The Right Honourable
The Lord Attenborough
CBE
Attenborough at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Born
Richard Samuel Attenborough

(1923-08-29) 29 August 1923 (age 100)
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)Actor, director, producer
Years active1942–2007
TitleFormer President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Term2001–2010
PredecessorHRH The Princess Royal
SuccessorHRH The Duke of Cambridge
SpouseSheila Sim (m. 1945–present)
ChildrenMichael (b. 1950)
Jane (b. 30 September 1955-d. 26 December 2004)
Charlotte (b. 1959)
RelativesDavid Attenborough (brother)
John Attenborough (brother)
Helga & Irene Bejach (adopted sisters, both deceased)
Gerald Sim (brother-in-law)
Graham Sinclair (son-in-law)
Karen Lewis (daughter-in-law)
Jane Seymour (former daughter-in-law)
AwardsTemplate:Infobox comedian awards

Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈætənbərə/), CBE (born 29 August 1923)[1] is an English actor, film director and producer and entrepreneur. He is the former President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

As a film director and producer, he won two Academy Awards for Gandhi in 1983. He has also won four BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. As an actor he is perhaps best known for his roles in Brighton Rock, The Great Escape, 10 Rillington Place, Miracle on 34th Street and Jurassic Park.[2]

He is the elder brother of naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough and John Attenborough, who was an executive at Alfa Romeo before his death in 2012.[3]

Early life

Attenborough was born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, the eldest of three sons of Mary Attenborough (née Clegg) a founding member of the Marriage Guidance Council and Frederick Levi Attenborough, a scholar and academic administrator who was a don at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and wrote a standard text on Anglo-Saxon law.[4][5] Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester and studied at RADA.

In September 1939, the Attenboroughs took in two German-Jewish refugee girls, Helga and Irene Bejach (aged 9 & 11), who lived with them in College House and were adopted by the family after the war when it was discovered that their parents had been killed. They moved to America in the 1950s and lived with an uncle, where they married and took American citizenship. They are both now deceased.[6]

During the Second World War Attenborough served in the Royal Air Force. After initial pilot training he was seconded to the newly-formed RAF Film Unit at Pinewood Studios, under the command of Flight Lieutenant John Boulting (whose brother Peter Cotes would later direct Attenborough in the play The Mousetrap) where he appeared with Edward G. Robinson in the propaganda film Journey Together (1943). He then volunteered to fly with the Film Unit and after further training, where he sustained permanent ear-damage, qualified as a sergeant, flying on several missions over Europe filming from the rear gunner's position to record the outcome of Bomber Command sorties.[7]

Acting career

Attenborough's acting career started on stage and he appeared in shows at Leicester's Little Theatre, Dover Street, prior to him going to RADA, where he is still Patron. Attenborough's film career began in 1942 in an uncredited role as a deserting sailor in the Noël Coward/David Lean production In Which We Serve (his name and character were accidentally omitted from the original release-print credits), a role which would help to type-cast him for many years as spivs or cowards in films like London Belongs to Me (1948), Morning Departure (1950) and his breakthrough role as a psychopathic young gangster in the film of Graham Greene's novel Brighton Rock (1947), a part that he had previously played to great acclaim at the Garrick Theatre in 1942.

In 1949 exhibitors voted him the 6th most popular British actor at the box office.[8]

Early in his stage career, Attenborough starred in the West End production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, which went on to become the world's longest-running stage production. Both he and his wife were among the original cast members of the production, which opened in 1952 at the Ambassadors Theatre and as of 2012 is still running at the St Martins Theatre. They took a 10% profit-participation in the production, which was paid for out of their combined weekly salary ("It proved to be the wisest business decision I've ever made... but foolishly I sold some of my share to open a short-lived Mayfair restaurant called 'The Little Elephant' and later still, disposed of the remainder in order to keep Gandhi afloat.")[9]

Attenborough worked prolifically in British films for the next thirty years, including in the 1950s, appearing in several successful comedies for John and Roy Boulting, such as Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959).

