Richard Attenborough

Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough (/ˈætənbərə/; 29 August 1923 – 24 August 2014) was an English actor, film director and producer.

Attenborough was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), as well as life president of the Premier League club Chelsea. He joined the Royal Air Force during World War II and served in the film unit, going on several bombing raids over continental Europe and filming the conflict from the rear gunner's position. He was the older brother of broadcaster and nature presenter Sir David Attenborough and motor executive John Attenborough. He was married to actress Sheila Sim from 1945 until his death.

As an actor, Attenborough is best remembered for his film roles in Brighton Rock (1948), I'm All Right Jack (1959), The Great Escape (1963), Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967), 10 Rillington Place (1971), Jurassic Park (1993) and Miracle on 34th Street (1994). On stage, he appeared in the West End in 1952, originating the role of Detective Sergeant Trotter in Agatha Christie's murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has since become the longest-running play in London and the world.

For his directorial debut in 1969's Oh! What a Lovely War, Attenborough was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Direction; later, he would be additionally nominated for his films Young Winston (1972), A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Cry Freedom (1987). For the film Gandhi, in 1983, he won two Academy Awards, Best Picture and Best Director. The British Film Institute ranked Gandhi the 34th-greatest British film of the 20th century. Attenborough has also won four BAFTA Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and the 1983 BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement.

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