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1-16 of 16
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Laurence Olivier could speak William Shakespeare's lines as naturally as if he were "actually thinking them", said English playwright Charles Bennett, who met Olivier in 1927. Laurence Kerr Olivier was born in Dorking, Surrey, England, to Agnes Louise (Crookenden) and Gerard Kerr Olivier, a High Anglican priest. His surname came from a great-great-grandfather who was of French Huguenot origin.
One of Olivier's earliest successes as a Shakespearean actor on the London stage came in 1935 when he played "Romeo" and "Mercutio" in alternate performances of "Romeo and Juliet" with John Gielgud. A young Englishwoman just beginning her career on the stage fell in love with Olivier's Romeo. In 1937, she was "Ophelia" to his "Hamlet" in a special performance at Kronborg Castle, Elsinore (Helsingør), Denmark. In 1940, she became his second wife after both returned from making films in America that were major box office hits of 1939. His film was Wuthering Heights (1939), her film was Gone with the Wind (1939). Vivien Leigh and Olivier were screen lovers in Fire Over England (1937), 21 Days Together (1940) and That Hamilton Woman (1941).
There was almost a fourth film together in 1944 when Olivier and Leigh traveled to Scotland with Charles C. Bennett to research the real-life story of a Scottish girl accused of murdering her French lover. Bennett recalled that Olivier researched the story "with all the thoroughness of Sherlock Holmes" and "we unearthed evidence, never known or produced at the trial, that would most certainly have sent the young lady to the gallows". The film project was then abandoned. During their two-decade marriage, Olivier and Leigh appeared on the stage in England and America and made films whenever they really needed to make some money.
In 1951, Olivier was working on a screen adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's novel "Sister Carrie" (Carrie (1952)) while Leigh was completing work on the film version of the Tennessee Williams' play, A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). She won her second Oscar for bringing "Blanche DuBois" to the screen. Carrie (1952) was a film that Olivier never talked about. George Hurstwood, a middle-aged married man from Chicago who tricked a young woman into leaving a younger man about to marry her, became a New York street person in the novel. Olivier played him as a somewhat nicer person who didn't fall quite as low. A PBS documentary on Olivier's career broadcast in 1987 covered his first sojourn in Hollywood in the early 1930s with his first wife, Jill Esmond, and noted that her star was higher than his at that time. On film, he was upstaged by his second wife, too, even though the list of films he made is four times as long as hers.
More than half of his film credits come after The Entertainer (1960), which started out as a play in London in 1957. When the play moved across the Atlantic to Broadway in 1958, the role of "Archie Rice"'s daughter was taken over by Joan Plowright, who was also in the film. They married soon after the release of The Entertainer (1960).- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Susy Kane was born on 27 August 1978 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Lodge 49 (2018), Stan & Ollie (2018) and Maron (2013).- Gregory Gottlieb is a British actor and voice artist based in Dubai, UAE. As at 2023 he has two films and two series on Netflix as well as four published audio books. He grew up on a farm in England.
After a 20 year career as a British Army Officer, Gregory transitioned into the aerospace industry. He then turned to his passion for acting and performance three years prior to the Covid pandemic. Unfortunately Covid forced Gregory to remain focused on his 'day jobs' for the time being.
He has supported multiple student films and has also worked as a sound technician. - Peter Dennis was born on 25 October 1933 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Shrek (2001), Ten Inch Hero (2007) and Sideways (2004). He was married to Diane Mercer and Audrey B. Cooper. He died on 18 April 2009 in Shadow Hills, California, USA.
- Laila Morse was born on 1 August 1945 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. She is an actress, known for EastEnders (1985), Nil by Mouth (1997) and Big Fat Gypsy Gangster (2011). She was previously married to James Bass and Gerald Bromfield.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Steve North is an English actor. He had his first major role playing Fireman Colin Parrish in four series of the ITV drama London's Burning. He has since appeared in numerous shows on British television, including Doctor Who Christmas Special 2010, EastEnders, The Bill, The Day Britain Stopped, Murphy's Law, Holby City, Midsomer Murders, Doctors, Is Harry on the Boat?, EastEnders: E20 and Casualty. He also played one of the two lead roles in the award winning stage play "Meeting Joe Strummer" along with Emmerdale actor Nick Miles. He was the solo performer in the original stage adaptation of Nick Hornby's "Fever Pitch", which ran at The Arts Theatre London. He played the role of Ted Narracott in War Horse (play) at the New London Theatre from May 2013 to March 2014 and also in the National Theatre Live broadcast on 27 February 2014 and subsequent Encore screenings.
He co-wrote the film South West 9 and directed the award winning short film Cregan for Screen South.
North is a supporter of Brighton and Hove Albion FC, and has co-written two books about the club, Build a Bonfire (Mainstream Publishing 1997) and "We Want Falmer" (Stripe Publishing 2011).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Bryan Izzard was born on 4 July 1936 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He was a producer and director, known for Tonight at 8.30 (1991), The Reg Varney Revue (1972) and Titchmarsh on Song (1992). He died on 27 April 2006.- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Additional Crew
After a long career in theatre and television, from 2007 Chris founded his own company, "Grey Cat Productions", and teamed up with fellow Producer, Anthony Rowe to develop and make feature films and TV drama, set in the UK, with an emphasis on Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Their forthcoming feature is Pumpgirl (2009).- Producer
- Visual Effects
- Production Manager
Brian Burgess was born in 1928 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He is a producer and production manager, known for Fortress (1992), The Phantom (1996) and Frenzy (1972).- Humphrey Barclay was born on 24 March 1941 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He is a producer, known for Desmond's (1989), Two's Company (1975) and Look Back in Anger (1989).
- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Zion, aka Lord Zion, is best known as the lead singer and co-founder of UK rock band, SPiT LiKE THiS. Formed in 2002 and active worldwide with several album and EP releases. As well as writing and co-producing all the music for the band, Zion has written, produced and co-directed the band's music videos.
In 2012, Zion started writing his first screenplay "Normalityville Horror" (in development). Second screenplay "Meet The Cadavers" was shot in 2013 (Zion produced, co-directed and starred in) and is now in post-production. A third is on it's way.
Ultimate goal: writer/director/actor of own material.- Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Spaven was born on 21 March 1953 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He is known for X-Men (2000), Jumper (2008) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010).- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Alan Hacker was born on 30 September 1938 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He is known for Alcina (2000), Music on 2 (1965) and Music Now (1968). He died on 16 April 2012 in York, Yorkshire, England, UK.- Godfrey Bond was born on 5 June 1897 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), The Gentle Falcon (1954) and Benbow and the Angels (1955). He was married to Mavis Edwards. He died on 23 May 1955 in Plumstead, London, England, UK.
- Gillian Hume was born on 20 November 1901 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Suspense (1962), First Night (1963) and Armchair Theatre (1956). She died on 14 January 1999 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Mike Dawson was born on 16 October 1953 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK.