Albert Finney Biography

Date of Birth
9 May 1936, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK

Nickname
Albie

Height
5' 9" (1.75 m)

Mini 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).
IMDb Mini Biography By: Volker Boehm

Spouse
Pene Delmage (2006 - present)
Katherine Attson (1989 - 1991) (divorced) 1 child
Anouk Aimée (7 August 1970 - 1978) (divorced)
Jane Wenham (1957 - 1961) (divorced) 1 child

Trivia

He has one child from his first marriage to actress Jane Wenham. Finney's son, Simon, works in the film business as a technician.

Only person in history to ever call Audrey Hepburn "bitch" (in Two for the Road (1967)), even if it was just his line.

He allegedly declined a C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1980 and Knighthood in 2000 for his services to drama.

He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1987 (1986 season) for Best Actor in a New Play for "Orphans".

He was awarded the 1986 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in Orphans.

Graduated from RADA.

An Associate Member of RADA.

A member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, where he performed for three seasons in the early eighties. In the late 1950s, he appeared at the RSC's earlier incarnation, the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, where he was mentored by 'Charles Laughton".

Doesn't have an agent nor a manager.

Felt the lead role in Tom Jones (1963) wasn't serious enough, and agreed to star only if he got a producing credit; he later traded the credit for profit participation. He later earned an Oscar nomination for this role.

As an aspiring actor in the mid-1950s, he made the rounds with Michael Polley, the father of Sarah Polley. Michael Polley says that Finney compared actors to bricklayers, in terms of craft.

Was the first choice of Laurence Olivier to take over his post as the head of Britain's National Theatre. Finney had played a season shortly after the National Theatre's inaugural season in 1963-64. Finney declined the offer.

Was twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic): in 1964 for playing the title character of Martin Luther in John Osborne's "Luther," and in 1968 for Peter Nichols' "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg."

Played Michael Medwin's uncle in Scrooge (1970) even though he is actually more than twelve years younger than him.

Originally chosen for the title role in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) after a screen test shot over four days at a cost of £100,000. He later baulked at the film's monumental shooting schedule, and did not want to commit to such a long term contract and opted to play the title role in Tom Jones (1963), which gave him his first Oscar nomination.

Was initially asked to reprise his role as Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile (1978). However, he had found the make-up he had to wear for the first movie Murder on the Orient Express (1974) very uncomfortable in the hot interior of the train, and on realizing that he would have to undergo the same experience, this time in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, he declined the role.

The third choice for Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Before him were Alec Guinness & Paul Scofield. Ironically, Agatha Christie felt Finney's performance came closest to her idea of Poirot.

In 1965, he formed Memorial Films in association with Michael Medwin to produce theatrical features, which included Charlie Bubble, If.... (1968), Gumshoe, Bleak Moments, O Lucky Man! (1973) and Disorder.

Appears, uncredited, in drag as The Matron in the ladies' bathroom scene in Miller's Crossing (1990).

Although he was born working class (and indeed, along with Tom Courtenay, was one of the leading avatars of the wave of working class/provincial actors that revolutionized British theater and film in the 1950s and '60s, his was a relatively privileged upbringing as his father was a successful bookie.

Rather than attend the Oscar ceremony in 1964, he went on vacation sailing in the South Seas. When informed that he had been beaten as Best Actor by Sidney Poitier, he offered Poitier his heartfelt congratulations. Though nominated another four times in the 1970s, '80s and 21st Century, he has yet to appear in person at an Oscar ceremony.

Originated the lead roles in the plays "Billy Liar," "Luther," and "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg," all of which were played by other actors when transferred to film.

Father of the film technician Simon Finney and the actor Declan Finney.

Personal Quotes

"Call me Sir if you like! Maybe people in America think being a Sir is a big deal. But I think we should all be misters together. I think the Sir thing slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery. And it also helps keep us 'quaint,' which I'm not a great fan of. You don't get much with the title anymore. That was all carved up by the robber barons in the Middle Ages."

[speaking in 1961] "My job is acting, and that is why I hate interviews or lectures, explaining myself to an audience."

"I'm not the romantic type ... I'm a bit like the late, great Peter Sellers, only happy in character roles."

"After I played a homosexual character in 'A Man of No Importance,' an American journalist asked if I'd have a rainbow flag on my car's bumper. I said I don't 'do' bumper stickers, but if I did, I'd be pleased to use that one. After all, everyone's included in the rainbow, aren't they?"

[on Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)] "I was the first man to be seen sleeping with another man's wife in an English film."

"On The Waterfront came out and there were 150 guys [at RADA] all doing Brando impressions."

I just felt I was being used. I wasn't involved ... I felt bored most of the time. - On Tom Jones (1963)

[on Charles Laughton] He was the first kind of legend I actually had contact with professionally, which was very exciting. I admired him in his movies; I'd never seen him on the stage. I thought he was terrific.

[1987 comment on John Huston] I kinda loved John. He was like a second father to me in many ways, which I know may sound odd considering I was 45 when I first worked with him, but when you had to say goodbye there was always this feeling of loss, that terrible sadness that you'd be deprived of his company. I've seen more films by him than anybody else on the planet.

[1967 comment on director Karel Reisz] I think Karel is very good with actors; he's very interested in the actors creating a character and not just relying on personality, he's good at encouraging actors to explore the characterization, and I think that's the kind of acting I'm interested in.

Salary
Annie (1982) $1 million
The Duellists (1977) A case of champagne

Source: imdb.com