John Gielgud's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) War and Remembrance Aaron Jastrow Brideshead Revisited (UK) Edward Ryder Edward the Seventh (UK) Benjamin Di… Summer's Lease (UK) Haverford D…

Main Movie Roles 1998 - Quest for Camelot 1998 - Elizabeth 1996 - Shine 1996 - Looking For Richard 1996 - Hamlet 1996 - The Leopard Son 1996 - DragonHeart 1996 - The Portrait of a Lady 1995 - Haunted 1995 - First Knight 1992 - Shining Through 1992 - The Power of One 1991 - Prospero's Books 1988 - Appointment with Death 1988 - Arthur 2: On The Rocks 1987 - The Whistle Blower 1985 - Plenty 1982 - Gandhi 1981 - Sphinx 1981 - Lion of the Desert 1981 - Chariots of Fire 1981 - Arthur 1980 - The Formula 1980 - The Elephant Man 1979 - The Human Factor 1979 - Murder by Decree 1977 - Joseph Andrews 1974 - 11 Harrowhouse 1974 - Gold 1974 - Murder on the Orient Express 1970 - Julius Caesar 1968 - The Charge of the Light Brigade 1965 - The Loved One 1964 - Becket 1956 - Around the World in Eighty Days 1955 - Richard III 1953 - Julius Caesar 1936 - Secret Agent

BIOGRAPHY:

Born in London, England, John Gielgud trained at Lady Benson's Acting School and RADA, London. Best known for his Shakespearean roles in the theater, he first played Hamlet at the age of 26. He worked under the tutelage of Lilian Bayliss with friend and fellow performer Laurence Olivier and other contemporaries of the National Theatre at the "Old Vic", London. He made his screen debut in 1924. Academy Award Best Supporting Actor, 1981, for Arthur (1981), Academy Award Nomination, 1964, for Becket (1964).


TRIVIA:

• (December 1996) Made member of 'Order of Merit' by 'Queen Elizabeth II' (qv) for exeptional contributions to arts.
• He was awarded the 'Laurence Olivier' (qv) Theatre Special Award in 1986 (1985 season) for lifetime achievement to theatre.
• Along with 'Malcolm McDowell' (qv), he is one of only two actors to play both King Arthur and Merlin. He provided the voice of the former in _Dragonheart (1996)_ (qv) and of the latter in _Quest for Camelot (1998)_ (qv).
• All his Oscar and Emmy nominations were received during the latter part of his career, after he had turned sixty.
• Uncle of dancer 'Maina Gielgud' (qv) .
• He provided the voice of King Arthur in _Dragonheart (1996)_ (qv), played King Constant, King Arthur's grandfather, in _Merlin (1998/II) (TV)_ (qv) and provided the voice of Merlin in _Quest for Camelot (1998)_ (qv).
• (1999) Longtime lover Martin Hensler, 30 years younger, died.
• Actor 'William Redfield' (qv), who appeared as Guildernstern in the Gielgud-directed stage version of 'Richard Burton (I)' (qv)'s "Hamlet" (a filmed version of the stage production was released in 1964, as _Hamlet (1964/I)_ (qv)) wrote in his 1967 memoir of the event, "Notes of an Actor", that Gielgud had an encyclopedia knowledge of the play and could play any and all parts of it from memory for his cast as he directed the production.