In 1963 he appeared in the ensemble cast of The Great Escape as RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett ("Big X"), the head of the escape committee and based on the real life exploits of Roger Bushell. It was his first appearance in a major Hollywood film blockbuster and his most successful film up to that time. During the 1960s, he expanded his range of character roles in films such as Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and Guns at Batasi (1964), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM). In 1965 he played Lew Moran opposite James Stewart in The Flight of the Phoenix and in 1967 and 1968, he won back-to-back Golden Globe Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actor, the first time for The Sand Pebbles, again co-starring Steve McQueen and the second time for Doctor Dolittle starring Rex Harrison.

His portrayal of the serial killer John Christie in 10 Rillington Place (1971) garnered excellent reviews and in 1977 he played the ruthless General Outram, again to great acclaim, in Indian director Satyajit Ray's period piece The Chess Players.

He took no acting roles following his appearance in Otto Preminger's version of The Human Factor (1979) until his appearance as the eccentric developer John Hammond in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) and the popular film's sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). He starred in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street (1994) as Kris Kringle. Since then he has made occasional appearances in supporting roles, including as Sir William Cecil in the historical drama Elizabeth (1998), Jacob in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and as "The Narrator" in the film adaptation of Spike Milligan's comedy book Puckoon (2002).[10]

Producer and Director

Attenborough, photographed in 1983.

In the late 1950s, Attenborough formed a production company, Beaver Films, with Bryan Forbes and began to build a profile as a producer on projects including The League of Gentlemen (1959), The Angry Silence (1960) and Whistle Down the Wind (1961), also appearing in the first two of these as an actor.

His feature film directorial debut was the all-star screen version of the hit musical Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) and his acting appearances became sporadic as he concentrated more on directing and producing. He later directed two epic period films: Young Winston (1972), based on the early life of Winston Churchill and A Bridge Too Far (1977), an all-star account of Operation Market Garden in World War II. He won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Director and as the film's producer, the Academy Award for Best Picture for his historical epic, Gandhi and another Golden Globe, this time as Best Director, for the same film in 1983, a project he had been attempting to get made for 18 years. Attenborough also directed the screen version of the musical A Chorus Line (1985) and the anti-apartheid drama Cry Freedom (1987), based on the life and death of the prominent anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko and the experiences of Donald Woods. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for both films.

His most recent films as director and producer include Chaplin (1992) starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Charlie Chaplin and Shadowlands (1993), based on the relationship between C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham, (the star of the latter was Anthony Hopkins, who had appeared in four previous films for Attenborough: Young Winston, A Bridge Too Far, Magic and Chaplin) and between 2006-07 Attenborough spent time in Belfast, Northern Ireland, working on his last film as director and producer, Closing the Ring, a love story set in Belfast during the Second World War and starring Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer and Pete Postlethwaite.[11]

Current projects

After 33 years of dedicated service as President of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Lord Attenborough became the charity's Honorary Life President in 2004. In 2012 the charity, which leads the fight against muscle-wasting conditions in the UK, established the Richard Attenborough Fellowship Fund to honor his lifelong commitment to the charity and to ensure the future of clinical research and training at leading UK neuromuscular centres.

Attenborough is also the patron of the UWC movement (United World Colleges) whereby he continually contributes greatly to the colleges that are part of the organisation. He has frequented the United World College of Southern Africa (UWCSA) Waterford Kamhlaba. His wife and he founded the Richard and Sheila Attenborough Visual Arts Centre. He also founded the Jane Holland Creative Centre for Learning at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland in memory of his daughter who died in the tsunami on 26 December 2004. He passionately believes in education, primarily education that does not judge upon colour, race, creed or religion. His attachment to Waterford is his passion for non-racial education, which were the grounds on which Waterford Kamhlaba was founded. Waterford was one of his inspirations for directing the Cry Freedom motion picture based on the life of Steve Biko.

Chancellor of the University of Sussex

He was elected to the post of Chancellor of the University of Sussex on 20 March 1998, replacing The Duke of Richmond and Gordon. He stood down as Chancellor of the university following Graduation in July 2008.[12] There now hangs a 42 inch by 46 inch portrait of him in the university's library.[13]

A lifelong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, Attenborough served as a director of the club from 1969–1982 and between 1993 and 2008 held the honorary position of Life Vice President. On 30 November 2008 he was honoured with the title of Life President at the club's stadium, Stamford Bridge.[14]

He was also head of the consortium Dragon International Film Studios, which was constructing a film and television studio complex in Llanilid, Wales, nicknamed "Valleywood". However in March 2008 the project was placed into administration with debts of £15m and the site is believed to be being considered for breaking-up with a sale of the assets.[15]

Personal life

Attenborough's father was the principal of University College, Leicester, now the city's university. This has resulted in a long association with the university, with Richard becoming a patron. The university's Embrace Arts at the RA centre [1], which opened in 1997, is named in his honour. He has two younger brothers, naturalist and broadcaster David and John, who has made a career in the motor trade.

