Born November 10, 1925, Richard Walter Jenkins was the son of a Welsh coal miner. He showed promise in acting at an early age and received a scholarship to study the craft at Oxford University. Truly one of the great United Kingdom actors of the post World War II era, Richard made his stage debut in the 1940s. His early appearances were effective but insignificant until producers began to notice his extraordinary talent. In 1952, he got the leading role in “My Cousin, Rachel” opposite Olivia De Havilland.
The reviews were excellent and he made several films at this time including “Alexander the Great” (1956) and “The Robe” (1953). He also appeared in many stage productions. The late 1950s in the United Kingdom were referred to as “The British New Wave” and Burton was its shining star. Perhaps his most outstanding performance at this time was his role in “Look Back In Anger,” which he made in 1959. He was moving along very nicely and then his life drastically changed in 1962. It was then that he was selected to play Marc Antony in the film, “Cleopatra,” opposite Elizabeth Taylor.
Their affair broke up two marriages and the couple married and appeared in several movies together over the years, including “The Sandpiper” (1965) “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) and “The Taming of The Shrew” (1967). His most riveting performances however, he accomplished all on his own as demonstrated in “Beckett” (1964) and “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” (1965).
In the 1970s, he lost a bit of his golden touch, as quality male roles were going to younger stars. He accepted films of dubious quality just to pay the bills. An avid fan of Shakespeare, he once said, “home is where the books are.” He had a long and formidable career, although it was not long enough for his many adoring fans. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on August 5, 1984, in Switzerland at the age of 59.
What are some of your favorite Richard Burton films?