Lord Attenborough Biography | BAFTA Home Heritage Features Lord Attenborough Biography Lord Attenborough Biography 29 May 2008 BAFTA Archive An esteemed and profoundly committed filmmaker, Lord Attenborough was a tireless supporter of BAFTA's charitable and educational causes for several decades. Lord A, as he was affectionately called by BAFTA staff, or "Dickie" to his friends, was integral to countless Academy occasions and key moments in its prestigious history: from the international scope and very British style of our early Awards ceremonies, to the opening of our 195 Piccadilly headquarters in 1976 and, more recently, the presentation of a Film Fellowship to co-collaborator and friend Sir Anthony Hopkins in 2008. Behind the scenes and in his role as Academy President since 2002, Lord Attenbrough's contribution to the financial stability and effective leadership of the Academy has been invaluable. Throughout his career, whenever something important happened at BAFTA, Lord Attenborough was part of it.

As Amanda Berry, the Academy’s Chief Executive, said on the occasion of his 80th birthday, he is: "A wonderful man, a talented actor, producer and director, an inspiration to all who meet him, an icon of the British Film Industry and passionate about BAFTA." A wonderful man, a talented actor, producer and director, an inspiration and an icon.. Key Dates Richard Attenborough Biography Lord Attenborough was born in Cambridge, England in 1923. He later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) to study theatre. He made his feature film debut in 1942 with In Which We Serve, followed shortly after by a breakthrough role as a young hood in Brighton Rock (1947). In the 1950s, Attenborough appeared in successful comedies for John and Roy Boulting. In the late 1950s, Attenborough formed a production company, Beaver Films, with Bryan Forbes and began to produce projects including The League of Gentlemen (1959), The Angry Silence (1960) and Whistle Down the Wind (1961).

Over the next ten years he expanded his range of character roles in films such as Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and Guns at Batasi (1964), for which he won the BAFTA for Best Actor. In 1963, he appeared in the ensemble cast of The Great Escape. In 1967 and 1968, Attenborough won two Golden Globes as Best Supporting Actor. He would win another Globe for Best Director, for Gandhi, in 1983. He took no acting roles after 1978, until his appearance in Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993). The following year he starred in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street. Since then he has made appearances in supporting film roles. His directorial debut was a screen version of the hit musical Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), and thus his acting roles became less frequent - the most notable being his portrayal of a serial killer in 10 Rillington Place (1971). Attenborough later directed two epic period films: Young Winston (1972) and A Bridge Too Far (1977).

He won two BAFTAs and two Oscars in 1982 for producing and directing the historical epic, Gandhi, his life’s ambition; it remains BAFTA's most nominated film with 16, of which it won five. He received a BAFTA Fellowship in 1983. More recent films as director and producer include Chaplin (1992) and Shadowlands (1993). Both films starred Anthony Hopkins, who appeared in another three films for Attenborough. He also directed the screen version of musical A Chorus Line (1985) and the apartheid drama Cry Freedom (1987). He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Director for both films. He has since directed Grey Owl (1999) and Closing The Ring (2007). In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was knighted in 1976 and in 1993 made a life peer as Baron Attenborough, of Richmond upon Thames. He has received too many other Awards, honours and accolades to mention.

Attenborough died at the age of 90 on 24 August 2014. His remarkable career spanned 6 decades. Richard Attenborough's Filmography BAFTA Awards Richard Attenborough received 13 BAFTA nominations and won four (excluding the UN Award). Date listed represent the year of nomination. 1960 Anthony Hopkins Anthony Hopkins Philip Anthony Hopkins 31 December 1937 (1937-12-31) (age 73)Port Talbot, Glamorgan,Wales, United Kingdom Occupation Edit Block Hopkins at the Tuscan Sun Festival, Cortona, 2009 Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937), best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television. Considered to be one of the greatest living actors, Hopkins is perhaps best known for his portrayal of cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (for which he received the Academy Award for Best Actor), its sequel Hannibal, and its prequel Red Dragon.

Other prominent film credits include The Lion in Winter, Magic, The Elephant Man, 84 Charing Cross Road, Dracula, Legends of the Fall, The Remains of the Day, Amistad, Nixon, and Fracture. Hopkins was born and brought up in Wales. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a U.S. citizen on 12 April 2000. Hopkins' films have spanned a wide variety of genres, from family films to horror. As well as his Academy Award, Hopkins has also won three BAFTA Awards, two Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Cecil B. DeMille Award.Hopkins was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 for services to the arts. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, and was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2008. Early life Edit Block Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, the son of Muriel Anne (née Yeats) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker.

His schooldays were unproductive; he found that he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting and drawing, or playing the piano, than attend to his studies. In 1949, to instill discipline, his parents insisted he attend Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in Pontypool, Wales. He remained there for five terms and was then educated at Cowbridge Grammar School in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Hopkins was influenced and encouraged to become an actor by Welsh compatriot Richard Burton (who was also born at Neath Port Talbot), whom he met briefly at the age of 15. To that end, he enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, Wales, from which he graduated in 1957. After two years in the British Army doing his national service, he moved to London where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Career Isabella Rossellini and Anthony Hopkins in Berlin to shoot scenes for The Innocent (1993). Roles Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in the Palace Theatre, Swansea in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of Have A Cigarette.

In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by Sir Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre. Hopkins became Olivier's understudy, and filled in when Olivier was struck with appendicitis during a production of August Strindberg's The Dance of Death. Olivier later noted in his memoir, Confessions of an Actor, that, "A new young actor in the company of exceptional promise named Anthony Hopkins was understudying me and walked away with the part of Edgar like a cat with a mouse between its teeth." Despite his success at the National, Hopkins tired of repeating the same roles nightly and yearned to be in films. He made his small-screen debut in a 1967 BBC broadcast of A Flea in Her Ear. In 1968, he got his break in The Lion in Winter playing Richard I, along with Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, and future James Bond star Timothy Dalton, who played Philip II of France.

