Laurence Olivier
Biography
Laurence Olivier was an English actor and director who, with John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave and Ralph Richardson, ranked among the male performers who dominated the British stage in the mid-20th century. Born in Dorking, Surrey, he trained at a London drama school and learned his craft through a series of acting jobs in the late 1920s. His first important West End role came in 1930 in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and he later co-directed the Old Vic with Ralph Richardson and John Burrell. He directed and starred in three Shakespeare films: Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955). Other films included Wuthering Heights (1939), Rebecca (1940), Spartacus (1960), Sleuth (1972), Marathon Man (1976) and The Boys from Brazil (1978). He was the National Theatre's founding director from 1963 to 1973, and his honors included an Academy Award, five British Academy Film Awards and five Emmy Awards.
82years old at death
- Born Dorking
- Died West Sussex
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Laurence Kerr Olivier (birth name)Also credited as The Lord Olivier, Sir Laurence Olivier and Baron Olivier of Brighton
Movie Career
- Films
- 43
- Career span
- 84 years1937 to 2021
Genres
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Big break
John Gielgud staged Romeo and Juliet at the New Theatre in 1935, having spotted Olivier's potential in Queen of Scots and given him a major career step up. Gielgud and Olivier swapped roles after the opening weeks, with Olivier first playing Romeo and Gielgud Mercutio.
A role that slipped away
Olivier turned down the West End role of Stanhope in Journey's End, which he had created in 1928, to play Beau Geste instead; Journey's End became a long-running success while Beau Geste failed.
A role that slipped away
Olivier was replaced after two weeks of filming Queen Christina opposite Greta Garbo in 1933 because the two lacked chemistry.
First role
Olivier left the Central School in 1925 and then worked for small theatrical companies. That August, he made his first stage appearance at the Brighton Hippodrome in a sketch called The Unfailing Instinct.
A first
Olivier's Hamlet was the first film from outside America to take the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Olivier himself won Best Actor.
Laurence Olivier movies on Netflix
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthonyas Himself
Nothing Like a Dameas Himself
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrowas Dr. Totenkopf
Sir John Mills' Moving Memoriesas Himself
War Requiemas The Old Soldier
Wild Geese IIas Rudolf Hess
The Bountyas Admiral Hood
A Talent for Murderas Dr. Anthony Wainwright
The Jigsaw Manas Adm. Sir Gerald Scaith
Clash of the Titansas Zeus
A Little Romanceas Julius Edmond Santorin
The Betsyas Loren Hardeman
The Boys from Brazilas Ezra Lieberman
Marathon Manas Szell
The Seven-Per-Cent Solutionas Professor James Moriarty
Love Among the Ruinsas Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones
Sleuthas Andrew Wyke
Nicholas and Alexandraas Count Witte
Three Sistersas Dr. Ivan Chebutikin
Battle of Britainas Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding
Oh! What a Lovely Waras Field Marshal Sir John French
The Shoes of the Fishermanas Piotr Ilyich Kamenev
Khartoumas The Mahdi
Bunny Lake Is Missingas Superintendent Newhouse
Othelloas Othello
Spartacusas Marcus Licinius Crassus
The Entertaineras Archie Rice
The Devil's Discipleas Gen. Burgoyne
The Prince and the Showgirlas The Regent
Richard IIIas Richard III
Carrieas George Hurstwood
Hamletas Hamlet - Prince of Denmark / Voice of Ghost
Henry Vas King Henry
This Happy Breedas Narrator (voice)
49th Parallelas Johnnie - The Trapper
That Hamilton Womanas Lord Horatio Nelson
21 Days Togetheras Larry
Pride and Prejudiceas Mr. Darcy
Rebeccaas 'Maxim' de Winter
Q Planesas Tony McVane
Wuthering Heightsas Heathcliff
The Divorce of Lady Xas Everard Logan
Fire Over Englandas Michael Ingolby
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Franklin J. Schaffner directed two of these films, Guy Hamilton two and William Wyler two. Ralph Richardson appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.









