Claim: Laurence Olivier refused to be an actor.
Evidence: Laurence Kerr Olivier , Baron Olivier , -LRB- -LSB- ˈlɒrəns_kɜr_ɒˈlɪvieɪ -RSB- 22 May 1907 -- 11 July 1989 -RRB- , was an English actor who , along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud , dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century.