Ralph Richardson was born on this day in 1902. An Englishman, knighted in 1947 by King George VI, Richardson split his acting career between stage and screen—earning the highest honors for both. He was nominated twice for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and six times for Best Supporting and Best British Actor at the BAFTA. Richardson was often drawn to Shakespeare, performing in productions (both live and on film) of Richard III, Twelfth Night and more with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The actor also starred in Anna Karenina, Doctor Zhivago and, most famously, alongside Katharine Hepburn in Sidney Lumet’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
Filmstar Factoid: Richardson had a special connection with the famous thespian Laurence Olivier. The highly regarded actor worked with Olivier in numerous productions at London’s Old Vic theatre. In 1955, Richardson would team up with the actor in Olivier’s film adaptation of Richard III, and in 1982 he would receive a lifetime achievement Laurence Olivier Theatre Special Award.
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