Alec Guinness biography
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Alec Guinness filmography

[h3]After finishing school in 1932, Guinness began working as an apprentice copywriter in a London advertising agency.[/h3]

His desire to act soon won him over and, in 1933 he auditioned for, and won, a modest scholarship to the Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art, debuting on stage in 1934 in 'Queer Cargo' and later in 'Hamlet'.

By the time World War II began and Guinness enlisted in the Royal Navy, he had appeared in over 20 major stage productions, and had worked with such acting heavyweights as Sir John Gielgud, [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/209:0/Laurence_Olivier.htm]Laurence Olivier[/urlnew], Peggy Ashcroft, and Edith Evans.

Guinness' film career began with his portrayal of Herbert Pocket in 'Great Expectations', followed by his role as Fagin in 'Oliver Twist'.

He earned a best actor Oscar and Golden Globe for 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', and received another Oscar nomination the next year, this time as a screenwriter, for the satirical film 'The Horse's Mouth'. Other Academy nominations have included 'The Lavender Hill Mob', 'Star Wars' and 'Little Dorrit'.

He reached a whole new generation of film audiences with his role as Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi in the blockbuster hit 'Star Wars', and reprised the role in the film's equally successful sequels, 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi'.

Guinness reportedly hated working on 'Star Wars' so much that he claims Obi-Wan's death was his idea, as a means to limit his involvement in the film.

He was Awarded a CBE in 1955 and, four years later, he was knighted for his accomplishments in theatre and film. He also received an Honorary Academy Award for 'advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances'.

Guinness played John Le Carré's master spy, George Smiley, in a pair of acclaimed 1980s TV mini-series, 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' and 'Smiley's People'.

Guinness married the artist, playwright, and actress, Merula Salaman in 1938, and they had a son in 1940, Matthew Guinness, who later became an actor.

He sadly died from liver cancer in Sussex in 2000.
Alec Guinness biography



- He is knighted and sometimes credits himself as Sir Alec Guinness.

- He and his wife' Merula Salaman' were married from 20th June 1938 until his death in 2000 - she passed away herself only two months after him.

- He claimed to love the TV show 'The Simpsons'.

- His son Matthew Guinness is an actor.

- He never knew the identity of his father.

- Contrary to popular belief, he has never said the line 'may the force be with you', in any of the 'Star Wars' films.

- He hates everything to do with Star Wars.
Alec Guinness biography



Eskimo Day (1996)

Mute Witness (1994) (as Mystery Guest Star)

Foreign Field, A (1993)

Tales from Hollywood (1992)

Kafka (1991)

Little Dorrit (1988)

Handful of Dust, A (1988)

Monsignor Quixote (1985)

Edwin (1984)

Passage to India, A (1984)

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Lovesick (1983)

"Smiley's People" (1982) (mini)

Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)

Raise the Titanic (1980)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
(1980)

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979)

Murder by Death (1976)

Gift of Friendship, The (1974)

Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973)

Fratello sole, sorella luna (1972)

E.E. Cummings (1970)

Scrooge (1970)

Cromwell (1970)

Twelfth Night (1969)

Comedians, The (1967)

Quiller Memorandum, The (1966)

Hotel Paradiso (1966)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious (1965)

Fall of the Roman Empire, The (1964)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

H.M.S. Defiant (1962)

Majority of One, A (1962)

Tunes of Glory (1960)

Our Man in Havana (1959)

Wicked Scheme of Jebal Deeks, The (1959)

Scapegoat, The (1959)

Horse's Mouth, The (1958)

Barnacle Bill (1957)

Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)

Swan, The (1956)

Ladykillers, The (1955)

Prisoner, The (1955)

Baker's Dozen (1955)

To Paris with Love (1955)

Father Brown (1954)

Malta Story, The (1953)

Square Mile, The (1953)

Captain's Paradise, The (1953)

Card, The (1952)

Man in the White Suit, The (1951)

Lavender Hill Mob, The (1951)

Mudlark, The (1950)

Last Holiday (1950)

Run for Your Money, A (1949)

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

Oliver Twist (1948)

Great Expectations (1946)

Evensong (1934)
Alec Guinness biography

Gene Simmons Family Jewels 3: Gene's Ego Trip Fri 21st Nov - 8:30PM

Singing In The Shadow: The Children Of Rock Royalty Fri 21st Nov - 4:00PM

Survival Of The Richest (Part 3 of 6) Fri 21st Nov - 11:00PM