Although Hopkins continued in theatre (most notably at the National Theatre as Lambert Le Roux in Pravda by David Hare and Howard Brenton and as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra opposite Judi Dench as well as in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer's Equus, directed by John Dexter) he gradually moved away from it to become more established as a television and film actor. His Pierre Bezukhov for the BBC War and Peace (1972) was particularly memorable. He has since gone on to enjoy a long career, winning many plaudits and awards for his performances. Hopkins was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987, and a Knight Bachelor in 1993. In 1996, Hopkins was awarded an honorary fellowship from the University of Wales, Lampeter. Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Hopkins has stated that his role as Burt Munro, whom he portrayed in his 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian, was his favourite. He also asserted that Munro was the easiest role that he had played because both men have a similar outlook on life.

In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. In 2008, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award. Hopkins portrayed Odin, the father of Thor, in the film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Thor. On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in the supernatural thriller The Rite, which was released on January 28, 2011. He played a priest who is "an expert in exorcisms and whose methods are not necessarily traditional". An agnostic, he wrote a line--"Some days I don't know if I believe in God or Santa Claus or Tinkerbell"--into his character in order to identify with it. Acting style Hopkins is renowned for his preparation for roles. He has indicated in interviews that once he has committed to a project, he will go over his lines as many times as is needed (sometimes upwards of 200) until the lines sound natural to him, so that he can "do it without thinking". This leads to an almost casual style of delivery that belies the amount of groundwork done beforehand.

While it can allow for some careful improvisation, it has also brought him into conflict with the occasional director who departs from the script, or demands what the actor views as an excessive number of takes. Hopkins has stated that after he is finished with a scene, he simply discards the lines, not remembering them later on. This is unlike others who usually remember their lines from a film even years later.Richard Attenborough, who has directed Hopkins on five occasions, found himself going to great lengths during the filming of Shadowlands (1993) to accommodate the differing approaches of his two stars (Hopkins and Debra Winger), who shared many scenes. Whereas Hopkins, preferring the spontaneity of a fresh take, liked to keep rehearsals to a minimum, Winger rehearsed continuously. To allow for this, Attenborough stood in for Hopkins during Winger's rehearsals, only bringing him in for the last one before a take. The director praised Hopkins for "this extraordinary ability to make you believe when you hear him that it is the very first time he has ever said that line.

It's an incredible gift." Renowned for his ability to remember lines, Hopkins keeps his memory supple by learning things by heart such as poetry, and Shakespeare. In Steven Spielberg's Amistad, Hopkins astounded the crew with his memorisation of a seven-page courtroom speech, delivering it in one go. An overawed Spielberg couldn't bring himself to call him Tony, and insisted on addressing him as Sir Anthony throughout the shoot. In addition, Hopkins is a gifted mimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. He duplicated the voice of his late mentor, Laurence Olivier, for additional scenes in Spartacus in its 1991 restoration. His interview on the 1998 relaunch edition of the British TV talk show Parkinson featured an impersonation of comedian Tommy Cooper. Hopkins has said acting "like a submarine" has helped him to deliver credible performances in his thriller movies. He said, "It's very difficult for an actor to avoid, you want to show a bit.

But I think the less one shows the better." Hannibal Lecter Perhaps Hopkins' most famous role is as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991, opposite Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, who won for Best Actress. The film won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is one of the shortest lead performances to win an Oscar, as Hopkins only appears on screen for little over 16 minutes. Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice in Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002). His original portrayal of the character in The Silence of the Lambs has been labelled by the American Film Institute as the number-one film villain. At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing in M. Butterfly. He had come back to Britain after living for a number of years in Hollywood, having all but given up on a career there, saying, "Well that part of my life's over; it's a chapter closed.

I suppose I'll just have to settle for being a respectable actor poncing around the West End and doing respectable BBC work for the rest of my life." Hopkins played the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by Thomas Harris. The author was reportedly very pleased with Hopkins' portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that Red Dragon would feature his final performance as the character, and that he would not reprise even a narrative role in the latest addition to the series, Hannibal Rising. Personal life Edit Block Hopkins at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. As of 2007, Hopkins resides in Los Angeles. He had moved to the United States once before during the 1970s to pursue his film career, but returned to London in the late 1980s. However, he decided to return to the U.S. following his 1990s success. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen on 12 April 2000, and celebrated with a 3,000-mile road trip across the country. Hopkins has been married three times.

His first two wives were Petronella Barker (1967–1972) and Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002). He is now married to Colombian-born Stella Arroyave. He has a daughter from his first marriage, Abigail Hopkins (b. 20 August 1968), who is an actress and singer. He has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the National Trust's Snowdonia Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, and to aid the Trust's efforts to purchase parts of Snowdon. A book celebrating these efforts, Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia, was published together with Graham Nobles. Hopkins has been a patron of the YMCA centre in his hometown of Port Talbot, South Wales for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s. Hopkins also takes time to support other various philanthropic groups. He was a Guest of Honour at a Gala Fundraiser for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organization offering rehabilitation assistance to women in recovery from substance abuse.

Although he resides in Malibu, California he is also a volunteer teacher at the Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica, California. Hopkins has attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, since suddenly stopping drinking in 1975. As stated to TMZ in October 2010, Hopkins is a vegetarian. In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss program, and by 2010, he had lost 80 pounds. Hopkins is a prominent member of environmental protection group Greenpeace and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns about Japan's continuing annual whale hunt. Hopkins has been a patron of RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) since its early days and helped open their first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit at Downview (HM Prison) in 1992. He is an admirer of the comedian Tommy Cooper. On 23 February 2008, as patron of the Tommy Cooper Society, the actor unveiled a commemorative statue in the entertainer's home town of Caerphilly, South Wales. For the ceremony, Hopkins donned Cooper's trademark fez and performed a comic routine.

