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Richard Burton

Acting 58 (deceased) years old Pontrhydyfen, Wales, UK ★ 1.1
Born: November 10, 1925
Died: August 5, 1984

Biography

Richard Burton CBE (born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable performance of Hamlet in 1964. He was called "the natural successor to Olivier" by critic Kenneth Tynan. A heavy drinker, Burton's perceived failure to live up to those expectations disappointed some critics and colleagues and added to his image as a great performer who had wasted his talent. Nevertheless, he is widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation.

Burton was nominated for an Academy Award seven times, but never won an Oscar. He was a recipient of BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Tony Awards for Best Actor. In the mid-1960s, Burton ascended into the ranks of the top box office stars. By the late 1960s, Burton was one of the highest-paid actors in the world, receiving fees of $1 million or more plus a share of the gross receipts. Burton remained closely associated in the public consciousness with his second wife, actress Elizabeth Taylor. The couple's turbulent relationship, in which they were married twice and divorced twice, was rarely out of the news.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The Longest Day
The Longest Day Flight Officer David Campbell 1962
Candy
Candy MacPhisto 1968
Cleopatra
Cleopatra Marcus Antonius 1963
The Robe
The Robe Marcellus Gallio 1953
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four O'Brien 1984

Filmography

Acting Credits (123)

