Inspirational Quotes by Laurence Olivier (English Actor, Producer,, Director)

Laurence Olivier (1907–89,) in full Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier of Brighton, was an English actor, producer, and director. He was much admired in his lifetime as the greatest English-speaking actor of the 20th century and a stalwart of the British stage and screen.

Born in Dorking, Surrey, Olivier first appeared as the Suliot officer in Chapman’s Byron in 1924. He joined the Old Vic Company in 1937. He played all the significant Shakespearean roles, while his versatility was underscored by a virtuoso display in The Entertainer (1957.)

Olivier served in the Royal Navy during World War II and became co-director of the Old Vic Company (1944.) He produced, directed, and played in acclaimed films of Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III. He performed memorable roles in several other films, including Wuthering Heights (1939,) Rebecca (1940,) The Prince and the Showgirl (1957; also the director,) Sleuth (1972,) and Marathon Man (1976.)

In 1962, Oliver undertook a new venture, the Chichester Festival Theatre, where he was highly successful as its inaugural Artistic Director. He was the director of the National Theatre 1962–73, where he directed and acted in Othello (1964) and other plays. After 1974, he appeared primarily in films and television productions, notably in Brideshead Revisited (1982) and as King Lear (1983.)

Olivier published an autobiography, Confessions of an Actor (1982.) His son Tarquin Olivier produced the memoir My Father Laurence Olivier (1992.)

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