Hugh Griffith

Hugh Griffith was a movie, television, and stage actor from Wales.

He took birth on the 30th of May, 1912. His birthplace is Anglesey in Wales. He studied at the Llangefni County School during his childhood. After completing his schooling, he attempted to get into some University for higher education. However, this dream could not be pursued as he failed to pass his English exam. This is very ironical as he went on to act excellently in the English language itself. Therefore, he decided to study banking and earn his livelihood as a clerk for some bank. He shifted to London for this purpose and got closer to acting opportunities in turn. He then enrolled himself in The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, which brought him steps closer to his acting career. Sadly, he had to leave soon to serve the British army in the Second World War.

He continued his acting only after the war got over, in 1946. He performed many plays by Shakespeare, in which he played the characters of Falstaff (who appears in three Shakespearean plays), King Lear (of the play of the very same title), and ‘Prospero’ (from The Tempest Click to look into! >> Read More... ). He has performed in London as well as New York Click to look into! >> Read More... . He got the opportunity to act alongside Richard Burton Richard Burton is a Welsh stage actor who was amon >> Read More... , as well as act in the prestigious Broadway Theater drama, Legend of Lovers. He then went back to New York where he took part in Look Homeward, Angel, in which he starred with American actor, Anthony Perkins. After their extraordinary work in the stage drama, it was not a coincidence that they both got nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor.

Soon, he began acting in British as well as Hollywood films. He achieved the peak of his career with the character he played in Ben- Hur, in 1959. He played Arab Sheikh Ilderim in the movie. He won many awards for this role of which Best Actor of Academy Awards is most prominent. Tom Jones, ‘Oliver!’ and The Fixer are more pictures which got him awards. He got nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Award of Golden Globe for both Oliver! and The Fixer. He also got several prestigious ones such as the Academy Awards, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Laurel Awards for the character he played in Tom Jones.

He also contributed in television serials like Quatermass II, in 1955, and ‘Clochemerle’, 17 years later. However, the most notable character he played was of Lloyd- Evans in the TV show, Grand Slam.

He died on the 14th of May, 1980, due to a heart attack. He was 67 when he died. He left behind 35 years of work and more than 60 films.