Richard Attenborough, Baron Attenborough of Richmond-upon-Thames, was born in Cambridge, England, the son of
Mary (née Clegg), a founding member of the Marriage Guidance Council,
and Frederick Levi Attenborough, a scholar and academic administrator
who was a don at Emmanuel College and wrote a standard text on
Anglo-Saxon law. The family later moved to Leicester where his father was appointed Principal of the university while Richard was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School
for Boys in Leicester and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
His film career began with a role as a deserting sailor in
In Which We Serve (1942), a
part that contributed to his being typecast for many years as a coward
in films like
London Belongs to Me (1948),
Die Nacht begann am Morgen (1950) and
his breakthrough role as a psychopathic young gangster in the film
adaptation of Graham Greene's
novel, Brighton Rock (1948). During
World War II, Attenborough served in the Royal Air Force.
He worked prolifically in British films for the next 30 years, and in
the 1950s appeared in several successful comedies for
John Boulting and
Roy Boulting, including
Der beste Mann beim Militär (1956) and
Junger Mann aus gutem Hause (1959).
Early in his stage career, Attenborough starred in the London West End
production of Agatha Christie's "The
Mousetrap", which went on to become one of the world's longest-running
stage productions. Both he and his wife were among the original cast
members of the production, which opened in 1952 and (as of 2007) is
still running.
In the 1960s, he expanded his range of character roles in films such as
An einem trüben Nachmittag (1964)
and Schüsse in Batasi (1964), for
which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the
regimental Sergeant Major. He appeared in the ensemble cast of
Gesprengte Ketten (1963), as
Squadron Leader "Roger Bartlett" ("Big X"), the head of the escape
committee.
In 1967 and 1968, he won back-to-back Golden Globe Awards in the
category of Best Supporting Actor, the first time for
Kanonenboot am Yangtse-Kiang (1966),
starring Steve McQueen, and the
second time for
Doctor Dolittle (1967), starring
Rex Harrison. He would win another
Golden Globe for Best Director, for
Gandhi (1982), in 1983. Six years prior to
"Gandhi", he played the ruthless "Gen. Outram" in Indian director
Satyajit Ray's period piece,
Die Schachspieler (1977).
He has never been nominated for an Academy Award in an acting category.
He took no acting roles following his appearance in
Otto Preminger's
Der menschliche Faktor (1979), until
his appearance as the eccentric developer "John Hammond" in
Steven Spielberg's
Jurassic Park (1993). The following
year, he starred as "Kris Kringle" in
Das Wunder von Manhattan (1994),
a remake of the 1947 classic. Since then, he has made occasional
appearances in supporting roles, including the historical drama,
Elizabeth (1998), as "Sir William
Cecil".
In the late 1950s, Attenborough formed a production company, "Beaver
Films", with Bryan Forbes and began to
build a profile as a producer on projects, including
Die Herren Einbrecher geben sich die Ehre (1960),
Zorniges Schweigen (1960) and
...woher der Wind weht (1961),
also appearing in the first two of these as an actor.
His feature film directorial debut was the all-star screen version of
the hit musical,
Oh! What a Lovely War (1969),
and his acting appearances became more sporadic - the most notable
being his portrayal of serial killer "John Christie" in
John Christie, der Frauenwürger von London (1971).
He later directed two epic period films:
Der junge Löwe (1972), based on the
early life of
Winston Churchill, and
Die Brücke von Arnheim (1977), an
all-star account of Operation Market Garden in World War II. He won the
1982 Academy Award for Directing for his historical epic,
Gandhi (1982), a project he had been
attempting to get made for many years. As the film's producer, he also
won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His most recent films, as
director and producer, include
Chaplin - Das Leben der unsterblichen Filmlegende (1992), starring
Robert Downey Jr. as
Charles Chaplin, and
Shadowlands - Ein Geschenk des Augenblicks (1993), based on the
relationship between C.S. Lewis and Joy
Gresham. Both films starred
Anthony Hopkins, who also
appeared in three other films for Attenborough: "Young Winston", "A
Bridge Too Far" and the thriller,
Magic - Die Puppe des Grauens (1978).
Attenborough also directed the screen version of the hit Broadway
musical, "A Chorus Line"
(A Chorus Line (1985)), and the
apartheid drama, Schrei nach Freiheit (1987),
based on the experiences of
Donald Woods. He was nominated
for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for both films. His most
recent film as director was another biographical film,
Grey Owl und der Schatz der Biber (1999), starring
Pierce Brosnan.
Attenborough is the President of RADA, Chairman of Capital Radio,
President of BAFTA, President of the Gandhi Foundation, and President
of the British National Film and Television School. He is also a vice
patron of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund.
He is also the patron of the UWC movement (United World Colleges),
whereby he continually contributes greatly to the colleges that are
part of the organization. He has frequented the United World College of
Southern Africa(UWCSA) Waterford Kamhlaba. His wife and he founded the
"Richard and Sheila Attenborough Visual Arts Center". He also founded
the "Jane Holland Creative Center for Learning" at Waterford Kamhlaba
in Swaziland in memory of his daughter, who died in the Tsunami on
Boxing Day, 2004. He passionately believes in education, primarily
education that does not judge upon color, race, creed or religion. His
attachment to Waterford is his passion for non-racial education, which
were the grounds on which Waterford Kamhlaba was founded. Waterford was
one of his inspirations for directing
Schrei nach Freiheit (1987), based on the life
of Steve Biko.
He was elected to the post of Chancellor of the University of Sussex on
20 March 1998, replacing the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. A lifelong
supporter of Chelsea Football Club, Attenborough served as a director
of the club from 1969-1982 and, since 1993, has held the honorary
position of Life Vice President. He is also the head of the consortium,
"Dragon International", which is constructing a film and television
studio complex in Llanilid, Wales, often referred to as "Valleywood".
In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE). He was knighted in 1976 and, in 1993, he was made a life peer as
Baron Attenborough, of Richmond-upon-Thames in the London Borough of
Richmond upon Thames.
On 13 July 2006, Attenborough and his brother,
David Attenborough, were awarded the
titles of Distinguished Honorary Fellows of the University of Leicester
"in recognition of a record of continuing distinguished service to the
University". Lord Attenborough is also listed as an Honorary Fellow of
Bangor University for his continued efforts to film making.
Attenborough has been married to English actress
Sheila Sim, since 1945. They had three
children. In December 2004, his elder daughter, Jane Holland, as well
as her daughter Lucy and her mother-in-law, also named Jane, were
killed in the tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake. A memorial
service was held on 8 March 2005, and Attenborough read a lesson at the
national memorial service on 11 May 2005. His grandson, Samuel Holland,
and granddaughter, Alice Holland, also read in the service.
Attenborough's father was principal of University College, Leicester,
now the city's university. This has resulted in a long association with
the university, with Lord Attenborough a patron. A commemorative plaque
was placed on the floor of Richmond Parish Church. The university's
"Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and the Arts", which opened
in 1997, is named in his Honor.
His son,
Michael Attenborough, is
also a director. He has two younger brothers, the famous naturalist Sir
David Attenborough and John
Attenborough, who has made a career in the motor trade.
He has collected Pablo Picasso ceramics
since the 1950s. More than 100 items went on display at the New Walk
Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester in 2007; the exhibition is
dedicated to his family members lost in the tsunami.
