Biography - an account of the series of events making up a person's life.
Richard Burton (formerly Jenkins)
born: 19-11-1925
birth place: Pontrhydfen, SC Wales, United Kingdom
died: 05-08-1984
In 1943 he was adopted by his schoolmaster, Philip Burton, whose surname he adopted and who coached him until he gained a scholarship to Oxford, at the age of sixteen.
Burton spent time as an officer cadet in the RAF during WW2 and, by 1949, was performing opposite such luminaries as John Gielgud.
Although he had starred in several feature films before, most notably 'The Robe' (1953) and 'Alexander the Great' (1956), it was his Broadway success that led to his being cast opposite Elizabeth Taylor in 1963’s 'Cleopatra'.
His romance with Taylor led to the collapse of his first marriage (to Sybil Williams, whom he had married in 1948), and was to catapult him to international stardom. Indeed, the pair’s fiery relationship was to prove a staple in the tabloid press, as the couple’s first marriage ended in divorce in 1974, only to be succeeded by reconciliation and a second divorce in 1976.
Burton appeared in some ten feature films with Taylor, including 'The VIP’s' (1963), 'The Sandpiper' (1965), and 1966’s 'Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf', for which Taylor won an Oscar, and Burton his first Oscar nomination.
After the break-up of his relationship with Taylor, Burton remarried twice, to Susan Hunt in 1976, and then to Sally Hay Burton in 1983.
A string of unsuccessful movie flops was ended with a second unsuccessful Oscar nomination for his role in 'Equus' (1977), although Burton was unable to recapture such form until his role as O’Brien in the posthumously released '1984'.
Burton died of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 58. He was survived by his fourth wife, and is buried in the Protestant Churchyard in Celigny, Switzerland.
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born: 19-11-1925
birth place: Pontrhydfen, SC Wales, United Kingdom
died: 05-08-1984
Richard Burton was born on November 19th 1925, the twelfth of thirteen children.
In 1943 he was adopted by his schoolmaster, Philip Burton, whose surname he adopted and who coached him until he gained a scholarship to Oxford, at the age of sixteen.
Burton spent time as an officer cadet in the RAF during WW2 and, by 1949, was performing opposite such luminaries as John Gielgud.
Although he had starred in several feature films before, most notably 'The Robe' (1953) and 'Alexander the Great' (1956), it was his Broadway success that led to his being cast opposite Elizabeth Taylor in 1963’s 'Cleopatra'.
His romance with Taylor led to the collapse of his first marriage (to Sybil Williams, whom he had married in 1948), and was to catapult him to international stardom. Indeed, the pair’s fiery relationship was to prove a staple in the tabloid press, as the couple’s first marriage ended in divorce in 1974, only to be succeeded by reconciliation and a second divorce in 1976.
Burton appeared in some ten feature films with Taylor, including 'The VIP’s' (1963), 'The Sandpiper' (1965), and 1966’s 'Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf', for which Taylor won an Oscar, and Burton his first Oscar nomination.
After the break-up of his relationship with Taylor, Burton remarried twice, to Susan Hunt in 1976, and then to Sally Hay Burton in 1983.
A string of unsuccessful movie flops was ended with a second unsuccessful Oscar nomination for his role in 'Equus' (1977), although Burton was unable to recapture such form until his role as O’Brien in the posthumously released '1984'.
Burton died of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 58. He was survived by his fourth wife, and is buried in the Protestant Churchyard in Celigny, Switzerland.
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