Sydney Greenstreet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sydney Greenstreet
Greenstreet in NBC radio's The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (1950)
Born	Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (1879-12-27)December 27, 1879 Eastry, Kent, England
Died	January 18, 1954(1954-01-18) (aged 74) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1902–1951
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Marie Ogden ​ (m. 1918)​ (1891–1972)
Children	1

Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (born December 27, 1879 – died January 18, 1954) was a famous actor from both Britain and America. He started his film career quite late, at 61 years old. Even so, he starred in many important movies during the 1940s. He is best known for his roles in three Warner Bros. films: The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), and Passage to Marseille (1944). In these films, he often worked alongside other famous actors like Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre. He also played the detective Nero Wolfe on the radio in the early 1950s. Greenstreet became an American citizen in 1925.

Early Life of Sydney Greenstreet

Sydney Hughes Greenstreet was born on December 27, 1879, in Eastry, a town in Kent, England. His parents were Ann and John Jarvis Greenstreet, who worked as a tanner. Sydney had seven brothers and sisters.

When he was 18, he left home to try his luck as a tea planter in British Ceylon, which is now Sri Lanka. However, a severe drought ruined his business. After that, he started managing a brewery. To make his life more interesting, he decided to take acting lessons.

Acting Career Highlights

Sydney Greenstreet's first time acting on stage was in 1902. He played a murderer in a play based on a Sherlock Holmes story. This play was shown at the Marina Theatre in Ramsgate, Kent. He then traveled around Britain with Ben Greet's Shakespearean acting group.

In 1905, he made his first appearance in New York City in the play Everyman. He acted in many plays in both Britain and America. For much of the 1930s, he worked with famous actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne at the Theatre Guild. His stage roles varied a lot, from funny musical comedies to serious Shakespearean plays. Even though he was offered many film roles, he waited until he was 61 years old to start acting in movies.

From Stage to Silver Screen

In 1941, Greenstreet began working for Warner Bros.. His very first movie role was as Kasper Gutman, also known as "The Fat Man," in The Maltese Falcon. He starred in this film with Humphrey Bogart.

Greenstreet and Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Greenstreet in Across the Pacific (1942)

Greenstreet and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

Greenstreet in Casablanca (1942)

Famous Film Roles

In the classic movie Casablanca (1942), Greenstreet played Signor Ferrari, who owned a club. He also appeared in many other films. These included Background to Danger (1943) with George Raft. He reunited with his Casablanca co-stars Bogart, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains in Passage to Marseille (1944).

Other notable films were The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), The Conspirators (1944) with Hedy Lamarr, and Hollywood Canteen (1944). He worked with Bogart again in Conflict (1945). He also had leading roles in Three Strangers (1946) and The Verdict (1946).

Greenstreet played different kinds of characters. He had serious roles, like William Makepeace Thackeray in Devotion (1946). He also showed his witty side in comedies like Alexander Yardley in Christmas in Connecticut (1944). Towards the end of his film career, he acted with Joan Crawford in Flamingo Road (1949).

His film career lasted just over eight years, ending with Malaya (1949). During this time, he worked with many big stars, from Clark Gable to Ava Gardner. The famous writer Tennessee Williams even wrote a play with Greenstreet in mind. From 1950 to 1951, Greenstreet played the detective Nero Wolfe in a radio show called The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe.

Later Years and Legacy

Sydney Greenstreet had health problems, including diabetes and a kidney condition called Bright's disease. He stopped acting in films and passed away on January 18, 1954, in Hollywood. His death was due to complications from his health issues.

He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. He was survived by his only son, John Ogden Greenstreet. The actor Mark Greenstreet is his great-nephew.

Awards and Recognition

Sydney Greenstreet was recognized for his acting talent.

Film Appearances

Here is a list of the movies Sydney Greenstreet appeared in: