Albert Finney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albert Finney
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Finney in 1966
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| Born | 9 May 1936 Salford, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 7 February 2019 (aged 82) Chelsea, London, England
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| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–2012 |
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| Children | 1 |
Albert Finney (born May 9, 1936 – died February 7, 2019) was a famous English actor. He was known for his amazing performances in many movies, TV shows, and plays. Albert Finney started his acting journey in the theatre. He became very well-known in the early 1960s. His first big movie was The Entertainer in 1960.
He starred in many popular films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), Tom Jones (1963), and Scrooge (1970). Later, he appeared in Annie (1982), Erin Brockovich (2000), and the James Bond movie Skyfall (2012).
Albert Finney won many awards, including a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Emmy. He was nominated five times for an Academy Award, which is one of the highest honors in movies. He also won awards for playing Winston Churchill in the TV film The Gathering Storm (2002).
Contents
Becoming an Actor: Early Life and Training
Albert Finney was born in Salford, Lancashire, England. His father was a bookmaker. He went to Salford Grammar School and then studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He finished his studies there in 1956.
Albert Finney's Acting Career
Starting Out: 1955–1962
While still at RADA, Albert Finney acted in a TV show called She Stoops to Conquer in 1956. After graduating, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. He chose to perform in plays at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre instead of signing a big movie contract. He played the main role in Henry V on stage. In 1958, he made his first appearance on the London stage in a play called The Party.
His first movie role was in The Entertainer (1960), where he acted alongside Laurence Olivier. He then became very famous for his role in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960). This movie was a huge success and made him a star. He was even considered for the lead role in the famous movie Lawrence of Arabia.
In 1961, Finney played the main character in the play Luther, about the life of Martin Luther. He performed this play in London and New York.
Big Successes: 1963–1977
Finney starred in the 1963 movie Tom Jones, which won an Oscar. This movie was very popular and made him one of the most liked actors in Britain. After this success, he took a year off to travel the world.
He also started his own production company, Memorial Productions. This company made movies like Privilege (1967) and If.... (1968). Finney also starred in and directed a movie called Charlie Bubbles (1968). In 1970, he played the main role in the musical movie Scrooge.
In 1974, Finney played the famous detective Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express. This role was so memorable that people often thought he was really like Poirot. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for this role.
After this, he spent over three years acting in classic plays at the Royal National Theatre in London. He performed in plays like Hamlet, Macbeth, and Tamburlaine.
More Movies and TV: 1981–1999
After a break from lead movie roles, Finney returned to films in the early 1980s. He starred in Shoot the Moon (1982), which earned him great reviews. He also played Daddy Warbucks in the musical movie Annie (1982).
In 1983, Finney starred in The Dresser, playing an aging actor. This role earned him another Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. He also played Pope John Paul II in a TV movie in 1984. Later that year, he received another Oscar nomination for his role in Under the Volcano.
In the 1990s, Finney continued to act in many different roles. He played a gangster boss in Miller's Crossing (1990) and a gay bus conductor in A Man of No Importance (1994). He also starred in two TV plays, Karaoke (1996) and Cold Lazarus (1996), where he played a very unusual character: a frozen, disembodied head!
Later Years: 2000–2019
One of Finney's biggest hits in the 2000s was Erin Brockovich (2000), where he acted alongside Julia Roberts. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role. He also had a small role in the movie Traffic (2000).
In 2002, his performance as Winston Churchill in the TV movie The Gathering Storm won him several major awards, including a BAFTA, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe. He also starred in the TV series My Uncle Silas from 2001 to 2003.
Finney played a key role in Big Fish (2003), directed by Tim Burton. He also lent his voice to the animated movie Corpse Bride (2005). His final movie role was in the James Bond film Skyfall (2012).
Life Outside Acting
Albert Finney was married three times. With his first wife, Jane Wenham, he had a son named Simon, who also works in the film industry. In 1970, he married French actress Anouk Aimée. Later, in 2006, he married Penelope Delmage, and they stayed together until his death.
In 2011, Finney shared that he had been treated for kidney cancer. He had surgery and chemotherapy. Albert Finney passed away on February 7, 2019, at the age of 82, due to a chest infection.
Awards and Honors
Albert Finney was offered a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1980 and a knighthood in 2000, but he turned them down. He believed such honors encouraged snobbery.
He won many awards throughout his career, including:
- BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1961).
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Scrooge (1971).
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for The Gathering Storm (2003).
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for The Gathering Storm (2002).
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Erin Brockovich (2001).
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Traffic (2001).
- Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival for The Dresser (1984).
- Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for Tom Jones (1963).
He was nominated for an Academy Award five times:
- Best Actor for Tom Jones (1963)
- Best Actor for Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
- Best Actor for The Dresser (1983)
- Best Actor for Under the Volcano (1984)
- Best Supporting Actor for Erin Brockovich (2000)
Images for kids
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Finney in 1966
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Audrey Hepburn and Finney in Two for the Road (1967)
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Finney starred alongside Tom Courtenay in The Dresser (1983)
See also
In Spanish: Albert Finney para niños
