Born April 2, 1914 in London, England, Alec Guinness worked in advertising before achieving success as an actor. While studying acting at actress Fay Compton’s school he had a part as extra in 1934’s Evensong but spent the remainder of the decade on stage.

A commissioned officer in the Royal Navy during World War II, his screen career did not begin in earnest until after the war when David Lean cast him as Herbert Pocket in his 1946 version of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. He then starred as Fagin for Lean in his controversial 1948 film of Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Charges of anti-Semitism in Guinness’ portrayal kept the film out of the U.S. until 1951 by which time Guinness had become an international star.

The film that brought him such acclaim was his third, Robert Hamer’s 1949 comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight roles. He was equally memorable as the lonely farm equipment salesman given two weeks to live in Henry Cass’ bittersweet 1950 film, Last Holiday.

His first Hollywood film was Jean Negulesco’s filmed in England The Mudlark in which he played Disraeli to Irene Dunne’s Queen Victoria.

His comic genius was again tapped for such films as 1951’s The Lavender Hill Mob and The Man in the White Suit. He received his first Oscar nomination for the former.

He was Father Brown in 1954’s The Detective and the Cardinal in 1955’s The Prisoner. He returned to comedy in the same year’s The Ladykillers.

He was Prince Albert to Grace Kelly’s Princess Alexandra in her 1956 penultimate film, The Swan and then played Col. Nicholson for David Lean in the blockbuster The Bridge on the River Kwai, earning his second Oscar nomination and first win.

He wrote the screenplay for Ronald Neame’s 1958 comedy, The Horse’s Mouth in which he played a painter whose character was based on poet Dylan Thomas, earning his third Oscar nomination for that screenplay.

He was a British expatriate living in Havana in Carol Reed’s 1959 film, em>Our Man in Havana, played against type as a bombastic British soldier opposite John Mills in Ronald Neame’s 1960 film, Tunes of Glory and a Japanese businessman opposite Rosalind Russell in Mervyn LeRoy’s 1961 film of the Broadway smash, A Majority of One.

He was Prince Faisal for David Lean in 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia and Marcus Aurelius for Anthony Mann in 1964’s The Fall of the Roman Empire.

He was a Communist for David Lean in 1965’s Doctor Zhivago; Charles I for Ken Hughes in 1970s’s Cromwell; Marley’s Ghost for Ronald Neame in 1970’s Scrooge and Pope Innocent III for Franco Zeffirelli in 1973’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon. He even played the title role for Ennio De Concini in that year’s Hitler: The Last Ten Days. Was there anything the man couldn’t play?

Now in his mid-sixties, he had one more iconic screen role to play, that of Ben Obi-Wan Kenobe in George Lucas’ 1977 blockbuster, Star Wars. Although the role earned him his fourth Oscar nomination, making the film was not a pleasurable experience for him and he is said to have burned all fan letters related to the film without even reading them.

Still not content to sit on his laurels he essayed the role of George Smiley in two acclaimed BBC mini-series from the John Le Carre novels, 1979’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and 1982’s Smiley’s People.

He was awarded an honorary Oscar at the 1979 Academy Awards “for advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances”.

Against his better judgment he took the role of Godbole in David Lean’s 1984 film A Passage to India as a favor to the director who by now considered him his good luck piece. It was not one of his finest hours.

Two strong roles in the 1988 films, Little Dorrit and A Handful of Dust brought him late career accolades. He received his fifth Oscar nomination for Dorrit, his first Dickens’ role since 1970’s Scrooge. After that he had nothing left to prove. There was an occasional minor TV role, but that was all.

Alec Guinness died August 5, 2000 at 86.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (1949), directed by Robert Hamer

Dennis Price stars in the film as distant relative of a duke who plots to murder the eight heirs in line before him. Guinness plays all eight victims, including a woman.

This is one of the great British comedies of all time and an example of the legendary Ealing studio at its best. Guinness, who won the National Board of Review as Best Actor of 1950, is at his comic best. Every scene is a gem including the one that almost killed Guinness as he was left underwater too long during one of the death scenes.

THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT (1951), directed by Alexander Mackendrick

This still potent film is another of the greatest British comedies of all time. Guinness skillfully walks the fine line between comic hilarity and dramatic truth as the inventor of a fabric that resists wear and tear, only to become the butt of both labor and capital who want to suppress his great invention for economic reasons. Joan Greenwood is qauie wonderful as the woman who believes in him.

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957), directed by David Lean

Although seemingly born to play the part, Guinness was cast as the proud, obsessive Col. Nicholson only after Charles Laughton turned down the role. The film itself coined the term “high adventure” and remains one of the most thrilling films of all time. Guinness’ battle of wits with his Japanese counterpart, brilliantly played by Sessue Hayakawa, still commands our attention as does Guinness’ final scene, one of the most talked about “lady or the tiger” type endings ever seen in an Oscar winning film.

THE HORSE’S MOUTH (1958), directed by Ronald Neame

Guinness and marvelous five time co-star Kay Walsh (Oliver Twist; Last Holiday; Tunes of Glory; Scrooge were the others) are absolutely wonderful as the eccentric artist and the barmaid he owes money to. Based on Joyce Cary’s novel, the raucous comedy with an Oscar nominated screenplay by Guinness, provides Guinness with another iconic character to play. Walsh, who was an accomplished scenarist herself (she wrote the acclaimed wordless opening sequence to then husband David Lean’s Great Expectations), is every bit Guinness’ comic equivalent here.

STAR WARS (1977), Directed by George Lucas

Guinness’ joyous portrayal of the beloved old Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobe, is the stuff of legends. So is Guinness’ discomfort with playing the role and his insistence that director Lucas kill off the character so he wouldn’t have to appear in any of the sequels even though he does in flashbacks.

Guinness allegedly so hated being reminded of the experience that he refused any letters from fans alluding to the character.

ALEC GUINNESS AND OSCAR

• The Lavender Hill Mob (1952) – Nominated – Best Actor
• The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) – Oscar – Best Actor
• The Horse’s Mouth (1951) – Nominated – Best Adapted Screenplay
• Star Wars (1977) – Nominated – Best Supporting Actor
• Honorary Award (1979) – Oscar – For advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances.
• Little Dorrit (1988) – Nominated – Best Supporting Actor