   richard todd obe (11 june 19193 december 2009) was an irish-born british stage and film actor and soldier. ==early life== richard todd was born as richard andrew palethorpe-todd in dublin, ireland.  his father, andrew william palethorpe todd, was an irish physician and an international irish rugby player who gained three caps for his country. richard spent a few of his childhood years in india, where his father, a british officer, served as an army physician. later his family moved to devon and todd attended shrewsbury school. upon leaving school, todd trained for a potential military career at sandhurst before beginning his acting training at the italia conti academy. this change in career led to estrangement from his mother. when he learned at age 19 that she had committed suicide, he did not grieve long for her, he admitted in later life. he first appeared professionally as an actor at the open air theatre, regent's park in 1936 in a production of twelfth night. he played in regional theatres and then co-founded the [[dundee reperto
1919_births 2009_deaths Alumni_of_the_Italia_Conti_Academy_of_Theatre_Arts British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_II British_Parachute_Regiment_officers Cancer_deaths_in_England English_male_film_actors English_male_stage_actors English_male_television_actors Graduates_of_the_Royal_Military_College,_Sandhurst King\'s_Own_Yorkshire_Light_Infantry_officers Male_actors_from_Devon New_Star_of_the_Year_(Actor)_Golden_Globe_winners Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire Operation_Overlord_people People_educated_at_Shrewsbury_School People_from_Dublin_(city) People_from_Grantham