Cool News
Sir John Gielgud dies, the last of the British Immortals proves to be mortal after all.
"...for the rain, it raineth every day..."
Father Geek here to inform you that Sir John Gielgud, the velvet-throated patrician acting giant whose
Hamlet is regarded as the finest live performance of the 20th century, has died at the ripe old age of 96.
Sir John died peacefully of old age at his home Sunday near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire
west of London, his agent, Laurence Evans, announced today.
The last of an immortal trio of English actor-knights who conquered the British stage and screen, and then set out to establish worldwide reputations for flawlish acting skills,
Gielgud held his own alongside 20th century dramatic icons Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson.
"Everyone currently working in the live theater will agree that his death
is the end of an era," said Trevor Nunn, director of the Royal National
Theatre. "As Shakespeare said, `There's a great spirit gone."
"He was the greatest actor and his life was exactly the history of British
theater in the last century," said Sheridan Morley, Gielgud's official
biographer.
Gielgud's unequaled dramatic range as a Shakespearean actor stretched from the octogenarian
Lear, performed to perfection at the age of 27, to playing Prospero when he himself was an octogenarian, once again to perfection.
Late in his life, he took up screen comedy as Hobson the butler inDudley Moore's "Arthur",
and won an Academy Award for it. He touched audiences everywhere with his tender
patience toward his drunken playboy employer--and with the charming impishness
for which he also was well known off screen and stage."I have been extraordinarily lucky," Gielgud told The Associated Press
in a 1991 interview.
John Gielgud's stage career embraced the classics and provocative new works,
and his films ranged from the great visionary Alain Resnais' intellectual ``Providence''
(1977) to the infamous Bob Guccione's trashy, not-so-soft-porn ``Caligula'' (1979).
On television, he stoodout in ``Brideshead Revisited'' (1981), playing Jeremy
Irons' eccentric father, and in ``Summer's Lease'' (1990), as the somewhat randy
columnist, Haverford Downs. He was in 98's mini series "Merlin" and the great 96 series "Gulliver's Travels". On television he appeared in 2 Frankensteins, as the blindman in 1984 and in 1972's very well done "Frankenstein, The True Story".
Sir John's skills grace our film screens in TIME AFTER TIME, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, BECKET, GANDHI, MURDER BY DECREE, SHINE, and the fantastic ELEPHANT MAN. He continued to act right up to the end, including a eye catching role in the 1998
film ELIZABETH.
"It's my whole life. It's all I can do," he once said. And even when we didn't SEE him on screen his unmistakable voice worked its magic in films like DRAGONHEART and QUEST FOR CAMELOT.
Gielgud was born April 14, 1904, in London, the third of four children.
His great-aunt was the celebrated stage actress Ellen Terry.
He was, as he wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``An Actor and His Time,'' ``theatrically
englamored by my family.''
He intended first to be a stage designer, but turned to acting ``only
to please my parents.''
Gielgud won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
made his professional debut in 1921, playing a French herald in Shakespeare's
``Henry V.''
His first major London role was as Trofimov, the perpetual student, in
a 1925 staging of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard.''
In the 1991 interview, he reflected unsparingly on his early days: ``I
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
Hamlet is regarded as the finest live performance of the 20th century, has died at the ripe old age of 96.
Sir John died peacefully of old age at his home Sunday near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire
west of London, his agent, Laurence Evans, announced today.
The last of an immortal trio of English actor-knights who conquered the British stage and screen, and then set out to establish worldwide reputations for flawlish acting skills,
Gielgud held his own alongside 20th century dramatic icons Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson.
"Everyone currently working in the live theater will agree that his death
is the end of an era," said Trevor Nunn, director of the Royal National
Theatre. "As Shakespeare said, `There's a great spirit gone."
"He was the greatest actor and his life was exactly the history of British
theater in the last century," said Sheridan Morley, Gielgud's official
biographer.
Gielgud's unequaled dramatic range as a Shakespearean actor stretched from the octogenarian
Lear, performed to perfection at the age of 27, to playing Prospero when he himself was an octogenarian, once again to perfection.