Attenborough has been married to English actress Sheila Sim since 1945. Since 1949 they have lived in Beaver Lodge on Richmond Green in London. On 26 December 2004, the couple's elder daughter, 49-year-old Jane Holland, as well as her mother-in-law, also named Jane and Attenborough's 15-year-old granddaughter Lucy, were killed when a tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake struck Khao Lak, Thailand where they were holidaying.[16] A service was held on 8 March 2005 and Attenborough read a lesson at the national memorial service on 11 May 2005. His grandson Samuel Holland, who survived the tsunami uninjured and granddaughter Alice Holland, who suffered severe leg injuries, also read in the service. A commemorative plaque was placed in the floor of St. Mary Magdalen's parish church in Richmond. Attenborough later described the Boxing Day of 2004 as "the worst day of my life".

Attenborough has two other children, Michael and Charlotte, an actress. Michael is a theatre director and the Artistic director of the Almeida Theatre in London and is married to actress Karen Lewis; they have two sons. Charlotte has three children.

Attenborough has collected Picasso ceramics since the 1950s. More than 100 items went on display at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester in 2007; the exhibition is dedicated to his family members lost in the tsunami.[17][18]

In 2008 he published, in association with his long standing associate Diana Hawkins, an informal autobiography Entirely Up to You, Darling, in which he states that he is a lifelong Labour Party supporter.

Health

In August 2008 Attenborough was hospitalised with heart problems and was fitted with a pacemaker. In December 2008 he suffered a fall at his home after a stroke,[19] and was admitted to St George's Hospital in Tooting, southwest London. He went into a coma, but came out of it within a few days.[20]

In November 2009 Attenborough, in what he called a 'house clearance' sale, sold part of his extensive art collection which included works by LS Lowry, Christopher Nevinson and Graham Sutherland, generating £4.6 million at Sotheby's.[21] In January 2011 he sold his Rhubodach estate on the Isle of Bute, in Argyll, Scotland for £1.48 million.[22]

In May 2011, David Attenborough revealed that his brother had been confined to a wheelchair since his stroke in 2008,[19] but was still capable of holding a conversation. He added, however, that "he won't be making any more films."[23]

In October 2012, it was announced that Attenborough was putting the family home Beaver Lodge on the market for £11.5 million, which comes complete with a sound-proofed cinema in the garden. David Attenborough stated "He and his wife both loved the house, but they now need full-time care.[24] It simply isn’t practical to keep the house on any more."[25]

In March 2013 after his wife was diagnosed with dimentia, Richard Attenborough and Shelia Sim moved into Denville Hall, confirmed by their son Michael.[19]

Honours

In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was knighted in 1976 and in 1993 he was made a life peer as Baron Attenborough, of Richmond upon Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.[26] Although the appointment by John Major was 'non-political' (it was granted for services to the cinema) and he would have been a crossbencher, Attenborough chose to accept the Labour whip and so sits on the Labour benches. In 1992 he had been offered a Peerage by Neil Kinnock, then head of the Labour Party, but refused it as he felt unable to commit to the time necessary "to do what was required of him in the Upper Chamber, as he always put film-making first".[27]

In 1983, Attenborough was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolence Peace Prize by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.[28]

In 1992 he was awarded the Shakespeare Prize for his life's work by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation in Hamburg.