Other work Edit Block In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at #75 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world. Hopkins has also written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator. These compositions include The Masque of Time, given its world premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008, and Schizoid Salsa. In 1990, Hopkins directed "Dylan Thomas: Return Journey" which was his directing debut for the screen. In 1996, he directed August, an adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called Slipstream, which he also directed and scored, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. Hopkins is a fan of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and once remarked in an interview how he would love to appear in the series. Writer John Sullivan saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the character Danny Driscoll, a local villain.

However, filming of the new series coincided with the filming of The Silence of the Lambs, making Hopkins unavailable. The role instead went to Roy Marsden. Awards Edit Block Besides his win for The Silence of the Lambs, Hopkins has been Oscar-nominated for The Remains of the Day (1993), Nixon (1995) and Amistad (1997). Hopkins won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in 1973 for his performance as Pierre Bezukhov in the BBC's production of War and Peace, and additionally for The Silence of the Lambs and Shadowlands. He received nominations in the same category for Magic and The Remains of the Day and as Best Supporting Actor for The Lion in Winter. He won Emmy Awards for his roles in The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and The Bunker, and was Emmy-nominated for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Great Expectations. He won the directing and the acting award, both for Slipstream, at Switzerland's Locarno International Film Festival. Hopkins became a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in February 2008.

In 1979, Anthony Hopkins became an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Filmography Anthony Hopkins - Awards - IMDb Anthony Hopkins Showing all 48 wins and 56 nominations Academy Awards, USA For playing: "Bruno Richard Hauptmann". BAFTA Awards Robin Wright (age 41) and Ray Winstone (age 50)...and Anthony Hopkins (age 70). BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards Outstanding Achievement in Acting - Male Performer Jupiter Award Tied with Daniel Day-Lewis for In the Name of the Father (1993) in 2nd place. New York Film Critics Circle Awards OFTA Film Hall of Fame Acting Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture Actor Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Hitchcock (2012) For the sequence where Alfred Hitchcock is in the lobby conducting to music/audience's reaction ... More For the sequence where Alfred Hitchcock is in the lobby conducting to music/audience's reaction during the Psycho (1960) shower scene. Tied with Django Unchained (2012), _The Impossible (2012)_, and The Master (2012).

USA Film Festival Richard Attenborough - Biography - IMDb Richard Attenborough Biography Showing all 119 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (6) | Trivia (79) | Personal Quotes (27) Overview (5) 5' 7" (1.7 m) Mini Bio (1) Lord Richard Attenborough was born in Cambridge, England, the son of Mary (née Clegg), a founding member of the Marriage Guidance Council, and Frederick Levi Attenborough, a scholar and academic administrator who was a don at Emmanuel College and wrote a standard text on Anglo-Saxon law. Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

His film career began with a role as a deserting sailor in In Which We Serve (1942), a part that contributed to his being typecast for many years as a coward in films like Dulcimer Street (1948), Operation Disaster (1950) and his breakthrough role as a psychopathic young gangster in the film adaptation of Graham Greene 's novel, Brighton Rock (1947). During World War II, Attenborough served in the Royal Air Force. He worked prolifically in British films for the next 30 years, and in the 1950s appeared in several successful comedies for John Boulting and Roy Boulting , including Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959). Early in his stage career, Attenborough starred in the London West End production of Agatha Christie 's "The Mousetrap", which went on to become one of the world's longest-running stage productions. Both he and his wife were among the original cast members of the production, which opened in 1952 and (as of 2007) is still running.

In the 1960s, he expanded his range of character roles in films such as Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and Guns at Batasi (1964), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the regimental Sergeant Major. He appeared in the ensemble cast of The Great Escape (1963), as Squadron Leader "Roger Bartlett" ("Big X"), the head of the escape committee. In 1967 and 1968, he won back-to-back Golden Globe Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actor, the first time for The Sand Pebbles (1966), starring Steve McQueen , and the second time for Doctor Dolittle (1967), starring Rex Harrison . He would win another Golden Globe for Best Director, for Gandhi (1982), in 1983. Six years prior to "Gandhi", he played the ruthless "Gen. Outram" in Indian director Satyajit Ray 's period piece, The Chess Players (1977). He has never been nominated for an Academy Award in an acting category.

He took no acting roles following his appearance in Otto Preminger 's The Human Factor (1979), until his appearance as the eccentric developer "John Hammond" in Steven Spielberg 's Jurassic Park (1993). The following year, he starred as "Kris Kringle" in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), a remake of the 1947 classic. Since then, he has made occasional appearances in supporting roles, including the historical drama, Elizabeth (1998), as "Sir William Cecil". In the late 1950s, Attenborough formed a production company, "Beaver Films", with Bryan Forbes and began to build a profile as a producer on projects, including The League of Gentlemen (1960), The Angry Silence (1960) and Whistle Down the Wind (1961), also appearing in the first two of these as an actor. His feature film directorial debut was the all-star screen version of the hit musical, Oh!

What a Lovely War (1969), and his acting appearances became more sporadic - the most notable being his portrayal of serial killer "John Christie" in 10 Rillington Place (1971). He later directed two epic period films: Young Winston (1972), based on the early life of Winston Churchill , and A Bridge Too Far (1977), an all-star account of Operation Market Garden in World War II. He won the 1982 Academy Award for Directing for his historical epic, Gandhi (1982), a project he had been attempting to get made for many years. As the film's producer, he also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His most recent films, as director and producer, include Chaplin (1992), starring Robert Downey Jr. as Charles Chaplin , and Shadowlands (1993), based on the relationship between C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham. Both films starred Anthony Hopkins , who also appeared in three other films for Attenborough: "Young Winston", "A Bridge Too Far" and the thriller, Magic (1978).