Late in his life, he took up screen comedy as Hobson the butler inDudley Moore's "Arthur",
and won an Academy Award for it. He touched audiences everywhere with his tender
patience toward his drunken playboy employer--and with the charming impishness
for which he also was well known off screen and stage."I have been extraordinarily lucky," Gielgud told The Associated Press
in a 1991 interview.
John Gielgud's stage career embraced the classics and provocative new works,
and his films ranged from the great visionary Alain Resnais' intellectual ``Providence''
(1977) to the infamous Bob Guccione's trashy, not-so-soft-porn ``Caligula'' (1979).
On television, he stoodout in ``Brideshead Revisited'' (1981), playing Jeremy
Irons' eccentric father, and in ``Summer's Lease'' (1990), as the somewhat randy
columnist, Haverford Downs. He was in 98's mini series "Merlin" and the great 96 series "Gulliver's Travels". On television he appeared in 2 Frankensteins, as the blindman in 1984 and in 1972's very well done "Frankenstein, The True Story".
Sir John's skills grace our film screens in TIME AFTER TIME, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, BECKET, GANDHI, MURDER BY DECREE, SHINE, and the fantastic ELEPHANT MAN. He continued to act right up to the end, including a eye catching role in the 1998
film ELIZABETH.
"It's my whole life. It's all I can do," he once said. And even when we didn't SEE him on screen his unmistakable voice worked its magic in films like DRAGONHEART and QUEST FOR CAMELOT.
Gielgud was born April 14, 1904, in London, the third of four children.
His great-aunt was the celebrated stage actress Ellen Terry.
He was, as he wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``An Actor and His Time,'' ``theatrically
englamored by my family.''
He intended first to be a stage designer, but turned to acting ``only
to please my parents.''
Gielgud won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
made his professional debut in 1921, playing a French herald in Shakespeare's
``Henry V.''
His first major London role was as Trofimov, the perpetual student, in
a 1925 staging of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard.''
In the 1991 interview, he reflected unsparingly on his early days: ``I
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
Gielgud held his own alongside 20th century dramatic icons Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson.
"Everyone currently working in the live theater will agree that his death
is the end of an era," said Trevor Nunn, director of the Royal National
Theatre. "As Shakespeare said, `There's a great spirit gone."
"He was the greatest actor and his life was exactly the history of British
theater in the last century," said Sheridan Morley, Gielgud's official
biographer.
Gielgud's unequaled dramatic range as a Shakespearean actor stretched from the octogenarian
Lear, performed to perfection at the age of 27, to playing Prospero when he himself was an octogenarian, once again to perfection.
Late in his life, he took up screen comedy as Hobson the butler inDudley Moore's "Arthur",
and won an Academy Award for it. He touched audiences everywhere with his tender
patience toward his drunken playboy employer--and with the charming impishness
for which he also was well known off screen and stage."I have been extraordinarily lucky," Gielgud told The Associated Press
in a 1991 interview.
John Gielgud's stage career embraced the classics and provocative new works,
and his films ranged from the great visionary Alain Resnais' intellectual ``Providence''
(1977) to the infamous Bob Guccione's trashy, not-so-soft-porn ``Caligula'' (1979).
On television, he stoodout in ``Brideshead Revisited'' (1981), playing Jeremy
Irons' eccentric father, and in ``Summer's Lease'' (1990), as the somewhat randy
columnist, Haverford Downs. He was in 98's mini series "Merlin" and the great 96 series "Gulliver's Travels". On television he appeared in 2 Frankensteins, as the blindman in 1984 and in 1972's very well done "Frankenstein, The True Story".
Sir John's skills grace our film screens in TIME AFTER TIME, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, BECKET, GANDHI, MURDER BY DECREE, SHINE, and the fantastic ELEPHANT MAN. He continued to act right up to the end, including a eye catching role in the 1998
film ELIZABETH.
