Laurence Olivier
Known for Acting · 151 credits
- Born
- 1907-05-22
- Died
- 1989-07-11
- Place of birth
- Dorking, Surrey, England, UK
- Also known as
- Лоуренс Оливье · Sir Laurence Olivier · Laurence Kerr Olivier · Лоуренс Олівʼє · لارنس الیویه
Biography
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud, dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles.
His family had no theatrical connections, but Olivier's father, a clergyman, decided that his son should become an actor. After attending a drama school in London, Olivier learned his craft in a succession of acting jobs during the late 1920s. In 1930 he had his first important West End success in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and he appeared in his first film. In 1935 he played in a celebrated production of Romeo and Juliet alongside Gielgud and Ashcroft, and by the end of the decade he was an established star. In the 1940s, together with Richardson and John Burrell, Olivier was the co-director of the Old Vic, building it into a highly respected company. There his most celebrated roles included Shakespeare's Richard III and Sophocles's Oedipus. In the 1950s Olivier was an independent actor-manager, but his stage career was in the doldrums until he joined the avant garde English Stage Company in 1957 to play the title role in The Entertainer, a part he later played on film. From 1963 to 1973 he was the founding director of Britain's National Theatre, running a resident company that fostered many future stars. His own parts there included the title role in Othello (1965) and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (1970).
Among Olivier's films are Wuthering Heights (1939), Rebecca (1940), and a trilogy of Shakespeare films as actor-director: Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), and Richard III (1955). His later films included The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Sleuth (1972), Marathon Man (1976), and The Boys from Brazil (1978). His television appearances included an adaptation of The Moon and Sixpence (1960), Long Day's Journey into Night (1973), Love Among the Ruins (1975), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976), Brideshead Revisited (1981) and King Lear (1983).
Olivier's honours included a knighthood (1947), a life peerage (1970) and the Order of Merit (1981). For his on-screen work he received four Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. The National Theatre's largest auditorium is named in his honour, and he is commemorated in the Laurence Olivier Awards, given annually by the Society of London Theatre. He was married three times, to the actresses Jill Esmond from 1930 to 1940, Vivien Leigh from 1940 to 1960, and Joan Plowright from 1961 until his death.
Known For
TV Shows (22)
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Nominee / Self - Cecil B. DeMille Award Recipient
Great Performances
1971
as Harry / Self
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Recipient
The Carol Burnett Show
1967
as Self - Audience Member
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
Omnibus
1967
as Self (archive footage)
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
The Oscars
1953
as Self
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Narrator / James Tyrone Sr.
Jesus of Nazareth
1977
as Nicodemus
ABC Stage 67
1966
as Self / Self (archive footage)
Brideshead Revisited
1981
as Alexander Flyte
Talking Pictures
2013
as Self (archive footage)
The World at War
1973
as Narrator
Laurence Olivier Presents
1976
as Big Daddy / Antonio / Doc Delaney / Sir Joseph
The Last Days of Pompeii
1984
as Gaius
Peter the Great
1986
as King William III of Orange
Lost Empires
1986
as Harry Burrard
Wagner
1983
as Pfeuffer
Male of the Species
1969
as Self - Presenter
Iconic Couples of Hollywood
2015
as Self (archive footage)
Movies (129)
Spartacus
1960
as Marcus Licinius Crassus
Clash of the Titans
1981
as Zeus
Romeo and Juliet
1968
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
A Bridge Too Far
1977
as Dr. Jan Spaander
Rebecca
1940
as Maxim de Winter
Wuthering Heights
1939
as Heathcliff
Marathon Man
1976
as Dr. Christian Szell
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
2004
as Dr. Totenkopf (archive footage)
The Bounty
1984
as Admiral Hood
Nicholas and Alexandra
1971
as Count Witte
Battle of Britain
1969
as Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding
The Boys from Brazil
1978
as Ezra Lieberman
Night of 100 Stars II
1985
as Self
Sleuth
1972
as Andrew Wyke
Hamlet
1948
as Hamlet - Prince of Denmark / Voice of Ghost
Dracula
1979
as Prof. Abraham Van Helsing
Carrie
1952
as George Hurstwood
Khartoum
1966
as Mahdi
The Prince and the Showgirl
1957
as The Regent
Pride and Prejudice
1940
as Mr. Darcy
The Jazz Singer
1980
as Cantor Rabinovitch
Inchon
1981
as Gen. Douglas MacArthur
49th Parallel
1941
as Johnnie, the Trapper
The Betsy
1978
as Loren Hardeman
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
1976
as Professor James Moriarty
Bunny Lake Is Missing
1965
as Newhouse
Henry V
1944
as King Henry
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Richard III
1955
as Richard III
That Hamilton Woman
1941
as Lord Horatio Nelson
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
as Self (archive footage)