Attenborough also directed the screen version of the hit Broadway musical, "A Chorus Line" ( A Chorus Line (1985)), and the apartheid drama, Cry Freedom (1987), based on the experiences of Donald Woods . He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for both films. His most recent film as director was another biographical film, Grey Owl (1999), starring Pierce Brosnan . Attenborough is the President of RADA, Chairman of Capital Radio, President of BAFTA, President of the Gandhi Foundation, and President of the British National Film and Television School. He is also a vice patron of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. He is also the patron of the UWC movement (United World Colleges), whereby he continually contributes greatly to the colleges that are part of the organization. He has frequented the United World College of Southern Africa(UWCSA) Waterford Kamhlaba. His wife and he founded the "Richard and Sheila Attenborough Visual Arts Center".

He also founded the "Jane Holland Creative Center for Learning" at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland in memory of his daughter, who died in the Tsunami on Boxing Day, 2004. He passionately believes in education, primarily education that does not judge upon color, race, creed or religion. His attachment to Waterford is his passion for non-racial education, which were the grounds on which Waterford Kamhlaba was founded. Waterford was one of his inspirations for directing Cry Freedom (1987), based on the life of Steve Biko. He was elected to the post of Chancellor of the University of Sussex on 20 March 1998, replacing the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. A lifelong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, Attenborough served as a director of the club from 1969-1982 and, since 1993, has held the honorary position of Life Vice President. He is also the head of the consortium, "Dragon International", which is constructing a film and television studio complex in Llanilid, Wales, often referred to as "Valleywood".

In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was knighted in 1976 and, in 1993, he was made a life peer as Baron Attenborough, of Richmond-upon-Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. On 13 July 2006, Attenborough and his brother, David Attenborough , were awarded the titles of Distinguished Honorary Fellows of the University of Leicester "in recognition of a record of continuing distinguished service to the University". Lord Attenborough is also listed as an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University for his continued efforts to film making. Attenborough has been married to English actress Sheila Sim , since 1945. They had three children. In December 2004, his elder daughter, Jane Holland, as well as her daughter Lucy and her mother-in-law, also named Jane, were killed in the tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake. A memorial service was held on 8 March 2005, and Attenborough read a lesson at the national memorial service on 11 May 2005.

His grandson, Samuel Holland, and granddaughter, Alice Holland, also read in the service. Attenborough's father was principal of University College, Leicester, now the city's university. This has resulted in a long association with the university, with Lord Attenborough a patron. A commemorative plaque was placed on the floor of Richmond Parish Church. The university's "Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and the Arts", which opened in 1997, is named in his Honor. His son, Michael Attenborough , is also a director. He has two younger brothers, the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough and John Attenborough, who has made a career in the motor trade. He has collected Pablo Picasso ceramics since the 1950s. More than 100 items went on display at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester in 2007; the exhibition is dedicated to his family members lost in the tsunami. ( 22 January 1945 - 24 August 2014) (his death) (3 children) Trade Mark (6) Frequently films movies about former British colonies.

Examples iclude India ( Gandhi (1982)), South Africa ( Cry Freedom (1987)), Canada ( Grey Owl (1999)) Frequently directs films about the lives of real-life individuals Warm, grandfatherly persona Making films with a moral message or a liberal political perspective Frequently cast 'Anthony Hopkins' It was his life ambition to direct Gandhi (1982). Philosophies include believing in content as opposed to style and sincerity rather than intelligence. He reprised his Jurassic Park (1993) character, John Hammond, for Universal Studio's Jurassic Park: The Ride attraction. He appears in a short film at the beginning of the ride telling you that the NEW Jurassic Park (the ride you're on) is completely safe, and that there will never be another incident like that at Costa Rica in 1993. 2004: 57 years after he starred in Brighton Rock (1947), his son Michael Attenborough directed a musical version of Graham Greene 's novel. 1952: Was the first to star in Agatha Christie 's "The Mousetrap", now the longest-running play in the world.

Has two brothers, naturalist/presenter David Attenborough , and John Attenborough. Also, during World War Two, his parents adopted two German Jewish girls, who had been brought to Britain as part of the Kindertransport. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours List, made a Knight Bachelor in the 1976 Queen's New Year Honours List and a life peer in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours List. 2002-: Third president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). 1971-94: Vice-president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). 1990: Freeman of the City of Leicester, England. 1993: Fellow of King's College, London. Created an honorary D.Litt of the Universities of Leicester, Kent and Sussex in 1970, 1981 and 1987 respectively.

12/02: Said he would go back on his claim to never appear in front of the camera again for one role only: that of Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. Former father-in-law of actress Jane Seymour . Life President of Chelsea Football Club. 2003: Was made President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), a role that had been vacant since the death of Princess Diana in 1997. 2003: Was awarded the Patricia Rothermere Award for his lifelong service to theatre at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He was trained at RADA (The Royal Acadamy of Dramatic Arts), where he later became Chairman. Often casts Anthony Hopkins . Biography in: John Wakeman , editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 78-84. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988. Steven Spielberg has named him as an influence.

12/26/04: Members of his family - daughter Jane, son-in-law Michael Holland, grandchildren Sam, Lucy and Alice and Michael's mother Jane - were holidaying in Phuket, Thailand, when the area was hit by the South Asian tsunami on Boxing Day 2004. Lord Attenborough lost his daughter, her mother-in-law and his 14-year-old granddaughter Lucy in the tragedy. His elder granddaughter, 17-year-old Alice, was seriously injured and his son-in-law and grandson survived unscathed. Has been involved in some form with the University of Sussex since 1970; he was elected Chancellor of the University on March 20, 1998, replacing the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, who had held that post since 1985. 9/05: Attended the funeral of British film producer Lord John Brabourne . He was a close friend of the English actor Sir John Mills for many years, and gave the eulogy at his funeral in April 2005. 5/11/05: Gave a reading at a national British memorial service for the victims of the South Asian tsunami.