"It's my whole life. It's all I can do," he once said. And even when we didn't SEE him on screen his unmistakable voice worked its magic in films like DRAGONHEART and QUEST FOR CAMELOT.
Gielgud was born April 14, 1904, in London, the third of four children.
His great-aunt was the celebrated stage actress Ellen Terry.
He was, as he wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``An Actor and His Time,'' ``theatrically
englamored by my family.''
He intended first to be a stage designer, but turned to acting ``only
to please my parents.''
Gielgud won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
made his professional debut in 1921, playing a French herald in Shakespeare's
``Henry V.''
His first major London role was as Trofimov, the perpetual student, in
a 1925 staging of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard.''
In the 1991 interview, he reflected unsparingly on his early days: ``I
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
theater in the last century," said Sheridan Morley, Gielgud's official
biographer.
Gielgud's unequaled dramatic range as a Shakespearean actor stretched from the octogenarian
Lear, performed to perfection at the age of 27, to playing Prospero when he himself was an octogenarian, once again to perfection.
Late in his life, he took up screen comedy as Hobson the butler inDudley Moore's "Arthur",
and won an Academy Award for it. He touched audiences everywhere with his tender
patience toward his drunken playboy employer--and with the charming impishness
for which he also was well known off screen and stage."I have been extraordinarily lucky," Gielgud told The Associated Press
in a 1991 interview.
John Gielgud's stage career embraced the classics and provocative new works,
and his films ranged from the great visionary Alain Resnais' intellectual ``Providence''
(1977) to the infamous Bob Guccione's trashy, not-so-soft-porn ``Caligula'' (1979).
On television, he stoodout in ``Brideshead Revisited'' (1981), playing Jeremy
Irons' eccentric father, and in ``Summer's Lease'' (1990), as the somewhat randy
columnist, Haverford Downs. He was in 98's mini series "Merlin" and the great 96 series "Gulliver's Travels". On television he appeared in 2 Frankensteins, as the blindman in 1984 and in 1972's very well done "Frankenstein, The True Story".
Sir John's skills grace our film screens in TIME AFTER TIME, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, BECKET, GANDHI, MURDER BY DECREE, SHINE, and the fantastic ELEPHANT MAN. He continued to act right up to the end, including a eye catching role in the 1998
film ELIZABETH.
"It's my whole life. It's all I can do," he once said. And even when we didn't SEE him on screen his unmistakable voice worked its magic in films like DRAGONHEART and QUEST FOR CAMELOT.
Gielgud was born April 14, 1904, in London, the third of four children.
His great-aunt was the celebrated stage actress Ellen Terry.
He was, as he wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``An Actor and His Time,'' ``theatrically
englamored by my family.''
He intended first to be a stage designer, but turned to acting ``only
to please my parents.''
Gielgud won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
made his professional debut in 1921, playing a French herald in Shakespeare's
``Henry V.''
His first major London role was as Trofimov, the perpetual student, in
a 1925 staging of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard.''
In the 1991 interview, he reflected unsparingly on his early days: ``I
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
and won an Academy Award for it. He touched audiences everywhere with his tender
patience toward his drunken playboy employer--and with the charming impishness
for which he also was well known off screen and stage."I have been extraordinarily lucky," Gielgud told The Associated Press
in a 1991 interview.
John Gielgud's stage career embraced the classics and provocative new works,
and his films ranged from the great visionary Alain Resnais' intellectual ``Providence''
(1977) to the infamous Bob Guccione's trashy, not-so-soft-porn ``Caligula'' (1979).
On television, he stoodout in ``Brideshead Revisited'' (1981), playing Jeremy
Irons' eccentric father, and in ``Summer's Lease'' (1990), as the somewhat randy
columnist, Haverford Downs. He was in 98's mini series "Merlin" and the great 96 series "Gulliver's Travels". On television he appeared in 2 Frankensteins, as the blindman in 1984 and in 1972's very well done "Frankenstein, The True Story".
Sir John's skills grace our film screens in TIME AFTER TIME, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, BECKET, GANDHI, MURDER BY DECREE, SHINE, and the fantastic ELEPHANT MAN. He continued to act right up to the end, including a eye catching role in the 1998
film ELIZABETH.