On 13 July 2006, Attenborough, along with his brother David, were awarded the titles of Distinguished Honorary Fellows of the University of Leicester "in recognition of a record of continuing distinguished service to the university".[29][30]

On 20 November 2008, Attenborough was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Drama from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) in Glasgow.[citation needed]

Attenborough is also an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University for his contributions to film making.[31]

Pinewood Studios paid tribute to his body of work by naming a purpose-built film and television stage after him. The Richard Attenborough Stage has an area of 30,000 sq ft. In his absence due to illness, Lord David Puttnam and Pinewood Chairman Lord Michael Grade officially unveiled the stage on 23 April 2012.[32]

Corporate appointments

Attenborough also heads a committee awarding the eponymous Attenborough Prize, a £2,000 annual arts prize celebrating creativity by emerging artists. The Attenborough Prize is awarded to the best contemporary visual artist among a shortlist of six artists presented to Lord Attenborough.

Filmography

Year Title Credited as
Producer Director Actor Role
1942 In Which We Serve Yes A young stoker (uncredited)
1943 Schweik's New Adventures Yes Railway worker
1944 The Hundred Pound Window Yes Tommy Draper
1946 Journey Together Yes David Wilton
A Matter of Life and Death Yes An English pilot
School for Secrets Yes Jack Arnold
1947 Brighton Rock Yes Pinkie Brown
The Man Within Yes Francis Andrews
Dancing with Crime Yes Ted Peters
1948 London Belongs to Me Yes Percy Boon
The Guinea Pig Yes Jack Read
1949 The Lost People Yes Jan
Boys in Brown Yes Jackie Knowles
1950 Morning Departure Yes Stoker Snipe
1951 The Magic Box Yes Jack Carter
Hell is Sold Out Yes Pierre Bonnet
1952 Father's Doing Fine Yes Dougall
Eight O’Clock Walk Yes Thomas "Tom" Leslie Manning
Gift Horse Yes Dripper Daniels
1955 The Ship That Died of Shame Yes George Hoskins
1956 Private's Progress Yes Pvt. Percival Henry Cox
The Baby and the Battleship Yes Knocker White
1957 The Scamp Yes Stephen Leigh
Brothers in Law Yes Henry Marshall
1958 Dunkirk Yes John Holden
The Man Upstairs Yes Peter Watson
Sea of Sand Yes Brody
1959 The League of Gentlemen Yes Lexy
I'm All Right Jack Yes Sidney De Vere Cox
Danger Within Yes Capt. "Bunter" Phillips
Jet Storm Yes Ernest Tiller
SOS Pacific Yes Whitney Mullen
1960 The Angry Silence Yes Yes Tom Curtis
1961 Whistle Down the Wind Yes
1962 Only Two Can Play Yes Probert
The L-Shaped Room Yes
Trial and Error Yes Herbert Fowle
1963 The Great Escape Yes Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett
1964 The Third Secret Yes Alfred Price-Gorham
Séance on a Wet Afternoon Yes Yes Billy Savage
Guns at Batasi Yes Regimental Sgt. Major Lauderdale
1965 The Flight of the Phoenix Yes Lew Moran
1966 The Sand Pebbles Yes Frenchy Burgoyne
1967 Doctor Dolittle Yes Albert Blossom
1968 Only When I Larf Yes Silas
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom Yes Robert Blossom
1969 The Magic Christian Yes Oxford coach
Oh! What A Lovely War Yes Yes
1970 Loot Yes Inspector Truscott
The Last Grenade Yes Gen. Charles Whiteley
A Severed Head Yes Palmer Anderson
1971 10 Rillington Place Yes John Reginald Christie
1972 Cup Glory Yes Narrator
Young Winston Yes Yes
1974 And Then There Were None Yes Judge Arthur Cannon
1975 Rosebud Yes Edward Sloat
Brannigan Yes Cmdr. Sir Charles Swann
Conduct Unbecoming Yes Maj. Lionel E. Roach
1977 Shatranj Ke Khiladi Yes General Outram
A Bridge Too Far Yes Yes Lunatic wearing glasses
1978 Magic Yes
1979 The Human Factor Yes Col. John Daintry
1982 Gandhi Yes Yes
1985 A Chorus Line Yes
1987 Cry Freedom Yes Yes
1992 Chaplin Yes Yes
1993 Jurassic Park Yes John Hammond
Shadowlands Yes Yes
1994 Miracle on 34th Street Yes Kris Kringle
1996 Hamlet Yes English Ambassador to Denmark
In Love and War Yes Yes
1997 The Lost World: Jurassic Park Yes John Hammond
1998 Elizabeth Yes William Cecil
1999 Grey Owl Yes Yes
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Yes Jacob
2002 Puckoon Yes Narrator
2007 Closing the Ring Yes Yes

Portrayals

In 2012 Attenborough was portrayed by Simon Callow in the BBC Four biopic The Best Possible Taste about Kenny Everett.

