his six collaborations with 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), Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), General Yevgraf Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago (1965), and Professor Godbole in A Passage to India (1984). He is also known for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy, receiving a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Guinness was one of three British actors, along with Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, who made the transition from Shakespearean theatre in England to Hollywood blockbusters immediately after the Second World War. He also won a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe and a Tony Award, as well as an Academy Award. In 1959, he was knighted by Elizabeth II for services to the arts. 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.
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