"It's my whole life. It's all I can do," he once said. And even when we didn't SEE him on screen his unmistakable voice worked its magic in films like DRAGONHEART and QUEST FOR CAMELOT.
Gielgud was born April 14, 1904, in London, the third of four children.
His great-aunt was the celebrated stage actress Ellen Terry.
He was, as he wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``An Actor and His Time,'' ``theatrically
englamored by my family.''
He intended first to be a stage designer, but turned to acting ``only
to please my parents.''
Gielgud won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
made his professional debut in 1921, playing a French herald in Shakespeare's
``Henry V.''
His first major London role was as Trofimov, the perpetual student, in
a 1925 staging of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard.''
In the 1991 interview, he reflected unsparingly on his early days: ``I
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
Irons' eccentric father, and in ``Summer's Lease'' (1990), as the somewhat randy
columnist, Haverford Downs. He was in 98's mini series "Merlin" and the great 96 series "Gulliver's Travels". On television he appeared in 2 Frankensteins, as the blindman in 1984 and in 1972's very well done "Frankenstein, The True Story".
Sir John's skills grace our film screens in TIME AFTER TIME, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, BECKET, GANDHI, MURDER BY DECREE, SHINE, and the fantastic ELEPHANT MAN. He continued to act right up to the end, including a eye catching role in the 1998
film ELIZABETH.
"It's my whole life. It's all I can do," he once said. And even when we didn't SEE him on screen his unmistakable voice worked its magic in films like DRAGONHEART and QUEST FOR CAMELOT.
Gielgud was born April 14, 1904, in London, the third of four children.
His great-aunt was the celebrated stage actress Ellen Terry.
He was, as he wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``An Actor and His Time,'' ``theatrically
englamored by my family.''
He intended first to be a stage designer, but turned to acting ``only
to please my parents.''
Gielgud won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
made his professional debut in 1921, playing a French herald in Shakespeare's
``Henry V.''
His first major London role was as Trofimov, the perpetual student, in
a 1925 staging of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard.''
In the 1991 interview, he reflected unsparingly on his early days: ``I
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
Gielgud was born April 14, 1904, in London, the third of four children.
His great-aunt was the celebrated stage actress Ellen Terry.
He was, as he wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``An Actor and His Time,'' ``theatrically
englamored by my family.''
He intended first to be a stage designer, but turned to acting ``only
to please my parents.''
Gielgud won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and
made his professional debut in 1921, playing a French herald in Shakespeare's
``Henry V.''
His first major London role was as Trofimov, the perpetual student, in
a 1925 staging of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard.''
In the 1991 interview, he reflected unsparingly on his early days: ``I
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
spoke rather well but rather too well, and fell in love with my own voice.
All that took me years to get away from.''
But before long, his reputation for Shakespeare grew. In 1930, he acted
the first of his many Hamlets, a part he played more than 500 times.
Gielgud's Shakespeare repertory included Cassius, Benedick, Leontes,
and Richard II, as well as Prospero in ``The Tempest''--a role that obsessed
him throughout his career.
In 1991, he played Prospero in the Peter Greenaway movie ``Prospero's
Books,'' calling it ``the best part I've had, ever.''
Gielgud's work in modern plays included Alan Bennett's ``Forty Years
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
On,'' and two standout parts in the 1970s--the aging Harry, confined
to a rest home, in David Storey's ``Home'' (1970) and the seedy poet
Spooner in Harold Pinter's ``No Man's Land'' (1975).
His final stage role was as Sir Sydney Cockerell, friend of George Bernard
Shaw, in Hugh Whitemore's ``The Best of Friends'' (1989). He played the
part on radio and TV as well.
Gielgud never ceased to take his craft seriously, even when age left
him with occasional memory problems.
``I've been able to take no notice of the flattery and praise and concentrate
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
on the things that were wrong,'' he said. ``I'm frightened, now that
I'm old, that people will be so respectful.''