A Little Romance
1979
as Julius
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
1991
as Superintendent Newhouse (archive footage) (uncredited)
Oh! What a Lovely War
1969
as Field Marshal Sir John French
The Yellow Ticket
1931
as Julian Rolfe
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940
as Self
The Jigsaw Man
1983
as Adm. Sir Gerald Scaith
King Lear
1983
as King Lear
The Shoes of the Fisherman
1968
as Piotr Ilyich Kamenev
Wild Geese II
1985
as Rudolf Hess
Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood
1999
as Self (archive footage)
David Copperfield
1969
as Mr. Creakle
This Happy Breed
1944
as Narrator (voice)
Nothing Like a Dame
2018
as Self (archive footage)
The Devil's Disciple
1959
as Gen. Burgoyne
The Magic Box
1952
as Police Constable 94-B
The Filth and the Fury
2000
as Richard III (archive footage)
A Voyage Round My Father
1984
as Clifford Mortimer
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Perfect Understanding
1933
as Nicholas Randall
Discovering Hamlet
2011
as Hamlet (archive footage)
Three Sisters
1970
as Dr. Ivan Chebutikin
The Entertainer
1960
as Archie Rice
Love Among the Ruins
1976
as Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones
The Divorce of Lady X
1938
as Everard Logan
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
1990
as Self (archive footage)
Othello
1965
as Othello
War Requiem
1989
as The Old Soldier
Fire Over England
1937
as Michael Ingolby
Revisiting Brideshead
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Directed by William Wyler
1986
as Self
The Ebony Tower
1984
as Henry Breasley
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
1986
as archive footage
21 Days
1940
as Larry Durrant
Potiphar's Wife
1931
as Straker
Q Planes
1939
as Tony McVane
The Gentleman Tramp
1976
as Narrator
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
2012
as Self (archive footage)
No Funny Business
1933
as Clive Dering
Gregory Peck: His Own Man
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Uncle Vanya
1963
as Dr. Astrov
Term of Trial
1962
as Graham Weir
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940
as Self
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration
2024
as Self (archive footage)
Lady Caroline Lamb
1972
as Duke of Wellington
The Collection
1976
as Harry
The Beggar's Opera
1953
as MacHeath
The Power and the Glory
1963
as Priest
The Merchant of Venice
1973
as Shylock
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe
1966
The Magic of Hollywood... Is the Magic of People
1976
as Self
Come Back, Little Sheba
1977
as Doc Delaney
Westward Passage
1932
as Nicholas 'Nick' Allen
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
1978
as Antonio
To Be Hamlet
1985
as Self
The Bannfoot Ferry
2024
as Self (archive footage)
As You Like It
1936
as Orlando
The Volunteer
1944
as Self
The Moon and Sixpence
1959
as Charles Strickland
The Demi-Paradise
1943
as Ivan Kouznetsoff
Male of the Species
1969
as Presenter
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982
Words for Battle
1941
as Narrator (voice)
The Conquest of the Air
1931
as Vincent Lunardi
Marilyn, dernières séances
2008
as Self(archive footage)
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
2021
as Self (archive footage)
A Talent for Murder
1983
as Dr. Anthony Wainwright
Laurence Olivier: a life
1982
as Self
Moscow Nights
1934
as Captain Ivan Ignatoff
The Dance of Death
1969
as Edgar
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
2015
as Self (archive footage)
A Queen Is Crowned
1953
as Narrator
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
2004
The Rehearsal
1974
as Self
The Temporary Widow
1930
as Peter Bille
Olivier Talks About Othello
1965
as Self - Host
Daphne Laureola
1978
as Sir Joseph
Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson
1983
as Joe Halpern
At the Haunted End of the Day
1981
as Self
Marilyn Monroe
1986
as archive footage
Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
2012
Long Day's Journey Into Night
1973
as James Tyrone Sr.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1976
as Big Daddy
Marilyn despite herself
2012
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
2001
as Self (archive footage)
Great Acting: Laurence Olivier
1966
as Self - Interviewee
About Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud, dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles. His family had no theatrical connections, but Olivier's father, a clergyman, decided that his son should become an actor. After attending a drama school… With 151 credits spanning from 1930 to 2024, Laurence Olivier has appeared in 129 films and 22 TV shows.
Fans searching for Laurence Olivier movies, Laurence Olivier filmography, or the latest projects starring Laurence Olivier can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Laurence Olivier Movies
- Spartacus (1960) — as Marcus Licinius Crassus
- Clash of the Titans (1981) — as Zeus
- Romeo and Juliet (1968) — as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- A Bridge Too Far (1977) — as Dr. Jan Spaander
- Rebecca (1940) — as Maxim de Winter
Where to Watch Laurence Olivier Films
Most Laurence Olivier movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Laurence Olivier, check our movies catalogue and browse page.