Deemed by many as the best actor of his era, Laurence Olivier was born May 22, 1907, in Dorking, England. He began acting in his teens and in 1930 got his first big break in Noel Coward's play "Private Lives"; Olivier became a full-blown star after landing the lead in a 1935 staging of "Romeo and Juliet."In 1939, Olivier earned an Oscar nomination for his first major American film, Wuthering Heights. He followed this with skillful efforts in Rebecca (1940) and Pride and Prejudice (also 1940). The classical thespian reached his zenith in 1948 when he directed his Oscar-winning performance in Hamlet. Richard III (1955) brought another Oscar nod, and Olivier's supporting turn in Marathon Man (1976) garnered a Golden Globe.
Olivier won five Emmys for his TV work, the last for a 1983 production of "King Lear." He passed away July 11, 1989, from complications of a neuromuscular disorder.
RebeccaThe only Alfred Hitchcock film to win an Oscar for Best Picture, this mystery stars Laurence Olivier as Maxim de Winter, a widower whose hapless second wife (Joan Fontaine) moves into his mansion only to find the memory of his first wife still governs the household. Intimidated by the home's hostile... Read More
SpartacusStanley Kubrick directed this epic saga based on ancient events, chronicling the birth of a vagabond slave-army led by an ex-gladiator named Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) that threatens the sovereignty of all-mighty Rome. This film has everything, including a wonderfully funny (and Oscar-winning)... Read More
Clash of the TitansThis epic mythological adventure stars Harry Hamlin as Perseus, son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier), who embarks on a series of perilous quests in the hopes of rescuing Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) and winning the keys to the kingdom of Joppa. With winged horse Pegasus as his steed, Perseus must... Read More
Laurence Olivier's HamletIn 15th century Denmark, young Prince Hamlet (Laurence Olivier) schemes to avenge his father's death when his uncle, Claudius, murders the prince's father, promptly weds the queen and ascends to his dead brother's throne. But Hamlet -- uncertain how to best carry out his mission -- allows his... Read More
Henry VNeeding to bolster his domestic sovereignty and unite England -- a nation in disarray -- the newly crowned King Henry V (Laurence Olivier) invades France over territorial disputes, but a protracted campaign across Northern France soon takes a heavy toll on his army. At the decisive Battle of... Read More