He said there was a danger that old actors will fall back on old tricks:
``One must guard all the time against that and try and find a fresh approach.''
Gielgud made his Broadway debut in 1928 in Alfred Neumann's ``The Patriot,''
and returned to the New York stage regularly throughout his life. He
acted Hamlet there in 1936, and triumphed with his solo recital, ``The
Ages of Man,'' in 1958 and again in 1963. His last New York appearance
was in ``No Man's Land,'' in 1977.
Gielgud's directing credits started with Shakespeare (``The Merchant
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
of Venice'' and ``Romeo and Juliet'' in 1932) and went on to include
Tennessee Williams (``The Glass Menagerie'' in 1948), and Edward Albee
(``All Over'' on Broadway in 1971).
He won the best director Tony Award for Hugh Wheeler's ``Big Fish Little
Fish'' in 1961, and also directed opera in Britain.
Gielgud made his film debut in 1924 in ``Who Is the Man?'', going on
to play Benjamin Disraeli in ``The Prime Minister'' (1941) and Clarence
to Laurence Olivier's Richard in ``Richard III'' (1955).
He spoke frankly about the ways in which he and Olivier differed: ``He
was very much more extrovert. He had a tremendous actual physical side
of acting, which I'm not good at all.''
Gielgud lived most of his life in London. He moved in 1976 to an elegant
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
1690s carriage house west of London, where he enjoyed gardening and catching
up on his reading between roles.
``One's had the odd horror and mishap, but on the whole I have very,
very much to be thankful for,'' he said when he was 87. ``And that I
can still go on working at this age is extraordinary really; the only
sadness is so many of my contemporaries are gone. Most of the actors
that I knew well and worked with have died.''
Sir John has left his earthly theatre reign, he has had his final curtain call, but his unmistakable voice will be with us forever, ringing out from our televisions and motion picture screens for eternity...
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
He is after all an immortal...
sadly, Father Geek signing off.
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
Thanx to: IMDB, the AP wire, and the many E-mails from fans for all the info... and a special thank you to Foxy Dana for reminding us all of that great line I open with, and to Jeffery for the following:
For those who need reminding, Gielgud was a mighty presence in these films, and more:
Elizabeth (1998)
Quest for Camelot (1998) (voice) .... Merlin
aka Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot, The (1998)
Merlin (1998/II) (TV) .... King Constant
Hamlet (1996) (long version) .... Priam
... aka William Shakespeare's Hamlet (1996)
Portrait of a Lady, The (1996) .... Mr. Touchett
Shine (1996) .... Cecil Parkes
Looking for Richard (1996) .... Himself
Dragonheart (1996) (voice) (uncredited) .... King Arthur
First Knight (1995) .... Oswald
Shining Through (1992) .... Konrad Friedrichs/Sunflower
Power of One, The (1992) .... St. John
Prospero's Books (1991) .... Prospero
Getting It Right (1989) .... Sir Gordon Munday
Whistle Blower, The (1986) .... Sir Adrian Chapple
Ingrid (1985) .... Himself
Invitation to the Wedding (1985) .... Reverend Clyde Ormiston
Leave All Fair (1985) .... John Middleton Murry
Plenty (1985) .... Sir Leonard Darwin
Time After Time (1985) .... Jasper Swift
Scandalous (1984) .... Uncle Willie
Shooting Party, The (1984) .... Cornelius Cardew
Wicked Lady, The (1983) .... Hogarth
Gandhi (1982) .... Lord Irwin
Arthur (1981) .... Hobson
Sphinx (1981) .... Abdu Hamdi
Chariots of Fire (1981) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Master of Trinity College
Caligula (1980) .... Nerva
... aka Caligula, My Son (1980) (UK: changed title)
... aka Io, Caligola (1980) (Italy)
Elephant Man, The (1980) .... Carr Gomm
Formula, The (1980) .... Dr. Esau
... aka Formel, Die (1980) (West Germany)
Human Factor, The (1980) .... Brigadier Tomlinson
Lion of the Desert (1980) .... Sharif el-Gariani
... aka Omar Mukhtar: Lion of the Desert (1980)
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, A (1979) .... The Preacher
Joseph Andrews (1977) .... The Doctor
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) .... Beddoes
Julius Caesar (1970) .... Julius Caesar
Charge of the Light Brigade, The (1968) .... Lord Raglan
Hamlet (1964) (voice) .... Ghost
Becket (1964) .... King Louis VII
Saint Joan (1957) .... Warwick
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) .... Foster
Romeo and Juliet (1954) .... Chorus
Julius Caesar (1953) .... Cassius
Who Is the Man? (1924) .... Daniel
and many others...