Richard Burton: Wild Genius
Richard Burton: Wild Genius Self (archive footage) 2025
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes Self (archive footage) 2024
Guilty Rebel
Guilty Rebel Narrator (archive footage) 2024
This Is Joan Collins
This Is Joan Collins Self (Archive Footage) 2022
Julie Andrews Forever
Julie Andrews Forever Self (archive footage) 2019
Talking Pictures
Talking Pictures Self (archive footage) 2013
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds: Live
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds: Live George Herbert, The Journalist (archive sound) 2006
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There Self (archive footage) 2003
Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood
Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood Self (archive footage) 2001
Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1
Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1999
Sphinx – Secrets of the History
Sphinx – Secrets of the History Marc Antony (archive footage) 1994
Under Milk Wood
Under Milk Wood First Voice (voice) (archive sound) 1992
John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick
John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick Self (archive footage) 1988
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton Self (Archive Footage) 1988
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1988
To Be Hamlet
To Be Hamlet Self 1985
Ellis Island
Ellis Island Sen. Phipps Ogden 1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four O'Brien 1984
All-Star Party for Frank Sinatra
All-Star Party for Frank Sinatra Self 1983
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland White Knight 1983
Wagner
Wagner Richard Wagner 1983
I, Leonardo: A Journey of the Mind
I, Leonardo: A Journey of the Mind Self - Narrator (voice) 1983
To the Ends of the Earth
To the Ends of the Earth Narrator 1983
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight Self 1981
Circle of Two
Circle of Two Ashley St. Clair 1981
Lovespell
Lovespell King Mark of Cornwall 1981
Breakthrough
Breakthrough Sergeant Steiner 1979
Mystery of the Sacred Shroud
Mystery of the Sacred Shroud Self - Narrator 1978
The Wild Geese
The Wild Geese Col. Allen Faulkner 1978
Absolution
Absolution Father Goddard 1978
The Medusa Touch
The Medusa Touch John Morlar 1978
Stars' War: The Flight of the Wild Geese
Stars' War: The Flight of the Wild Geese Self 1978
Equus
Equus Martin Dysart 1977
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Exorcist II: The Heretic Father Philip Lamont 1977
The Man with No Name
The Man with No Name Self 1977
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years Self 1976
Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter Alec Harvey 1976
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry Malcolm Lowry (voice) 1976
The Gathering Storm
The Gathering Storm Winston Churchill 1974
The Klansman
The Klansman Breck Stancill 1974
Dinah!
Dinah! Self 1974
Spécial cinéma
Spécial cinéma Self (archive footage) 1974
The Voyage
The Voyage Cesare Braggi 1974
Massacre in Rome
Massacre in Rome SS-Obersturmbannführer Herbert Kappler 1973
The Battle of Sutjeska
The Battle of Sutjeska Josip Broz Tito 1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
The American Film Institute Salute to ... Self 1973
Divorce His, Divorce Hers
Divorce His, Divorce Hers Martin Reynolds 1973
Bluebeard
Bluebeard Baron von Sepper 1972
Hammersmith Is Out
Hammersmith Is Out Hammersmith 1972
The Assassination of Trotsky
The Assassination of Trotsky Leon Trotsky 1972
Under Milk Wood
Under Milk Wood First Man 1972
Mooch Goes to Hollywood
Mooch Goes to Hollywood Narrator (voice) (uncredited) 1971
Film '72
Film '72 Self 1971
Villain
Villain Vic Dakin 1971
Raid on Rommel
Raid on Rommel Capt. Alex Foster 1971
Great Performances
Great Performances White Knight 1971
Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days King Henry VIII 1969
Staircase
Staircase Harry Leeds 1969
The Violent Universe
The Violent Universe Narrator - Verse Spoken 1969
Candy
Candy MacPhisto 1968
Where Eagles Dare
Where Eagles Dare Maj. Smith 1968
A Wall in Jerusalem
A Wall in Jerusalem Narrator (English version) (voice) 1968
On Location: Where Eagles Dare
On Location: Where Eagles Dare Self 1968
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy Richard Burton 1968
Robert Kennedy Remembered
Robert Kennedy Remembered Narrator 1968
Boom!
Boom! Chris Flanders 1968
The Comedians
The Comedians Brown 1967
Doctor Faustus
Doctor Faustus Doctor Faustus 1967
The Comedians in Africa
The Comedians in Africa Self (uncredited) 1967
Acting in the 60's: Richard Burton
Acting in the 60's: Richard Burton Self - Interviewee 1967
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew Petruchio 1967
Lionpower from MGM
Lionpower from MGM Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1967
For Florence
For Florence Self - Narrator 1966
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? George 1966
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold Alec Leamas 1965
The Sandpiper
The Sandpiper Edward Hewitt 1965
What's New Pussycat?
What's New Pussycat? Man In Strip Club 1965
The Big Sur
The Big Sur Self / Narrator 1965
A Statue for "The Sandpiper"
A Statue for "The Sandpiper" Self 1965
Hamlet
Hamlet Hamlet 1964
The Night of the Iguana
The Night of the Iguana Rev. Dr. T. Lawrence Shannon 1964
On the Trail of the Iguana
On the Trail of the Iguana Self 1964
Becket
Becket Thomas Becket 1964
Zulu
Zulu Narration spoken (voice) 1964
The V.I.P.s
The V.I.P.s Paul Andros 1963
Cleopatra
Cleopatra Marcus Antonius 1963
The Longest Day
The Longest Day Flight Officer David Campbell 1962
The Broadway of Lerner and Loewe
The Broadway of Lerner and Loewe Self / Arthur 1962
A Tribute to Dylan Thomas
A Tribute to Dylan Thomas Self 1962
Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years
Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years Winston Churchill 1960
A Subject of Scandal and Concern
A Subject of Scandal and Concern George Holyoake 1960
The Bramble Bush
The Bramble Bush Dr. Guy Montford 1960
The Tempest
The Tempest Caliban 1960
The Fifth Column
The Fifth Column 1960
Ice Palace
Ice Palace Zeb Kennedy 1960
Borrowed Pasture
Borrowed Pasture Self - Narrator 1960
Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger Jimmy Porter 1959
March to Aldermaston
March to Aldermaston Narrator (voice) 1959
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights Heathcliff 1958
Bitter Victory
Bitter Victory Capt. Leith 1957
Sea Wife
Sea Wife Biscuit 1957
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Host 1956
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Nominee / Award Accepter 1956
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Co-Host / Special Award Recipient / Presenter 1956
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Co-Host 1956
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Arthur (archive footage) 1956
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great Alexander 1956
The Rains of Ranchipur
The Rains of Ranchipur Dr. Major Rama Safti 1955
Prince of Players
Prince of Players Edwin Booth 1955
Thursday's Children
Thursday's Children Narrator (voice) 1954
The Robe
The Robe Marcellus Gallio 1953
The Desert Rats
The Desert Rats Captain "Tammy" MacRoberts 1953
My Cousin Rachel
My Cousin Rachel Philip Ashley 1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame Caliban 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame Alec Harvey 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame Winston Churchill 1951
Green Grow the Rushes
Green Grow the Rushes Robert 'Bob' Hammond 1951
The Woman with No Name
The Woman with No Name Nick Chamerd 1950
Waterfront
Waterfront Ben Satterthwaite 1950
Now Barabbas
Now Barabbas Paddy 1949
The Last Days of Dolwyn
The Last Days of Dolwyn Gareth 1949
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
Bambi
Bambi Self 1948

Directing Credits (1)

Writing Credits (1)

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