What's After the Movie
Oliver Reed
Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor renowned for his upper-middle class, macho image and his infamous "hellraiser" lifestyle. His screen career, which spanned over four decades from 1955 to 1999, saw him peak in 1971 when British exhibitors voted Reed as the fifth-most-popular star at the box office. Reed made significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, and his notable film roles included Bill Sikes in Oliver! (a film directed by his uncle, Carol Reed, that won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Picture), the title role in Hannibal Brooks, and Antonius Proximo in Gladiator (2000). Reed's exceptional portrayal of the old, gruff gladiator trainer in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, his final film, earned a posthumous nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in 2000. However, the British Film Institute (BFI) suggested Reed's career was punctuated from the mid-1970s onwards by his struggle with alcoholism.
Reed was born on 13 February 1938 in Wimbledon, southwest London, to Peter Reed, a sports journalist, and Marcia (née Napier-Andrews). He was the nephew of renowned film director Sir Carol Reed, and the grandson of the actor-manager Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. Reed's colorful personal life saw him claim he had worked as a boxer, a bouncer, a taxi driver, and a hospital porter before switching to acting. Interestingly, he also asserted that he was a descendant of Peter the Great, the Tsar of Russia. Despite being associated with heavily macho roles in his acting career, Reed also released several singles in the popular music vein, with limited success.
Biography, Career & Filmography
Learn more about Oliver Reed, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Oliver Reed rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.
Given Name: Robert Oliver Reed
Born: Wimbledon, London, England
Citizenship: British
Birthday: February 13, 1938
Occupations: Actor
Years Active: 1955-1999
Children: 2
Spouses: Kate Byrne, Josephine Burge
External Links and Streaming Options
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Awards and Nominations Received by Oliver Reed
Explore the awards, honors, and nominations Oliver Reed 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.
Movies Featuring Oliver Reed
Burnt Offerings
Oliver!
The Three Musketeers
Tommy
The Brood
The Devils
Condorman
The Assassination Bureau
These Are the Damned
Hellraisers
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of ‘Gladiator’
The Pit and the Pendulum
Prisoner of Honor
Treasure Island
A Ghost in Monte Carlo
Venom
Clash of Loyalties
The Sting II
Christopher Columbus
Black Arrow
Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype
Lion of the Desert
Fanny Hill
Spasms
Castaway
Gor
The Misfit Brigade
Skeleton Coast
Captive
Dragonard
Master of Dragonard Hill
The Lady and the Highwayman
The Revenger
Captive Rage
The Return of the Musketeers
Rage to Kill
The House of Usher
Master of Dragonard Hill
Z.P.G.
The World of Hammer: Vamp
The Jokers
The Bulldog Breed
The System
The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday
The World of Hammer: Lands Before Time
Dante’s Inferno
Severed Ties
The Party’s Over
Take a Girl Like You
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
Sword of Sherwood Forest
Tomorrow Never Comes
Beat Girl
One Russian Summer
The Prince and the Pauper
His and Hers
The Pirates of Blood River
The Angry Silence
I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname
Women in Love
Sitting Target
The World of Hammer: Dracula and the Undead
The Sell Out
The Trap
Hannibal Brooks
The Brigand of Kandahar
The Shuttered Room
The Rebel
The Square Peg
Captain Clegg
No Love for Johnnie
Always on Sunday
Parting Shots
The Captain’s Table
Mahler
The Debussy Film
Paranoiac
Dirty Weekend
The League of Gentlemen
Funny Bones
The Four Musketeers
Return to Lonesome Dove
And Then There Were None
The Big Sleep
Lisztomania
Revolver
The Incredible Adventures of Marco Polo
The Scarlet Blade
Jeremiah
The World of Hammer: Wicked Women
Ransom
The Damned
Upstairs and Downstairs
The Hunting Party
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of ‘The Wolf Man’
Value for Money
The Triple Echo
The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun
Career Timeline
Track the complete movie timeline of Oliver Reed, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.
1999
Parting Shots
Jamie Campbell-Stewart
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of ‘The Wolf Man’
Self (archive footage)
1994
The World of Hammer: Vamp
Narrator (voice)
The World of Hammer: Lands Before Time
Narrator
The World of Hammer: Dracula and the Undead
Narrator
The World of Hammer: Wicked Women
Narrator (voice)
1988
Skeleton Coast
Captain Simpson
The Lady and the Highwayman
Sir Phillip Gage
Captive Rage
General Belmondo
Rage to Kill
General Turner
1987
Gor
Sarm
The Misfit Brigade
The General
Dragonard
Captain Shanks
Master of Dragonard Hill
Captain Shanks
Master of Dragonard Hill
Captain Shanks
1983
Clash of Loyalties
Colonel Leachman
The Sting II
Lonnegan
Fanny Hill
Edward Widdlecome
Spasms
Jason Kincaid
1974
The Three Musketeers
Mahler
Train Conductor
The Four Musketeers
Athos
And Then There Were None
Hugh Lombard
1970
Take a Girl Like You
Patrick Standish
The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun
Michael Caldwell
1967
The Jokers
David Tremayne
Dante’s Inferno
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname
Andrew Quint
The Shuttered Room
Ethan
1965
These Are the Damned
The Party’s Over
Moise
The Brigand of Kandahar
Ali Kahn
Always on Sunday
Narrator (voice)
The Debussy Film
Claude Debussy
1961
His and Hers
Poet
The Rebel
Artist in Cafe
No Love for Johnnie
Man with Bucket on His Head (uncredited)
1960
The Bulldog Breed
Teddy Boy in Cinema Fight (uncredited)
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
Nightclub Bouncer (uncredited)
Sword of Sherwood Forest
Lord Melton (uncredited)
Beat Girl
Plaid Shirt
The Angry Silence
Mick
The League of Gentlemen
Chorus Boy (uncredited)
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