Films together
Ralph Richardson6 films together, 1938 to 1969
Ralph Richardson's page Battle of Britain1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh DowdingRichardson as Sir David Kelly - British Minister to Switzerland
Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Field Marshal Sir John FrenchRichardson as Sir Edward Grey
Khartoum1966IMDb rating 6.8Olivier as The MahdiRichardson as William Gladstone
Richard III1955IMDb rating 7.3Olivier as Richard IIIRichardson as Duke of Buckingham
Q Planes1939IMDb rating 6.5Olivier as Tony McVaneRichardson as Major Charles Hammond
The Divorce of Lady X1938IMDb rating 6.6Olivier as Everard LoganRichardson as Lord Mere
John Gielgud4 films together, 1955 to 2018
John Gielgud's page Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4Olivier as HimselfGielgud as Himself
Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Field Marshal Sir John FrenchGielgud as Count Leopold Von Berchtold
The Shoes of the Fisherman1968IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Piotr Ilyich KamenevGielgud as The Elder Pope
Richard III1955IMDb rating 7.3Olivier as Richard IIIGielgud as George, Duke of Clarence
Maggie Smith4 films together, 1965 to 2018
Maggie Smith's page Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4Olivier as HimselfSmith as Self(Dame Maggie Smith)
Clash of the Titans1981IMDb rating 6.9Olivier as ZeusSmith as Thetis
Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Field Marshal Sir John FrenchSmith as Music Hall Star
Othello1965IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as OthelloSmith as Desdemona
Harry Andrews4 films together, 1959 to 2000
Harry Andrews's page Sir John Mills' Moving Memories2000IMDb rating 7.7Olivier as HimselfAndrews as Himself
Nicholas and Alexandra1971IMDb rating 7.2Olivier as Count WitteAndrews as Grand Duke Nicholas (Nikolasha)
Battle of Britain1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh DowdingAndrews as Senior Civil Servant
The Devil's Disciple1959IMDb rating 6.9Olivier as Gen. BurgoyneAndrews as Maj. Swindon
Edward Fox4 films together, 1969 to 1985
Edward Fox's page Wild Geese II1985IMDb rating 4.9Olivier as Rudolf HessFox as Alex Faulkner
The Bounty1984IMDb rating 7.1Olivier as Admiral HoodFox as Captain Greetham
Battle of Britain1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh DowdingFox as Pilot Officer Archie
Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Field Marshal Sir John FrenchFox as Aide to Field-Marshal Haig
Robert Newton4 films together, 1937 to 1944
Robert Newton's page Henry V1944IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as King HenryNewton as Ancient Pistol
This Happy Breed1944IMDb rating 7.3Olivier as NarratorvoiceNewton as Frank Gibbons
21 Days Together1940IMDb rating 6.1Olivier as LarryNewton as Tolley
Fire Over England1937IMDb rating 6.4Olivier as Michael IngolbyNewton as Don Pedro
Franklin J. SchaffnerDirector, 2 films, 1971 to 1978
All films by Franklin J. Schaffner The Boys from Brazil1978IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Ezra Lieberman
Nicholas and Alexandra1971IMDb rating 7.2Olivier as Count Witte
Guy HamiltonDirector, 2 films, 1959 to 1969
All films by Guy Hamilton Battle of Britain1969IMDb rating 7.0Olivier as Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding
The Devil's Disciple1959IMDb rating 6.9Olivier as Gen. Burgoyne
William WylerDirector, 2 films, 1939 to 1952
All films by William Wyler Carrie1952IMDb rating 7.3Olivier as George Hurstwood
Wuthering Heights1939IMDb rating 7.5Olivier as Heathcliff
Also four films together1 more actor
- Vivien LeighSir John Mills' Moving Memories (2000), That Hamilton Woman (1941), 21 Days Together (1940) and Fire Over England (1937)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Laurence Olivier's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$232 million
9 of the 43 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 43 films: 9 worldwide figure; 6 us gross only; 3 never in cinemas; 25 figure not found.
- 9Worldwide figure
- 6US gross only
- 3Never in cinemas
- 25Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 98% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$60M25.8% of the total
- 2$58M24.9% of the total
- 3$41M17.7% of the total
- 4$22M9.3% of the total
- 5$19M8.2% of the total
- 6$13M5.6% of the total
- 7$8.6M3.7% of the total
- 8$5.8M2.5% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1947 to 1988, nine of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1979 | Honorary Award | Honorary | |
| 1949 | Best Actor | Hamlet | Won |
| 1947 | Honorary Award | Honorary | |
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1977 | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Marathon Man | Won |
| 1949 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Hamlet | Won |
| BAFTA | |||
| 1970 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Oh! What a Lovely War | Won |
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1984 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | King Lear | Won |
| 1982 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Brideshead Revisited | Won |
| 1960 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | The Moon and Sixpence | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 1988 | Feltrinelli Prize | Won | |
| 1983 | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor | Inchon | Won |
| 1981 | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor - Razzie Award | The Jazz Singer | Won |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.













