Frank Finlay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Finlay CBE
Born	Francis Finlay (1926-08-06)6 August 1926 Farnworth, Lancashire, England
Died	30 January 2016(2016-01-30) (aged 89) Weybridge, Surrey, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1958–2009
Spouse(s)	Doreen Shepherd ​ ​ (m. 1954; died 2005)​
Children	3

Francis Finlay (born August 6, 1926 – died January 30, 2016) was a famous English actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Iago in the movie Othello (1965).

His first main role on TV was in 1971 in the show Casanova. He also appeared on The Morecambe and Wise Show and in the drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire.

Early Life and Training

Frank Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, England. His parents were Josiah and Margaret Finlay. He went to St Gregory the Great School.

At 14, he left school to train as a butcher. He even earned a special diploma in this trade.

Becoming a Stage Actor

Finlay started acting at his local theatre, the Farnworth Little Theatre. He appeared in plays like Peter Blackmore's Miranda in 1951. People who worked with him remembered him as someone who always wanted to be perfect in his acting.

He then acted in different plays in Scotland. Later, he won a scholarship to study acting at RADA in London. RADA is a very famous drama school.

Working with the National Theatre

Frank Finlay performed in many plays at the Royal Court Theatre. He also became well-known for his work with the Royal National Theatre. This was especially true when Laurence Olivier was in charge.

In 1965, Finlay played Iago in the play Othello. He acted opposite Laurence Olivier, who played Othello. He also starred in the movie version of this play. His acting in the movie was highly praised. He even received an Academy Award nomination for it. A critic named John Simon said that close-up shots in the movie helped Finlay show more subtle emotions. This made his performance even better than on stage.

Other Stage Roles

At the Chichester Festival Theatre, Finlay played many different characters. These included the First Gravedigger in Hamlet and Salieri in Amadeus. He also appeared in plays like Saint Joan, Hobson's Choice, and The Crucible.

Finlay also acted on Broadway in New York City. He was in Epitaph for George Dillon (1958–1959). In 1980, he performed in Filumena with Joan Plowright. From 1988 to 1989, Finlay toured Australia. He performed in the play Beyond Reasonable Doubt.

Frank Finlay on Screen

One of Finlay's first TV roles was in a space adventure show called Target Luna (1960). He played a journalist named Conway Henderson. His first big TV success was as Jean Valjean in the BBC's 1967 show Les Misérables.

He then played the main character in the BBC 2 series Casanova (1971). After that, he played Adolf Hitler in the TV movie The Death of Adolf Hitler (1972).

Movie Roles

Finlay played the villain Amafi in the film Shaft in Africa (1973). He also famously played Porthos in three movies directed by Richard Lester:

• The Three Musketeers (1973)
• The Four Musketeers (1975)
• The Return of the Musketeers (1989)

He appeared in other films too, such as The Wild Geese (1978).

Television Highlights

Finlay starred as the father in the TV series Bouquet of Barbed Wire (1976). He also appeared in its sequel, Another Bouquet (1977). He played Professor Van Helsing in the BBC's Count Dracula (1977).

He played Lestrade in two Sherlock Holmes films: A Study in Terror (1965) and Murder by Decree (1979). He also appeared in an episode of the Sherlock Holmes TV series starring Jeremy Brett. His son Daniel also had a small role in that episode.

In 1984, Finlay played Marley's Ghost in the TV movie A Christmas Carol. He also guest-starred in an episode of The Black Adder (1983) with Rowan Atkinson.

In 1994, he was in the Heartbeat episode "Lost and Found".

Finlay played Sancho Panza in the 1973 TV film The Adventures of Don Quixote. He won a BAFTA award for this role. He won another BAFTA award that year for playing Voltaire in the BBC TV show Candide.

In 1988, Finlay played Justice Peter Mahon in the New Zealand TV series Erebus: The Aftermath. In the movie The Pianist (2002), he played Adrien Brody's father. He also appeared in the BBC drama series The Sins (2000).

He was in the TV series Life Begins (2004–2006). He played Jane Tennison's father in the last two stories of Prime Suspect (2006 and 2007). In 2008, he guest-starred in an episode of the BBC drama series Merlin. He played a character called Anhora.

Personal Life and Achievements

Frank Finlay met his wife, Doreen Shepherd, at the Farnworth Little Theatre. They had three children: Stephen, Cathy, and Daniel. The family lived in Shepperton, Middlesex. Doreen passed away in 2005.

Finlay was a Roman Catholic. He was a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild.

In 1984, Finlay was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special honour from the Queen. In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton.

Frank Finlay passed away on January 30, 2016, at his home in Weybridge, Surrey, England. He was 89 years old.

Partial filmography

See also

In Spanish: Frank Finlay para niños