He lost three members of his family in the tragedy. Directed 4 different performers in Oscar-nominated performances: Ben Kingsley , Denzel Washington , Robert Downey Jr. and Debra Winger . Kingsley won an Oscar for his performance in Gandhi (1982). 1978: Officially retired from acting. He agreed to make a return to acting in Jurassic Park (1993), saying he was a huge admirer of Steven Spielberg and always felt bad that Gandhi (1982) had won the best picture award instead of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg had previously wanted to cast him as Tootles in Hook (1991), however, he'd been busy directing Chaplin (1992) at the time. Received an honorary doctorate from Dickinson College, Pennsylvania. Originally considered for the role of Harry in The Ladykillers (1955) by director Alexander Mackendrick . The role eventually went to Peter Sellers . In 2008 the UK Regional Critics' Film Awards were renamed The Richard Attenborough Film Awards, in his honour.

He was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film culture. Along with Warren Beatty , Clint Eastwood , Mel Gibson , Kevin Costner and Robert Redford one of six actors to win an Academy Award for "Best Director". Was hospitalised in August 2008 when his heart stopped beating for a time, and again in December 2008 when he went into a coma for several days after suffering a fall. Is one of 9 directors to win the Golden Globe, Director's Guild, BAFTA, and Oscar for the same movie, winning for Gandhi (1982). The other directors to achieve this are Mike Nichols for The Graduate (1967), Milos Forman for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Oliver Stone for Platoon (1986), Steven Spielberg for Schindler's List (1993), Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain (2005), Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity (2013), and Alejandro G. Iñárritu for The Revenant (2015).

The last veteran of World War II to win an Oscar for Best Director. Father-in-law of Karen Lewis and Graham Sinclair . Before entrusting post-production on Jurassic Park (1993) to his friend George Lucas , Steven Spielberg thought he would have to divide his time between this and directing Schindler's List (1993). Spielberg at one point asked Attenborough, who had just appeared in Jurassic Park (1993), to serve as assistant director on Schindler's List (1993). This would have reunited Attenborough with Ben Kingsley , whom he directed in Gandhi (1982), which defeated E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) for Best Picture and Best Director. Attenborough's services turned out to be unnecessary, but he is not without his own connection to the material. While Attenborough is not himself Jewish, he does have two Jewish sisters: after World War II, his parents adopted two little girls whose parents had died in the Holocaust. According to his brother David Attenborough , Before his death, Richard was no longer able to walk and gets about in a wheelchair.

However, he still had all his other faculties about him, and was still as gregarious as ever. He was a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales, and he coached her privately to help her become more confident about speaking in public in the early years of her marriage. She always called him "Dickie". Attended Princess Diana 's funeral, with Steven Spielberg , Tom Hanks , Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman . To date, he is the only performer to win two Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor but not even be nominated for a corresponding Oscar. [2014] He made a cameo appearance as a lunatic wearing glasses in A Bridge Too Far (1977). This was his only acting role in a film that he directed. He died in Denville Hall care home in Northwood, London, on August 23, 2014, at lunchtime, five days before 91st birthday. He moved into the care home because of his failing health, in March 2013. His wife, Sheila, had been based there since June 2012. He was considered for the roles of Dr. Hans Fallada, Dr.

Bukovsky, Sir Percy Heseltine and Dr. Armstrong in Lifeforce (1985). Laurence Olivier offered Attenborough the role of one of the murderers in Richard III (1955) but he was unavailable. He directed his brother-in-law Gerald Sim in seven films: Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Young Winston (1972), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Gandhi (1982), Cry Freedom (1987), Chaplin (1992) and Shadowlands (1993). He died only thirteen days after his Hamlet (1996) co-star Robin Williams . He appeared in five films with John Mills : In Which We Serve (1942), Operation Disaster (1950), The Baby and the Battleship (1956), Dunkirk (1958) and Hamlet (1996). He also directed him in three films: Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Young Winston (1972) and Gandhi (1982).

In an AFI poll, he described Charles Chaplin 's film The Gold Rush (1925) as his favourite film. He appeared in three films with his wife Sheila Sim : Dancing with Crime (1947), The Outsider (1948) and The Magic Box (1951). Of the twelve films that he directed, Magic (1978), A Chorus Line (1985) and Closing the Ring (2007) were the only ones which were not based on real events. Carl Foreman was so impressed with his directorial debut Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) that he offered him the opportunity to both direct Young Winston (1972) and play Lord Randolph Churchill in the film. He declined the latter offer. He directed his former daughter-in-law Jane Seymour in two films: Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) and Young Winston (1972). Steven Spielberg offered Attenborough the role of Tootles in Hook (1991) but he had to decline as he was directing Chaplin (1992). Arthur Malet was cast instead.

Spielberg later cast Attenborough as John Hammond in Jurassic Park (1993), which was his first acting role since The Human Factor (1979). He appeared in six films with his brother-in-law Gerald Sim : The Angry Silence (1960), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), Only Two Can Play (1962), Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), The Last Grenade (1970) and A Bridge Too Far (1977), which Attenborough also directed. He was the grandfather of Tom Attenborough . After Joseph Mazzello played his grandson in Jurassic Park (1993), Attenborough cast him as Douglas Gresham in Shadowlands (1993), his next film as a director. He was 25 when he played the 14-year-old Jack Read in The Outsider (1948). Of the twelve films that he directed, Magic (1978) and A Chorus Line (1985) were the only ones set in the present.

