Frank 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.

Filmografi

The Pianist2002 · FatherThe Voyeur1994 · Nino RolfeLifeforce1985 · Dr. Hans FalladaThe Key1983 · Nino RolfeThe Longest Day1962 · Pvt. Coke (uncredited)Dear Brutus1981 · DearthThe Three Musketeers1973 · Porthos / O'ReillyThe Wild Geese1978 · Fr. GeoghagenA Christmas Carol1984 · Jacob MarleyJulius Caesar1969 · BrutusThe Miracle of Medjugorje1995 · MonsignorCasanova1987 · RazettaThe Four Musketeers1974 · PorthosInspector Clouseau1968 · Supt. WeaverThe Molly Maguires1970 · DaviesFifty Shades of Erotica2015 · (archive footage)The Shoes of the Fisherman1968 · Igor BouninThe Return of the Musketeers1989 · PorthosBetzi1978 · NapoleonMona1982 · Captain MansonMurder by Decree1979 · Inspector LestradeA Study in Terror1965 · Inspector LestradeThe Merchant of Venice1972 · ShylockRobbery1967 · Robinson