Laurence Olivier Quick Info
Height 5 ft 10 in
Weight 75 kg
Date of Birth May 22, 1907
Zodiac Sign Gemini
Date of Death July 11, 1989

Laurence Olivier was an English actor, stage artist, director, and producer who was one of the male actors who dominated the British stage scene of the mid-20th century. Also, his film credits include Wuthering Heights (1939), Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), Spartacus (1960), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Sleuth (1972), and The Boys from Brazil (1978). Olivier’s on-screen work earned him 4 Academy Awards, 2 British Academy Film Awards, 5 Emmy Awards, and 3 Golden Globe Awards while his other honors included a knighthood (1947), a life peerage (1970), and the Order of Merit (1981).

Born Name

Laurence Kerr Olivier

Other Names

Baron Olivier, Larry, Kim

Laurence Olivier as seen during the production of 'Sleuth' in 1972
Laurence Olivier as seen during the production of ‘Sleuth’ in 1972 (Allan Warren / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Age

He was born on May 22, 1907.

Died

On July 11, 1989, Laurence Olivier died of kidney failure at the age of 82 at his home near Steyning, West Sussex in England, United Kingdom.

Sun Sign

Gemini

Born Place

Dorking, Surrey, South East England, England, United Kingdom

Nationality

English

English

Education

Laurence Olivier attended many preparatory schools and then passed the singing examination for admission to the choir school of All Saints, Margaret Street, in central London in 1916.

From 1921 to 1924, he studied at St Edward’s School in Oxford. He also trained at the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art.

Occupation

Actor, Stage Artist, Director, Producer

Family

  • Father – Reverend Gerard Kerr Olivier (1869-1939) (Former Schoolmaster, Priest of the Church of England)
  • Mother – Agnes Louise (née Crookenden) (1871-1920)
  • Siblings – Sybille Olivier (1901-1989) (Older Sister), Gerard Dacres “Dickie” (1904-1958) (Older Brother)
  • Others – Henry Arnold Olivier (Paternal Grandfather), Anne Elizabeth Hardcastle Arnould (Paternal Grandmother), Isaac Adolphus Crookenden (Maternal Grandfather), Jane Sophia Mitton (Maternal Grandmother)

Manager

Laurence Evans was his personal manager.

Net Worth

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, he had a net worth of $20 Million.

Build

Slim

Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon from the 1939 film 'Wuthering Heights'
Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon from the 1939 film ‘Wuthering Heights’ (Wid’s Films and Film Folk, inc. / The Film Daily / Public Domain)

Height

5 ft 10 in or 178 cm

Weight

75 kg or 165.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Spouse

Laurence Olivier had dated –

  1. Shelley Winters
  2. Terence Morgan – RUMOR
  3. John Gielgud
  4. Ivor Novello
  5. Michael Farmer
  6. Elissa Landi
  7. Duke of Kent
  8. Margot Fonteyn
  9. Siegfried Sassoon
  10. Peter Finch
  11. Graham Payn
  12. Dorothy Tutin
  13. Henry Ainley
  14. Noël Coward
  15. Jed Harris
  16. Jill Esmond (1928-1940) – In June 1928, he started dating stage and screen actor Jill Esmond while appearing in Bird in Hand at the Royalty Theatre. They married in 1930 and their son Tarquin Olivier was born on August 21, 1936. The couple divorced in 1940. In a letter to their son, she wrote “It’s funny after all that time how I can still love him so much.” Jill also attended Laurence Olivier’s memorial service in October 1989 at Westminster Abbey in a wheelchair.
  17. Vivien Leigh (1936-1961) – He married actor Vivien Leigh at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California on August 31, 1940. On December 2, 1960, they divorced after 2 decades of marriage.
  18. Danny Kaye (1949-1950)
  19. Marlon Brando (1951)
  20. Claire Bloom (1955)
  21. Sarah Miles (1960)
  22. Joan Plowright (1961-1989) – In 1961, he married actor Joan Plowright and they had 3 children – son Richard (b. December 1961), daughter Tamsin Agnes Margaret (b. January 1963), and daughter Julie-Kate (b. July 1966). The duo remained together until Olivier’s death in 1989.

Race / Ethnicity

White

Laurence Olivier was of English and French Huguenot descent.

Hair Color

Gray

Eye Color

Blue

Sexual Orientation

Disputed

Distinctive Features

  • Rich smooth voice
  • Often played noble and fiercely proud leaders and royalty figures
  • Frequently worked in Shakespeare adaptations
  • Often directed himself in his films

Brand Endorsements

Laurence Olivier was cast in TV commercials for the launch of the Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera.

Religion

He was raised in an Anglican household as his father was a High Anglican priest.

Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright as seen while performing in 'The Entertainer' on Broadway in 1958
Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright as seen while performing in ‘The Entertainer’ on Broadway in 1958 (Associated Press / eBay / Public Domain)

Laurence Olivier Facts

  1. On February 8, 1960, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6319 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
  2. In 1984, the Society of West End Theatre Awards were renamed as Laurence Olivier Awards in honor of the actor.
  3. His ashes were buried in Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.

Featured Image by Allan Warren / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Source: https://healthyceleb.com

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