-
+ Expand All
-
...but then, of course, he would have died in the middle of production.
Rest in peace, Great Prospero.
And about this:
"Sir John Gielgud, the velvet-throated patrician acting giant whose Hamlet is regarded as the finest performance of the 20th century"
...I thought that was Lawrence Olivier...
The Grin (frowning at this.) -
This guy was a major genius, but if you only have time to catch one single show to really lock that down, hunt down a recording or a filmed version (if there is one, I know there's a recording because I have it) of Gielgud and Ralph Richardson acting in Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land." It is one of the most incredible theatrical performances of the century (that ain't no guff) and a demonstration of both men's incredible abilities and their own friendship. Gielgud was a giant and we all knew it, but these days, with only minor roles in "Elizabeth" and "Hamlet" and the like, it is good to remember that there were decades of absolutely incredible performances behind him. He will be missed, definitely, but can you imagine a grander career for such an amazing actor? I certainly can't. The man was a master. May everyone who follows in his footsteps be half as lucky and half as skilled as Sir John Gielgud, a real thespian's thespian. On a side note, he may not be as well known as Olivier because Olivier did so much to throw himself in the public's eye, while Gielgud merely acted consistently in hundreds of performances.
-
During my second year at Elon College the History Channel ran "War And Remembrance". Three years later, one of the things that still haunts me about that mini(?)-series was Sir John Gielgud's portrayal of a Jewish Rabbi caught up in the madness of World War II. "Schindler's List" didn't do it for me as did Gielgud's scenes in the train on the way to Auschwitz. Stripped naked, being shoved into the "showers", holding onto the Lord's Prayer, knowing what is about to happen... the Zyklon-B being dropped down the chute. Your heart wrenches to watch Gielgud's character, this kindly and wonderful man who's looked after his family and tried to see them from harm, being pushed into the crematory. He built up this incredible character, and in the end it becomes one more statistic of Nazi cruelty. How does a mind comprehend numbers that vast? What is there left unless there's simple love and being kind to one another?
Gielgud's performance in "War And Remembrance" slammed home that point for me. In the years since I've watched him in some of his earlier work, but none gripped my soul quite like that. He was a remarkable actor, one of the last of the old school of true acting for love of the art. And now, he's been taken from us. Sad day, Father Geek... sad day.
God bless you and keep you in His care, Sir John Gielgud.
Chris Knight, TheForce.net -
With the Death of Sir John comes the close of a great period of acting. My condolancies to his family.
-
And off he goes... Into the flaming sunset. NUXX OUT.
-
.....and that voice shall be missed. Regarding the Grin's comment, Olivier had the superior filmed Hamlet, while Gielgud's Dane is the stuff of theatre legend. What a tremendous career! Good night, Sir Gielgud, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
-
With the passing of Sir John goes the last of the Old Vic Old School of actors. In this day and age of personality driven entertainment, their kind will be missed for the authenticity the brought to the roles.
Here's to the Actor. -
Thanks mr. Gielgud. (Thanks, Harry).
-
What I'll always remember about him was his great sense of humor; every time he was interviewed he had that great Gielgud sparkle in his eye,that showed that he wasn't taking life or himself completely seriously.I've heard (seriously) that butler schools had a hell of a time teaching there students that one should NOT act like Hobbs from ARTHUR. THE GRIN is right-he would have made a GREAT Gandalf.
