Ben Kingsley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Ben Kingsley PS
Kingsley in 2014
Born	Krishna Pandit Bhanji (1943-12-31) 31 December 1943 (age 81) Snainton, North Riding of Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Angela Morant ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1976)​ Alison Sutcliffe ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1992)​ Alexandra Christmann ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2005)​ Daniela Lavender ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	4, including Ferdinand Kingsley
Awards	Full list
Signature

Sir Ben Kingsley, born Krishna Pandit Bhanji on 31 December 1943, is a famous English actor. He has won many important awards for his acting over more than 50 years. These include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

In 2002, he was made a Knight Bachelor by the Queen for his great work in British films. This means he can use "Sir" before his name. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.

Ben Kingsley's mother was English, and his father was Indian from a place called Jamnagar. He started his acting journey in theatre. In 1967, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, a very famous theatre group. For about 15 years, he mostly performed on stage. Some of his well-known stage roles were in plays like As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet.

He also acted in many TV shows. He was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for his roles in TV movies such as Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989) and Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001).

On the big screen, Kingsley is most famous for playing Mahatma Gandhi in the 1982 film Gandhi. For this role, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He also played Itzhak Stern in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), a film about the Holocaust. Other popular films he has been in include Sneakers (1992), Shutter Island (2010), and Hugo (2011).

More recently, Kingsley joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the character Trevor Slattery. He appeared in Iron Man 3 (2013) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). He also lent his voice to characters in animated films like The Boxtrolls (2014) and The Jungle Book (2016).

Early Life and Family Background

Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji on 31 December 1943. His birthplace was Snainton, North Riding of Yorkshire, England. His mother, Anna Lyna Mary, was an English actress and model. His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, was born in Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania). His father's family originally came from Jamnagar, India.

Kingsley's paternal grandfather was a successful spice trader. He moved from India to Zanzibar. Kingsley's father then moved to the United Kingdom when he was 14 years old.

Kingsley grew up in Pendlebury, Lancashire. Although his father was from a Muslim background, Kingsley was not raised in that faith. He identifies as a Quaker. He went to Manchester Grammar School, where actor Robert Powell was also a classmate. Later, he studied at Pendleton College in Salford. This college now has a theatre named after him. While in college, he got involved in local theatre. He started his professional acting career at age 23.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting on Stage (1967–1981)

After finishing college in 1966, Ben Kingsley decided to become an actor. He turned down an offer to become a pop star. Instead, he joined the famous Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1967.

For the next 15 years, he focused mainly on theatre. He made his first appearance in London's West End in 1967. This was with the RSC in a play called As You Like It. He also performed in other classic plays. These included Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In the 1960s, he changed his name from Krishna Bhanji to Ben Kingsley. He felt that a foreign-sounding name might make it harder to get acting jobs. He once said that after changing his name, he started getting roles right away.

Moving to Film and TV (1982–1998)

Kingsley in Sweden, 1983

Kingsley began acting in films and TV shows in the early 1970s. He had small parts in the soap opera Coronation Street and the legal show Crown Court.

A very important moment in his career was the 1982 film Gandhi. In this movie, he played the main role of Mahatma Gandhi. The film was a huge success. Kingsley won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his amazing performance.

During the 1980s, he appeared in many different films. He had supporting roles in movies like Turtle Diary (1985) and Maurice (1987). He also played Dr. Watson in Without a Clue (1988). He was nominated for another Academy Award for his role in Bugsy (1991). Other notable films from this time include Sneakers (1992) and Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993).

In 1993, Kingsley starred in Steven Spielberg's powerful film Schindler's List. He played Itzhak Stern, a man who survived the Holocaust. This film was very successful and important. Kingsley received a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He also acted with Sigourney Weaver in Death and the Maiden (1994). In 1998, he chose to act in the family film Spooky House. He said he wanted to do a lighter film after some very serious roles.

Continued Success (1999–Present)

Kingsley at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2012

Kingsley continued to have great success in the new century. In 2003, he played Colonel Massoud Amir Behrani in House of Sand and Fog. Critics praised his strong performance. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for this role.

In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the TV film Mrs. Harris. He also made a guest appearance in the popular TV show The Sopranos.

The years 2010 and 2011 brought him several big roles. He worked with Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island (2010), directed by Martin Scorsese. He also made his first appearance in a Bollywood film called Teen Patti (2010). The next year, he was in Scorsese's film Hugo (2011). In this movie, he played the French magician Georges Méliès.

In 2013, Kingsley played the villain Trevor Slattery in the Marvel movie Iron Man 3. He also played the hero Mazer Rackham in the science-fiction film Ender's Game. He later returned as Trevor Slattery in the short film All Hail the King and the movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).

He voiced the character Bagheera in the 2016 live-action movie The Jungle Book. In 2023, he acted in Wes Anderson's short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which won an Academy Award. Kingsley is set to appear in the upcoming film The Thursday Murder Club, which will start filming in 2024.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Kingsley (third left) and the cast of The Children's Monologues at the Old Vic Theatre in 2010

Ben Kingsley has been married four times and has four children. His children are Thomas Bhanji, Jasmin Bhanji, Edmund Kingsley, and Ferdinand Kingsley. Both Edmund and Ferdinand have become actors, just like their father. His current wife is Brazilian actress Daniela Lavender, whom he married in 2007.

Kingsley is also involved in charity work. In 2010, he performed in a show called The Children's Monologues in London. This show helped a charity called Dramatic Need. This charity sends artists and actors to work with children in communities in Africa that need help.

Filmography

Awards and Honors

Kingsley's handprints at Leicester Square, London

Ben Kingsley won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Gandhi. He has been nominated for three more Academy Awards for other films. In 1984, he won a Grammy Award for a spoken word recording of The Words of Gandhi. He also received an honorary degree from the University of Salford. India honored him with the Padma Shri award.

In 2002, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Knight Bachelor for his contributions to the British film industry. This special honor was announced on his 58th birthday. After being knighted, Kingsley said that winning an Oscar felt less important than this honor. He felt it was a recognition of his work as a storyteller.

In May 2010, Ben Kingsley received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2013, he was given the Fellowship Award at The Asian Awards in London.

Images for kids

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  Kingsley in 2014

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  Ben Kingsley's signature

See also

In Spanish: Ben Kingsley para niños