Styles

References

  1. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. ^ "Filmography by votes for Richard Attenborough", IMDb. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  3. ^ O'Hanlon, Terry (26 November 2000). "The Missing Link; We find Attenborough brother No. 3". Sunday Mirror. London. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  4. ^ "Richard Attenborough Biography (1923–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  5. ^ "Richard Attenborough Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  6. ^ Entirely Up To You, Darling by Diana Hawkins & Richard Attenborough; pages 29-30; paperback; Arrow Books; published 2009. isbn 978-0-099-50304-0
  7. ^ Entirely Up To You, Darling by Diana Hawkins & Richard Attenborough; pages 88-95; paperback; Arrow Books; published 2009. isbn 978-0-099-50304-0
  8. ^ "Bob Hope Takes Lead from Bing In Popularity". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1954). ACT: National Library of Australia. 31 December 1949. p. 2. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  9. ^ Entirely Up To You, Darling by Diana Hawkins & Richard Attenborough; page 180; paperback; Arrow Books; published 2009. isbn 978-0-099-50304-0
  10. ^ Flynn, Bob (2 August 2002). "Arts: Filming Spike Milligan's Puckoon". The Guardian. London.
  11. ^ Works nabs U.K. rights to Closing The Ring from The Hollywood Reporter
  12. ^ "Lord Attenborough steps down as Sussex University chancellor". Theargus.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  13. ^ "Bulletin – 31 October 2008". Sussex.ac.uk. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  14. ^ "LIFE PRESIDENT ATTENBOROUGH | Latest Chelsea News | Team & Transfer News | Chelsea FC | Chelsea". Chelsea FC. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  15. ^ "Valleywood film studios faces possible sell-off". BBC News. 3 March 2011.
  16. ^ Pook, Sally (8 December 2005). "Attenborough family's fatal tsunami decision". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  17. ^ Leicester City Council[dead link]
  18. ^ Hurst, Greg. "Richard Attenborough's Picasso ceramics". London: Times Online. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  19. ^ a b c Melanie Hall (26 March 2013). "Film director Richard Attenborough moved to care home". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  20. ^ Clements, Jo (24 March 2009). "Frail but fighting, Richard Attenborough is on course for his 74th film role". Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  21. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/6546233/Lord-Attenboroughs-picture-sale-makes-4.6m-at-Sothebys.html
  22. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8276933/Richard-Attenborough-seeks-compensation-after-he-is-forced-to-sell-Scottish-estate-at-knock-down-price.html
  23. ^ Walker, Tim (12 May 2011). "Lord Attenborough takes a final bow". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  24. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9430222/Lord-Attenboroughs-family-rally-round-as-Sheila-Sim-is-hit-by-illness.html
  25. ^ Walker, Tim. "Lord Attenborough gives up an £11.5 million love affair", The Daily Telegraph, 29 October 2012. Retrieved on 29 October 2012.
  26. ^ "Burke's Peerage – Preview Family Record". Burkes-peerage.net. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  27. ^ Entirely Up To You, Darling by Diana Hawkins & Richard Attenborough; pages 245-250; paperback; Arrow Books; published 2009. isbn 978-0-099-50304-0
  28. ^ "Commemorative Service | The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change". Thekingcenter.org. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  29. ^ "University of Leicester – Honorary Degrees and Distinguished Honorary Fellowships Announced by University of Leicester". .le.ac.uk. 9 June 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  30. ^ "News from India". Indiaenews.com. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  31. ^ "Lord Attenborough, Honorary Fellow, Bangor University". Bangor.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  32. ^ "The Richard Attenborough Stage opens for business at Pinewood Studios". pinewoodgroup.com. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  33. ^ Entirely Up To You, Darling by Diana Hawkins & Richard Attenborough; pages 293-299; paperback; Arrow Books; published 2009. isbn 978-0-099-50304-0
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Preceded by- NFTS Honorary Fellowship Succeeded byDavid Lean, CBE
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