Birthday:
9 May 1936, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK
Height:
5' 9" (1.75 m)
Biography
Albert Finney came from the theatre, where he was
especially successful in plays of William Shakespeare, to the movies.
There he became a leading figure of the young Free Cinema. His debut in
cinema was in 1960 with The Entertainer (1960) of Tony Richardson who
had directed him also in theatre plays various times before. His typical
role were young prolets like, e.g. Arthur Seaton in Saturday Night and
Sunday Morning (1960)
Finney is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. His career began in the theatre; he made his first appearance on the London stage in 1958 in Jane Arden's The Party, directed by Charles Laughton, who starred in the production along with his wife, Elsa Lanchester. Then in 1959 he appeared at Stratford in Coriolanus, replacing a sick Laurence Olivier (as Coriolanus).[1]His first film appearance was a role in Tony Richardson's The Entertainer (1960), with Laurence Olivier, but he made his breakthrough with his portrayal of a disillusioned factory worker in Karel Reisz's film version of Alan Sillitoe's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. This led to a series of "Angry Young Man" roles in kitchen sink dramas, before he starred in the Academy Award-winning 1963 film Tom Jones. Prior to this, Finney had been chosen to play T. E. Lawrence in David Lean's production of Lawrence of Arabia after a successful, and elaborate, screen-test that took 4 days to shoot. However Finney baulked at signing a multi-year contract for Producer Sam Spiegel and chose not to accept the role.[2] The tremendous success of Tom Jones saw British exhibitors vote Finney the ninth most popular star at the box office in 1963.[3]
After Charlie Bubbles (1968), which he also directed, his film appearances became less frequent as he focused more on acting on stage. During this period, one of his high-profile film roles was as Agatha Christie's Belgian master detective Hercule Poirot in the 1974 film Murder On The Orient Express. Finney became so well known for the role that he complained that it typecast him for a number of years. "People really do think I am 300 pounds with a French accent" he said.
While being known for his dramatic roles, Finney appeared and sang in two musical films: Scrooge and the Hollywood film version of Annie, which was directed by John Huston, who would direct him once again in Under The Volcano two years later. He also sings in Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.
Finney made several television productions for the BBC in the 1990s, including The Green Man (1990), based on a story by Kingsley Amis, the acclaimed drama A Rather English Marriage (1998) (with Tom Courtenay), and the lead role in Dennis Potter's final two plays, Karaoke and Cold Lazarus in 1996 and 1997. In the latter he played a frozen, disembodied head.
Finney also made an appearance at Roger Waters' The Wall Concert in Berlin, where he played "The Judge" during the performance of "The Trial".
In 2002 his critically acclaimed portrayal of Winston Churchill in The Gathering Storm won him BAFTA and Emmy awards as Best Actor.
He also played the title role in the television series My Uncle Silas, based on the short stories by H. E. Bates, about a roguish but lovable poacher-cum-farm labourer looking after his great-nephew. The show ran for two series from 2000 until 2003.
A lifelong supporter of Manchester United, Finney narrated the documentary Munich, about the aircrash that killed most of the Busby Babes in 1958, which was shown on United's TV channel MUTV in February 2008.[4]
Awards and honours
Albert Finney turned down the offer of a CBE in 1980 and a Knighthood in 2000. He has criticised the honours system for "perpetuating snobbery".[8]He has five Oscar nominations but has never won. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor four times, for Tom Jones (1963), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Dresser (1983), and Under the Volcano (1984); and was nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Erin Brockovich (2000).
Julia Roberts mentioned Albert Finney in her Oscar acceptance speech for Best Actress in Erin Brockovich, thanking him and sharing the Oscar with him.
Finney has 13 BAFTA nominations (9 film, 4 TV), winning two:
- 1960 Best British Actor for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
- 1960 Most Promising Newcomer for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Won
- 1963 Best British Actor for Tom Jones
- 1973 Best Actor for Gumshoe
- 1974 Best Actor for Murder on the Orient Express
- 1982 Best Actor for Shoot the Moon
- 1984 Best Actor for The Dresser
- 1990 Best Actor (BAFTA TV Awards) for The Green Man
- 1996 Best Actor (BAFTA TV Awards) for Karaoke/Cold Lazarus
- 1998 Best Actor (BAFTA TV Awards) for A Rather English Marriage
- 2000 Best Supporting Actor for Erin Brockovich
- 2002 Best Actor {BAFTA TV Awards) for The Gathering Storm Won
- 2003 Best Supporting Actor for Big Fish
He won an Emmy Award, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Made for TV Movie, for his performance as Winston Churchill in HBO's The Gathering Storm. He had previously been nominated for the HBO telefilm The Image (1990).
