Alec Guinness - Biography

Last Editor: Speedymartinez				Alec Guinness Biography -   Name : Alec Guinness Date of birth : 2 April 1914 Place of birth : Marylebone, London, England, UK Date of death : 5 August 2000 Place of death : Midhurst, Sussex, England, UK. (liver cancer) Birth name : Alec Guinness de Cuffe Height : 5' 10

Alec Guinness Trivia -

Reportedly hated working on Star Wars (1977) so much, Guinness claims that Obi-Wan's death was his idea as a means to limit his involvement in the film. Guinness also claims to throw away all Star Wars related fan mail without even opening it. Son: actor Matthew Guinness He was one of the last surviving members of a great generation of UK actors, which included Sir Laurence Olivier , Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson. "de Cuffe" is his mother's surname; he never knew the identity of his father. (source: obituary, Daily Telegraph, 7 August 2000) Created a Companion of Honour in 1994 Awarded CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1955 Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959 A fan of the television series "Due South" (1994). Despite popular belief he NEVER uttered the line 'May the force be with you' in ANY of the Star Wars films (the closest he came was 'the force will be with you'). He was voted third in the Orange Film 2001 survey of greatest British film actors. The qualities he claimed to most admire in an actor were "simplicity, purity, clarity of line." He made his final stage appearance at the Comedy Theatre in London on May 30 1989, in a production called 'A Walk in the Woods', where he played a Russian diplomat. His widow, Merula, died on October 17 2000, just two months after her husband. In his last book of memoirs, A Positively Final Appearance, he expressed a devotion to the TV show "The Simpsons" (1989). His films were studied by Ewan McGregor in preparation for his role as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) to ensure accuracy in everything from his accent to the pacing of his words. Awarded an honorary DLitt by Oxford University in 1977 and an honorary LittD by Cambridge University in 1991. Was a Grammy nominee in 1964, in the Spoken Word category, for the album "Alec Guinness: A Personal Choice" (RCA Victor Red Seal: 1964), on which he read a selection of his favorite poems. Starred as Eric Birling alongside Sir Ralph Richardson in the first ever showing of 'An Inspector Calls' - at the 'New Theatre', London, 1 October 1946. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Special Award in 1989 (1988 season) for his outstanding contributions to West End Theatre. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 198-199. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 Has been succeeded in two of his roles by actors from Trainspotting (1996). Guinness played Adolf Hitler in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973). Robert Carlyle played Hitler in Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003) (TV), while Ewan McGregor succeeded him in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Grandfather of Sally Guinness. Ewan McGregor was not the only actor in the Star Wars prequels to study his performances. The voice for the character Watto was modeled after Guinness's performance as Fagin in Oliver Twist. Though he often spoke critically of Star Wars, the three leads, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, have always spoken very fondly of him, praising him as being a very professional actor who was always respectful to the people he worked with. Reportedly answered one "Star Wars" fan's boast that he'd seen the first movie over a hundred times, with a nod and the words "Promise me you'll never watch it again." The boy was stunned, but his mother thanked Guinness. His favourite hotel in London was the Connaught, in which he always stayed whenever visiting the city. A heavy smoker for most of his life, he finally managed to give up the habit in his last years. One of his last jobs was providing the voice (his first and only voice-over) for a cartoon character on a UK TV ad campaign by the Inland Revenue advising the public about the new tax return forms which were to be introduced. He said in his diary of the recording (made on 30th March 1995) "I did it feebly." George Lucas said Guinness was very patient and helpful to him during the filming of the first Star Wars (1977) , even to the point of getting the other actors to work more seriously. Harrison Ford said that Guinness helped him find an apartment to stay at when he arrived in England to film the first Star Wars film. Won Broadway's 1964 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "Dylan," in which he played the title character, poet Dylan Thomas. Both Guiness and his wife, Merula, converted to the Roman Catholic Church in the 1950's. He is buried in Petersfield Cemetery, Hampshire. Appeared with Kay Walsh in five different films: Oliver Twist (1948), Last Holiday (1950), The Horse's Mouth (1958), Tunes of Glory (1960) and Scrooge (1970). Despite being two of Britain's most distinguished actors of their generation, he appeared in only two films with John Mills: Great Expectations (1946) and Tunes of Glory (1960). Great-grandson Otis Marlon Simeon Guinness-Walker, born in 1995. Celebrated his 62nd birthday during the filming of Star Wars (1977) in Tunisia, where the Tatooine scenes were filmed. Was considered for the role of Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (1974). In certain prints of The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), a film in which he won the Oscar for Best Actor, his last name is misspelled "Guiness."

Alec Guinness Detailed Biography -

Sir Alec Guinness KBE (April 2, 1914 - August 5, 2000) was a British actor, perhaps the best known British film actor. Born in London on April 2, 1914, he first worked in advertising, before making his debut at the Old Vic in 1936. During World War II, he served in the Royal Navy. He is mainly associated with the Ealing Comedies, and particularly for playing 12 parts in Kind Hearts and Coronets. Other films from this period included The Ladykillers and The Man in the White Suit. Guinness was also a talented dramatic and character actor. His film appearances ranged from Lawrence of Arabia to The Bridge on the River Kwai (1958), for which he won an Academy Award. His part as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars brought him worldwide recognition by a new generation, though he was never happy with being identified with the part. From the 1970s onwards, Guinness made regular television appearances, including the part of George Smiley in the serialisations of novels by John Le Carre. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Alec Guiness died of liver cancer on August 5, 2000, at Midhurst in West Sussex and was interred near Petersfield, Hampshire, England. Alec Guinness has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1559 Vine Street.