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Frank Finlay

Acting

Born August 6, 1926 · Farnworth, Lancashire, England, UK

Died January 30, 2016

Also known as 프랭크 핀레이 · Francis "Frank" Finlay · Francis Finlay

Biography

Frank received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations for his performance as William Shakespeare’s Iago in Stuart Burge’s 1965 film of Laurence Olivier’s staging of Othello. He also won the Best Actor Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. He later essayed the definitive screen portrayal of Alexandre Dumas’ musketeer Porthos in three movies for director Richard Lester: The Three Musketeers (1974), The Four Musketeers (1975) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989). Frank’s many other films include The Longest Day; Tony Richardson’s The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner; Martin Ritt’s The Molly Maguires; Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree; Alan Bridges’ The Return of the Soldier (for which he recieved a BAFTA Award nomination); Franco Zeffrelli’s Sparrow; and Eric Styles’ Dreaming of Joseph Lees; and most recently Roman Polanski’s multi-award winning The Pianist and Norma Jewison’s The Statement. His similarly extensive television projects have earned him two BAFTA Awards, for his performances in The Death of Adolf Hitler (starring as Hitler, with Rex Firkin directing); The Adventures of Don Quixote (as Sancho Panza, opposite Rex Harrison, for director Alvin Rakoff); the ground breaking Bouquet of Barbed Wire and Another Bouquet; 84 Charing Cross Road; and recently the critically acclaimed series The Sins. Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Finlay had already begun performing on stage when he earned the Sir James Knott Scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Since then he has led theatre companies in London and on Broadway. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1984 New Year’s Honours List, and was presented with his CBE by the Queen in February1984.

Awards & recognition

  • British Academy Television AwardBest Actor · 1974
  • Commander of the Order of the British Empire
  • British Academy Television AwardBest Actor · 1974 · nominated
  • British Academy Television AwardBest Actor · 1972 · nominated
  • BAFTA AwardMost Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles · 1967 · nominated
Show all 7 awards →
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 1966 · nominated
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture · 1965 · nominated

Filmography45 titles

The Pianist

2002as Father

Sherlock Holmes

1984as Professor Coram / Sergius

Life Begins

2004as Eric Thornhill

The Black Adder

1983as The Witchsmeller Pursuivant

Merlin

2008as Anhora

Prime Suspect

1991as Arnold Tennison

The Longest Day

1962as Pvt. Coke (uncredited)

A Christmas Carol

1984as Jacob Marley

Lovejoy

1986as Harold Plumb

The Lost Prince

2003as Asquith

Heartbeat

1992as Howard Franklin

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

1962as Booking Office Clerk (uncredited)

King of the Wind

1990as Edward Coke

The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns

1999as General Bulstrode

Tea With the Dames

2018as Self (archive footage)

Tales of the Unexpected

1979as Arthur Pearson

The Wild Geese

1978as Fr. Geoghagen

The Three Musketeers

1973as Porthos / O'Reilly

The Shoes of the Fisherman

1968as Igor Bounin

Twisted Nerve

1968as Henry Durnley

Cromwell

1970as John Carter

Robbery

1967as Robinson

The Four Musketeers

1974as Porthos

Dreaming of Joseph Lees

1999as Father

The Return of the Soldier

1983as William Grey

Murder by Decree

1979as Inspector Lestrade

Gumshoe

1971as William Ginley

The Molly Maguires

1970as Davies

The Return of the Musketeers

1989as Porthos

Lifeforce

1985as Dr. Hans Fallada

A Study in Terror

1965as Inspector Lestrade

Sitting Target

1972as Marty Gold

Romance and Rejection (So This Is Romance?)

1997as Mike's Dad

The Statement

2003as Commissaire Vionnet

Hot Enough for June

1964as British Embassy Porter

Stiff Upper Lips

1998as Hudson Junior

Enigma

1982as Canarsky

Assault

1971as Det. Chief Supt. Velyan

Arch of Triumph

1984as Col. Boris Morosov

The Ploughman's Lunch

1983as Matthew Fox

Inspector Clouseau

1968as Supt. Weaver

The Grand

as Edward Lawrence

Ring of Darkness

1979as Paul

The Deadly Bees

1966as H.W. Manfred

For My Baby

2000as Rudi Wittfogel