He has received nine Golden Globe nominations, winning three:
- 1963 Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for Tom Jones
- 1963 Most Promising Newcomer (Male) for Tom Jones - Won
- 1970 Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for Scrooge, Won
- 1982 Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for Shoot the Moon
- 1983 Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for The Dresser
- 1984 Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for Under the Volcano
- 2000 Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Erin Brockovich
- 2002 Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for The Gathering Storm Won
- 2003 Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Big Fish
Other awards include: a Golden Laurel for his work on Scrooge (1970) and for his work on Tom Jones, for which he was the 3rd Place Winner for the "Top Male Comedy Performance" for 1964. He was honoured by the Los Angeles Film Critics' Association as Best Actor for Under the Volcano (which he tied with F. Murray Abraham for Amadeus), the National Board of Review Best Actor award for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and the New York Film Critics' Circle Best Actor award for Tom Jones.
Finney has won two Screen Actors' Guild Awards, for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, for Erin Brockovich, and as a member of the acting ensemble in the film Traffic. He was also nominated for The Gathering Storm, for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries, but did not win.
He won the Silver Berlin Bear award for Best Actor, for The Dresser, at the 34th Berlin International Film Festival in 1984.[9]
He won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, for Tom Jones, at the Venice Film Festival.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Entertainer | Mick Rice | |
| 1960 | Saturday Night and Sunday Morning | Arthur Seaton | BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer National Board of Review Award for Best Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |
| 1963 | Tom Jones | Tom Jones | Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Volpi Cup Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1964 | Night Must Fall | Danny | |
| 1967 | Two for the Road | Mark Wallace | |
| 1968 | Charlie Bubbles | Charlie Bubbles | Also director |
| 1970 | Scrooge | Ebenezer Scrooge | Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1971 | Gumshoe | Eddie Ginley | Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |
| 1974 | Murder on the Orient Express | Hercule Poirot | Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |
| 1975 | The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother | Man In Opera Audience | Uncredited Cameo |
| 1977 | The Duellists | Fouche | |
| 1981 | Looker | Dr. Larry Roberts | |
| Wolfen | Dewey Wilson | Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actor | |
| Loophole | Daniels | ||
| 1982 | Annie | Daddy Warbucks | |
| Shoot the Moon | George Dunlap | Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
|
| 1983 | The Dresser | Sir | Silver Bear for Best Actor Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1984 | Under the Volcano | Geoffrey Firmin | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1987 | Orphans | Harold | |
| 1990 | The Image | Jason Cromwell | Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Mini-series/Film |
| The Green Man | Maurice Allington | Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actor | |
| Miller's Crossing | Leo O'Bannon | ||
| Roger Waters - The Wall (Live in Berlin) | The Judge | ||
| 1992 | The Playboys | Hegarty | |
| 1993 | Rich in Love | Warren Odom | |
| 1994 | The Browning Version | Andrew Crocker-Harris | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor |
| A Man of No Importance | Alfred Byrne | ||
| 1996 | Nostromo | Dr. Monyghan | |
| Karaoke / Cold Lazarus | Daniel Feeld | Nominated - British Academy Television Award for Best Actor | |
| 1997 | Washington Square | Dr. Austin Sloper | |
| 1998 | A Rather English Marriage | Reggie | Nominated - British Academy Television Award for Best Actor |
| 1999 | Breakfast of Champions | Kilgore Trout | |
| 2000 | Erin Brockovich | Ed Masry | Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated — Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture |
| Traffic | White House Chief of Staff | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
| 2002 | The Gathering Storm | Winston Churchill | British Academy Television Award for Best Actor Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actor Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Mini-series/Film Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie |
| 2003 | Big Fish | older Edward Bloom | Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actor |
| 2004 | Ocean's Twelve | Gaspar LeMarque | (uncredited) |
| 2005 | Corpse Bride | Finis Everglot | (voice) |
| 2006 | A Good Year | Uncle Henry Skinner | |
| Amazing Grace | John Newton | ||
| 2007 | The Bourne Ultimatum | Dr. Albert Hirsch | |
| Before the Devil Knows You're Dead | Charles Hanson | Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated — London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year |
|
| 2012 | The Bourne Legacy | Dr. Albert Hirsch | |
| Skyfall | Kincade |
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