-
And it certainly rains today, as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century leaves us. I wish I was older and had the opportunity to see Sir John onstage. God bless you, Sir John Gielgud.
-
I don't see how death could possibly get the better of Johnnie Gielgud.He was much too good for that.Ten years ago he would have been the definitive Gandalf, indeed.Still, he's not quite the last of his kind, don't forget Alec Guinness (I hope he doesn't die too, please god no)I can't take it in.I wish I'd seen his Hamlet.
-
could have sworn that he died once before. I saw him in his spirit form in Arthur 2: On the Cocks.
-
The boards in Heaven await your footsteps. Tred on dear soul and give a hearty hello to Larry and Ralph for me. The Three Kings of acting are together for eternity.
Raise one high for him lads! -
Pefection in his delivery and that voice made this a classic film line:
After Arthur tells him that he is going to take a bath.
Hobson:
"I'll alert the media"
I still love it! -
No, really, I didn't think he finished that film...or was it "arthur 2: on the rocks"?
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Don't mean to be the Angel of Death, but it's true. That's gonna suck, too. The Golden Age of Hollywood is very rapidly fading into distant memory. I'm probably gonna cry when Hope dies. I love those goddamn Road To movies.
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Don't forget Dickie Attenborough!
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Rest assured, Sir John, the media has been alerted; now the public knows of your passing, and we all mourn the loss of one of the finest remaining stage/screen actors. Make way in Heaven for Mr. Gielgud -- he'll be "trodding the boards" on the wings of angels!
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Sir John Gielgud was always a welcome sight in practically everything he was ever in--and always with a touch of class.You couldn't forget him in "Chimes At Midnight","The Loved One","Charge Of The Light Brigade","Lost Horizon"(!),"Murder On The Orient Express","The Elephant Man","Arthur","Chariots Of Fire","Gandhi","The Shooting Party" and one of his greatest "Prospero's Books".As was mentioned previously,his performance in "War And Rememberance" will always remain with me--his final scenes among the most terrifying I've ever seen on television.He was one of the great English figures,he had one of the greatest careers,and at 96-as they would say in theatrical circles-he had a great run.I'm really going to miss Sir John--and Desmond Llewelyn,the great Q--both had great charm and wit,and both had that very English mixture of mischief and sheer eccentricity that is all but extinct.I liked it.I'm sorry both are gone.
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And he shall indeed be sorely missed by all fans of the art of true acting. Farewell Sir John, suddenly 96 years of your presence seems hardly enough.
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Indeed a tragedy....at 10 I watched double features of ARTHUR and RAIDERS over and over at a local dollar cinema, and Sir John made a great impression on my younf mind. But I really want to comment on the "he should have played Gandalf" issue...this is highly interesting;.....witness this excerpt from "The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien", page 102, in a November 1944 letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to his son Christopher: "A propos of yr. reminder about 'Lord Nelson'--it was in the preliminary meeting to form a United Christian Council--he's always about. I forgoet to tell you that at GIELGUD'S 'HAMLET' he seized on a quiet moment to yell from the Dress Circle 'A very fine performance, and I'm enjoying it very much, but cut out the swear words!' He did the same at the Playhouse. He was nearly lynched in the New Theatre. But he goes on his odd way....." In other words, these two legendary men, Tolkien and Gielgud, actually (sort of) crossed paths. Just thought those of you who find such strange workings of the universe as amusing as I do might be interested to know.....
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Don't forget Alec Guinness.
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For your many hours of entertainment. For the class and dignity you brought to the screen. For the pride you brought to your craft. For the way you put others to shame. For all the incredible moments only you could bring to life. For being the gentleman on screen and off. Thank you, Sir John. May you find your just reward.
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Bye Bye Brooder, all bes. {:o(
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I reckon that cinema has lost a great character and talent.
That quote from "Brideshead Revisted" is my fav - its just how he says it!!
BTW - someone mayde a comment about censorship/clockwork orange. Wasn't it Kubrick himself who withdrew the movie from british realise and not the censors - or am i wrong?
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