What's After the Movie
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier OM (1907-07-11 – 1989-11-07) was an English actor, director, and produce. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles and achieving success in television roles late in his career. Despite coming from a family with no theatrical connections, Olivier's father, a clergyman, decided that his son should become an actor. After attending drama school in London, Olivier honed his craft in a succession of acting jobs during the late 1920s. He achieved his first notable success in 1930 when cast in Noël Coward's Private Lives and later emerged as an established star by the end of the decade. In the 1940s, Olivier co-directed the Old Vic, establishing it as a highly respected company and playing celebrated roles including Shakespeare's Richard III and Sophocles's Oedipus. During his tenure as director, and later producer, of Britain's National Theatre, he fostered many future stars. Despite professional success, Olivier's personal life was turbulent. His three marriages, the first to actress Jill Esmond and the second to Vivien Leigh, were marked by personal struggles. His third marriage, to Joan Plowright, lasted from 1961 until his death.
Biography, Career & Filmography
Learn more about Laurence Olivier, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Laurence Olivier rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.
Given Name: Laurence Kerr Olivier
Born: Dorking, Surrey, England
Citizenship: British
Birthday: May 22, 1907
Occupations: Actor, Director, Producer
Years Active: 1924-1989
Children: 4
Spouses: Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, Joan Plowright
External Links and Streaming Options
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Awards and Nominations Received by Laurence Olivier
Explore the awards, honors, and nominations Laurence Olivier has earned across their acting career. From prestigious wins to critical acclaim, see how their talent has been recognized by the film industry and major award bodies.
Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actor)
A Little RomanceBest Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actor)
Marathon ManMovies Featuring Laurence Olivier
Hamlet
Richard III
Rebecca
Spartacus
Bunny Lake Is Missing
Dracula
Clash of the Titans
The Bounty
Marathon Man
The Boys from Brazil
The Entertainer
The Jazz Singer
Pride and Prejudice
A Little Romance
Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story
My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock
Discovering Hamlet
And the Oscar Goes To…
Nothing Like a Dame
Revisiting Brideshead
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Inchon
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
King Lear
The Jigsaw Man
The Last Days of Pompeii
To Be Hamlet
Night of 100 Stars II
Wild Geese II
Peter the Great
A Voyage Round My Father
A Talent for Murder
Gregory Peck: His Own Man
War Requiem
Brideshead Revisited
Wagner
The Ebony Tower
Directed by William Wyler
Lost Empires
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
Wagner
The Shoes of the Fisherman
Moscow Nights
The Power and the Glory
Oh! What a Lovely War
The Demi-Paradise
The Conquest of the Air
21 Days Together
Westward Passage
The Betsy
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Henry V
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
The Merchant of Venice
Words for Battle
49th Parallel
Three Sisters
Uncle Vanya
Perfect Understanding
The Beggar’s Opera
This Happy Breed
Friends and Lovers
Carrie
The Yellow Ticket
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Devil’s Disciple
The World at War
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
A Queen Is Crowned
That Hamilton Woman
Wuthering Heights
Q Planes
The Divorce of Lady X
Term of Trial
Come Back, Little Sheba
As You Like It
David Copperfield
The Magic Box
Jesus of Nazareth
Sleuth
The Magic of Hollywood… Is the Magic of People
The Gentleman Tramp
The Rehearsal
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
The Collection
Khartoum
The Prince and the Showgirl
The Dance of Death
Love Among the Ruins
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Lady Caroline Lamb
Othello
Career Timeline
Track the complete movie timeline of Laurence Olivier, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.
2021
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
Self (archive footage)
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
Self (archive footage)
1988
Gregory Peck: His Own Man
Self (archive footage)
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Self (archive footage)
1986
Directed by William Wyler
Self
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Self (from The Prince and the Showgirl [1957]) (archive footage)
1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
King Lear
King Lear
The Jigsaw Man
Adm. Sir Gerald Scaith
A Talent for Murder
Dr. Anthony Wainwright
1976
Marathon Man
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Professor James Moriarty
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Big Daddy
The Magic of Hollywood… Is the Magic of People
Self
The Gentleman Tramp
Narrator
The Collection
Harry
1969
Oh! What a Lovely War
Field Marshal Sir John French
David Copperfield
Mr. Creakle
The Dance of Death
Edgar
1961
The Power and the Glory
Priest
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Maxim de Winter (archive footage) (uncredited)
1941
Words for Battle
Narrator (voice)
49th Parallel
Johnnie, the Trapper
That Hamilton Woman
Lord Horatio Nelson
1940
Rebecca
Pride and Prejudice
21 Days Together
Larry Durrant
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Self
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Self
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