Tom Courtenay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Tom Courtenay
Courtenay in 2015
Born	Thomas Daniel Courtenay (1937-02-25) 25 February 1937 (age 88) Hull, East Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Cheryl Kennedy ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1982)​ Isabel Crossley ​ (m. 1988)​

Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (born 25 February 1937) is a famous English actor. He became well-known in the 1960s after studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He was part of a group of actors in the "British New Wave," which was a new style of filmmaking in the UK.

Sir Tom Courtenay has won many awards, including three BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and special acting awards from the Berlin International Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival. He was also nominated for two Academy Awards (Oscars) and two Tony Awards. In 2001, he was made a knight for his amazing work in movies and theatre.

He won a BAFTA award for his role in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962). He was also nominated for an Oscar for his part in the epic film Doctor Zhivago (1965). Other important films from this time include Billy Liar (1963) and The Night of the Generals (1967).

Later, he starred in the 1983 movie The Dresser, playing the character Norman. He had already played this role on stage in London and New York. For this film, he won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA. More recently, he has appeared in films like Quartet (2012), 45 Years (2015), and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018).

He also won two British Academy Television Awards for his roles in the TV film A Rather English Marriage (1998) and the TV series Unforgotten (2015).

Early Life and Learning

Tom Courtenay was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, on 25 February 1937. His father, Thomas Henry Courtenay, was a boat painter. Tom went to Kingston High School. He later studied English at University College London, but he didn't finish his degree there. After that, he decided to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, which is a very famous drama school.

A Look at His Acting Career

Starting Out: 1960s to 1970s

Tom Courtenay in 1973

Tom Courtenay first acted on stage in 1960 with the Old Vic theatre company. He soon took over the main role in the play Billy Liar in 1961. In 1963, he played the same character in the movie version of Billy Liar.

His first movie was Private Potter in 1962. Then came The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and Billy Liar. These movies were very popular and helped start the "British New Wave" in filmmaking. For these roles, he won a BAFTA Award for the most promising new actor in 1962.

In 1965, he played Pasha Antipov in the movie Doctor Zhivago. This role earned him a nomination for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in other well-known films like King & Country, Operation Crossbow, and King Rat.

Even though he became famous through movies, Courtenay has said he preferred acting on stage. From the mid-1960s, he focused more on theatre. He performed in many plays, including Hamlet in 1969. He also performed a lot at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, playing roles like the lead in King Lear in 1999 and Uncle Vanya in 2001.

From the 1980s to the 1990s

Tom Courtenay acted with Albert Finney in The Dresser (1983).

In 1980, Tom Courtenay created the role of Norman in the play The Dresser. He performed this play in Manchester and then in London's West End. He then took the play to Broadway in New York in 1981. For his performance, he was nominated for a Tony Award.

He then played Norman again in the 1983 movie version of The Dresser, acting alongside Albert Finney. Critics praised his performance. Both Courtenay and Finney were nominated for Best Actor Oscars for their roles in this film.

In 1991, he played the father of Derek Bentley in the film Let Him Have It. He also appeared in some TV shows, like She Stoops to Conquer in 1971 and A Rather English Marriage in 1998, where he worked with Albert Finney again.

From 2001 to Today

Tom Courtenay in Paris at a premiere of Quartet in 2013.

In 2002, Tom Courtenay created a one-man show called Pretending To Be Me. It was based on the letters of the poet Philip Larkin. The show was very popular and played in London's West End.

In 2007, he was in two movies: Flood, a disaster movie, and The Golden Compass, where he played Farder Coram. In 2008, he played William Dorrit in the BBC TV show Little Dorrit, based on the book by Charles Dickens.

In 2012, he co-starred in the movie Quartet with Maggie Smith. The movie was directed by Dustin Hoffman and received good reviews. In 2015, he starred with Charlotte Rampling in the highly praised film 45 Years. For this role, Courtenay won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival.

More recently, in 2018, he appeared in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and King of Thieves. In 2019, he lent his voice to the character of Prince Philip in the animated movie The Queen's Corgi.

His Personal Life

Tom Courtenay married actress Cheryl Kennedy in 1973, but they divorced in 1982. In 1988, he married Isabel Crossley, who was a stage manager. They have homes in Manchester and London.

In 2000, Courtenay published a book called Dear Tom: Letters From Home. It shares letters between him and his mother, along with his memories of being a young acting student.

He is also the President of the Official Supporters' Club for the football team Hull City AFC. In 1999, he received an honorary degree from Hull University. In 2018, he was given the special honor of being named an Honorary Freeman of the City of Hull.

Awards and Recognitions

Tom Courtenay has received many awards and nominations throughout his career:

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See also

In Spanish: Tom Courtenay para niños