For his work in both The Sand Pebbles (1966) and Doctor Dolittle (1967), he's one of only 6 actors to win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a motion picture without receiving an Oscar nomination for the same performance. The other 5 are, in chronological order: Millard Mitchell in My Six Convicts (1952) , Earl Holliman in The Rainmaker (1956), Stephen Boyd in Ben-Hur (1959), Oskar Werner in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) and Richard Benjamin in The Sunshine Boys (1975). He appeared with Joseph Mazzello in Jurassic Park (1993) and later directed him in Shadowlands (1993).

1993 Academy Awards® Winners and History The Remains of the Day (1993, UK) Actor: TOM HANKS in "Philadelphia", Daniel Day-Lewis in "In the Name of the Father", Laurence Fishburne in "What's Love Got to Do With It", Anthony Hopkins in "The Remains of the Day", Liam Neeson in "Schindler's List" Actress: HOLLY HUNTER in "The Piano", Angela Bassett in "What's Love Got to Do With It", Stockard Channing in "Six Degrees of Separation", Emma Thompson in "The Remains of the Day", Debra Winger in "Shadowlands" Supporting Actor: TOMMY LEE JONES in "The Fugitive", Leonardo DiCaprio in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", Ralph Fiennes in "Schindler's List" , John Malkovich in "In the Line of Fire", Pete Postlethwaite in "In the Name of the Father" Supporting Actress: ANNA PAQUIN in "The Piano", Holly Hunter in "The Firm", Rosie Perez in "Fearless", Winona Ryder in "The Age of Innocence", Emma Thompson in "In the Name of the

 Father" Director: STEVEN SPIELBERG for "Schindler's List" , Robert Altman for "Short Cuts", Jane Campion for "The Piano", James Ivory for "The Remains of the Day", Jim Sheridan for "In the Name of the Father" Finally, after many years of dubious treatment and neglect, producer/director Steven Spielberg (with his sixth directorial and seventh Best Picture nomination) won the Best Picture Oscar (and Best Director Oscar) for his monumental, mature masterpiece Schindler's List .

[The film - although mostly black and white - contained a few segments in color, thereby disqualifying it from being the most recent completely black and white film to win the Best Picture Oscar. That honor still applied to The Apartment (1960) .] Spielberg won his first competitive Oscars for the powerful, documentary-style, 'historical' dramatization of Thomas Keneally's 1982 book (from a screenplay by Steven Zaillian) about the Third Reich's Holocaust, and the role of one complex man named Schindler (Liam Neeson) - a failed German industrialist and Catholic war profiteer (a pots-and-pans factory owner), who struggled to save more than a thousand Polish-Jewish lives in Nazi-occupied Poland with the assistance of Jewish accountant and confidante Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley). The three hour-long, small-budget ($23 million) film had twelve nominations and seven overall wins (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography for Janusz Kaminski, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score - by John Williams). Surprisingly, the film won no acting awards.

Spielberg also triumphed in the same year with three technical-achievement awards for his box-office hit Jurassic Park : Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. Four of the five Best Picture nominees were serious-minded films. The one exception was the box-office hit and action thriller The Fugitive (with seven nominations and one win - Best Supporting Actor) - the story of the relentless tracking of a convicted innocent man in director Andrew Davis' re-make of the 60's long-running TV series - it was notable as the first - and only - Best Picture nominee remake to be based on a popular TV series.

The other three Best Picture nominees included: the strange love story between a mute-by-choice 19th century Scotswoman (and pianist) and a New Zealand neighbor in producer/writer/director Jane Campion's offbeat film The Piano (with eight nominations and three wins - Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay) director Jim Sheridan's political-injustice drama about an accused IRA bomber who is wrongfully imprisoned in In the Name of the Father (with seven nominations and no wins) the Merchant Ivory period drama of unrequited love in director James Ivory's film The Remains of the Day (with eight nominations and no wins) Andrew Davis, the director of Best Picture-nominated The Fugitive, failed to receive a nomination in the Best Director category. Davis' place was filled by director Robert Altman for his three-hour long film, a collage of Raymond Carver's short stories, Short Cuts (the film's sole nomination). [This was Altman's second consecutive Best Director nomination for a film that did not receive a Best Picture nomination - The Player (1992) also received a Best Director nomination without a Best Picture nod.

And it was also Altman's fourth unsuccessful bid to be Best Director.] Jane Campion's nomination as Best Director for The Piano made her only the second woman in Oscar history to be nominated in the category. Campion is the first (and only) woman to have directed a Best Picture nominee AND to have received a Best Director nomination for herself. [The first woman ever nominated for Best Director was Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties (1976), seventeen years earlier.] Although Campion lost the Best Director Oscar, she won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Half of all the male acting nominations went to British performers (Day-Lewis, Hopkins, Neeson, Postlethwaite, and Fiennes). All four of the year's acting winners were first-time Academy Award winners.

The Best Actor Oscar was presented to Tom Hanks (with his second nomination and first Oscar win), best-known for comedic roles, for his serious performance as AIDS-infected corporate attorney and victim Andrew Beckett, fired from his job and fighting homophobia in director Jonathan Demme's bold adaptation of Ron Nyswaner's screenplay for Philadelphia (with five nominations and two wins - the second Oscar was for Bruce Springsteen's Best Song "Streets of Philadelphia"). In the same year, Hanks starred in Nora Ephron's very popular romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle, a remake of An Affair to Remember (1957) - with two unsuccessful nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song.

[Note: During Hanks' acceptance speech, he paid homage to his high school gay teacher Rawley Farnsworth - the situation was later used as the basis for the comedy In & Out (1997) in which a passionate Oscar winner during his acceptance speech inadvertently outed a teacher.] The other Best Actor nominees were: Daniel Day-Lewis (with his second nomination) as wrongly-imprisoned IRA terrorist and political prisoner Gerald Conlon in In the Name of the Father Laurence Fishburne (with his first nomination) as abusive wife-beater Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It (with two nominations and no wins); Fishburne, whose nomination was bumped up to a lead one, performed his own songs in the film Anthony Hopkins (with his second nomination) as faithful, yet repressed head butler Stevens in The Remains of the Day N. Ireland native Liam Neeson (with his first nomination) as conscience-stricken German industrialist Oskar Schindler, the savior of a thousand Polish Jews in Schindler's List Among the female acting nominees, two were simultaneously nominated in the lead and supporting acting categories in 1993 - Holly Hunter and Emma Thompson.

They were the first nominees to compete against each other in both the Actress and Supporting Actress categories, in the same year: [Because Emma Thompson lost both Oscars in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, she shares the same dubious 'achievement' with actress Sigourney Weaver - who was also unsuccessful with her nominations for Gorillas in the Mist (1988) and Working Girl (1988). Although Thompson and Weaver both lost, usually a double-nominee wins one of the categories.] Holly Hunter (with her second/third nominations and first Oscar win) won the Best Actress Oscar for her dialogue-less performance as the 19th century mute (since childhood) and mail-order bride Ada McGrath - the erotic, Scottish woman and gifted pianist in The Piano.

[This was another instance in which an award was given for an actress' non-speaking role, i.e., Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda (1948), Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (1962), Marlee Matlin in Children of a Lesser God (1986).] The other four Best Actress nominees were: Angela Bassett (with her first nomination) as abused rock singer Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It Stockard Channing (with her first nomination) as privileged Fifth Avenue wife Ouisa Kittredge in director Fred Schepisi's satirical comedy/drama of race and class, Six Degrees of Separation (the film's sole nomination) Emma Thompson (with her second - or third nomination) as housekeeper Miss Kenton in The Remains of the Day Debra Winger (with her third unsuccessful nomination) as Joy Gresham, the forthright American fan/poet and romantic lover of Oxford author/lecturer C. S.

Lewis in director Richard Attenborough's exquisite melodrama, Shadowlands (with only two nominations, also Best Adapted Screenplay - and no wins) The Best Supporting Actor Oscar was won by Tommy Lee Jones (with his second nomination and first Oscar win) for his performance as determined and relentless, laconic Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard who tracks fugitive Harrison Ford in the exciting chase film The Fugitive. Many felt the award should have gone to Ralph Fiennes instead.

The other four Best Supporting Actor nominees in the category were: nineteen year-old (pre-Titanic) Leonardo DiCaprio (with his first nomination) as co-star Johnny Depp's impaired, mentally-challenged teenage brother Arnie Grape in director Lasse Hallstrom's What's Eating Gilbert Grape (the film's sole nomination) Ralph Fiennes (with his first nomination) as the merciless and vicious Nazi labor camp commander Amon Goeth in Plaszow in Schindler's List John Malkovich (with his second nomination) as former CIA agent and cold-blooded Presidential assassin Mitch Leary in director Wolfgang Petersen's thriller In the Line of Fire (with three nominations and no wins) Pete Postlethwaite (with his first nomination) as Guiseppe Conlon, the father of wrongly-imprisoned co-star Daniel Day-Lewis in In the Name of the Father The unexpected winner of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar was 11 year-old Anna Paquin for her R-rated film role as co-star (and competitive nominee) Holly Hunter's illegitimate daughter Flora in The Piano.

[Paquin's Oscar, in her debut film, made her the second youngest competitive Oscar winner, second to 10 year-old Tatum O'Neal who won the Oscar twenty years earlier for Paper Moon (1973).

Paquin also became the first New Zealander to receive an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.] The other Best Supporting Actress nominees included: Holly Hunter (with her second - or third nomination) as tough, bleach-blonde secretary Tammy Hemphill in producer/director Sydney Pollack's thriller based on John Grisham's best-selling novel about a corrupted law firm, The Firm (with two nominations and no wins) Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican Rosie Perez (with her first nomination) as co-star Jeff Bridges' fellow airplane crash survivor and guilt-stricken Hispanic mother Carla Rodrigo in director Peter Weir's Fearless (the film's sole nomination) Winona Ryder (with her first nomination and the favored nominee) as May Welland - the emotionally-proper fiancee of co-star Daniel Day-Lewis in director Martin Scorsese's film adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel The Age of Innocence (with five nominations and one win - Best Costume Design) Emma Thompson (with her second - or third nomination) as Gareth Peirce - Gerald Conlon's (Daniel Day-Lewis') English solicitor in In the Name of the Father Six-time Best Actress nominee (in 1949, 1953, 1956

-1958, and 1960) and win-less Deborah Kerr received an Honorary award during the ceremonies, "in appreciation for a full career's worth of elegant and beautifully-crafted performances." She had appeared in some of cinema's greatest films, including Black Narcissus (1947), I See A Dark Stranger (1947), Edward, My Son (1949), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), From Here to Eternity (1953) , The King and I (1956) , Tea and Sympathy (1956), Heaven Knows, Mr.

Allison (1957), Separate Tables (1958), The Night of the Iguana (1964), and The Arrangement (1969). Oscar Snubs and Omissions: Brad Pitt was un-nominated for his performance as terrifying, homicidal serial killer Early Grayce in Kalifornia, nor was Val Kilmer as philosophical, ravaged Doc Holliday in Tombstone, nor was Ben Kingsley as Schindler's Jewish accountant in Schindler's List , nor was Debra Winger as Arliss Howard's wife Vida in a romantic triangle in the pyrokinetic, incendiary Wilder Napalm. Tim Burton's offbeat, stop-action animated musical The Nightmare Before Christmas was nominated (and lost) for only one award: Best Visual Effects, but was ignored for Danny Elfman's original musical score, and for the songs in its soundtrack (there were about a dozen songs in its 74 minutes). Unexpectedly, there were no nominations for Wayne Wang's mother-daughter stories (adapted from Amy Tan's novel) in The Joy Luck Club.

Juliette Binoche was denied a nomination as grieving wife Julie Vignon de Courcy in the first film of director Krzysztof Kieslowski's three-color trilogy, Three Colors: Blue (Fr.) (aka Trois Couleurs: Bleu). Denzel Washington was denied an acting nomination for his performance as black, ambulance-chasing defense lawyer Joe Miller (opposite Best Actor-winning Tom Hanks) in Philadelphia, as was Jeff Bridges for his role as post-traumatic stress disorder victim Max Klein in Weir's Fearless, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as fictional action hero film character Sgt. Jack Slater (and himself) in Last Action Hero. Although nominated for Remains of the Day, Anthony Hopkins should also have been nominated for his role as Christian novelist C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands (a film mostly neglected by the Academy). And Matthew McConaughey was un-nominated for his memorable performance as the seasoned suitor named Wooderson of Texas high school girls in Dazed and Confused. An emerging romantic comedy masterpiece, Groundhog Day, struck out for Oscar nominations.

There was no recognition for director/screenwriter Harold Ramis, or for actor Bill Murray's superb characterization as TV weatherman Phil who was forced to repeat the same day over and over again in an endless loop, and (supporting) actress Andie MacDowell as TV producer Rita (Phil's love interest). Composer John Williams' musical score for Jurassic Park was also not nominated. Richard Attenborough Biography Biography Richard Attenborough is an award-winning English actor, director and producer whose career spans six decades. He was born in Cambridge, England on August 29, 1923. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He started his acting career in 1942, in the film In Which We Serve, as a deserting sailor. His breakthrough performance was in the 1947 film Brighton Rock, where he plays a psychopathic gangster.

For the next thirty years, Richard Attenborough worked tirelessly in British films, appearing in, among others: Private’s Progress, I’m All Right, Jack, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, and Guns at Batasi, for which he won a BAFTA Best Actor award for his portrayal of the Regimental Seargent Major. He was also part of the West End production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, which started in 1952 and is still running. He also appeared in the 1963 Hollywood blockbuster The Great Escape, which introduced him to American audiences. Richard Attenborough won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in 1967 for the film The Sand Pebbles, opposite Steve McQueen. The next year, he won the same award, this time for the film Doctor Doolittle, starring Rex Harrison. He was also a producer and director of films. He co-founded Beaver Films and produced films such as 1959’s The League of Gentlemen, where he also appears. His directorial debut was the 1969 film Oh! What a Lovely War, and since then his acting appearances have become more sporadic.

Attenborough won an Academy Award for Best Director in 1982 for the biopic Gandhi. He also won the Best Picture Oscar as a producer. He directed other films into the ‘90s, such as 1992’s Chaplin (Robert Downey Jr.) and 1993’s Shadowlands (Anthony Hopkins). He reappeared on the silver screen as the eccentric John Hammond in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park. He was knighted twice, in 1976 and 1983, and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. He also is president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), which gives away the BAFTA Awards every year. Anthony Hopkins - Filmbug Anthony Hopkins Anthony Hopkins Anthony Hopkins received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Silence of the Lambs in 1991, and he was subsequently nominated in the same category for his performances in The Remains of the Day (1993) and Nixon (1995).

He also won the Best Actor Award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for The Remains of the Day. In 1993, he starred in Richard Attenborough 's Shadowlands, with Debra Winger , and won numerous critics' awards in the U.S. and Britain, including the BAFTA for Best Actor. In 1998, he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in Steven Spielberg 's Amistad. Hopkins can next be seen in Woody Allen 's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, opposite Josh Brolin and Naomi Watts . He recently began production on Marvel Studios' Thor, in January 2010, which Kenneth Branagh is directing and in which he plays Thor's father, Odin, the god of thunder.

Other recent acting credits include Fracture, in which he starred opposite Ryan Gosling ; All the King's Men, directed by Steven Zaillian and co-starring Sean Penn , Jude Law and Kate Winslet ; The World's Fastest Indian, written and directed by Roger Donaldson ; Proof, directed by John Madden and costarring Jake Gyllenhaal and Gwyneth Paltrow ; and Oliver Stone 's Alexander, in which he starred opposite Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie . In 2001, Hopkins starred opposite Julianne Moore in Ridley Scott 's Hannibal, the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs. In the late 1990s, he starred opposite Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black, directed by Martin Brest ; in The Mask of Zorro, directed by Martin Campbell and co-starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones ; in Instinct, directed by Jon Turtletaub; and opposite Jessica Lange in Titus, Julie Taymor 's film adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. He also narrated the 2000 holiday-season hit Dr. Seuss'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Hopkins also appeared in the feature adaptation of Stephen King 's Hearts in Atlantis for director Scott Hicks ; the action-comedy Bad Company, co-starring Chris Rock ; the box-office hit prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon, co-starring Edward Norton , Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson ; and Miramax Films' adaptation of the Philip Roth novel The Human Stain, opposite Nicole Kidman . His previous film credits include Surviving Picasso, in which he played the title role opposite Julianne Moore; the David Mamet -penned The Edge ; Howards End; Bram Stoker's Dracula; and Legends of the Fall. His early credits include The Elephant Man, Magic, A Bridge Too Far and The Bounty. He received Emmy Awards for The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, in which he portrayed Bruno Hauptmann, and The Bunker, in which he portrayed Adolf Hitler. Hopkins currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Stella, and is also a composer and a painter. Note: This profile was written in or before 2010. Read earlier biographies on this page . Anthony Hopkins Facts

Question: Who won the Best Actor BAFTA in 1993 for his part in Shadowlands
Answer: Anthony Hopkins