History Creator / LaurenceOlivier

* PlayingAgainstType: While it's hard to say Olivier, with his diverse selection of roles, had a "type," his appearance in John Osborne's ''The Entertainer'' counts. Besides playing a seedy musical hall comedian, Olivier's involvement gave credibility to Osborne and the Royal Court Theatre, who were considered disreputable outsiders among England's stage community. Afterwards, establishment actors like John Gielgud and Alec GUinness queued to appear at the Royal Court!

* PlayingAgainstType: While it's hard to say Olivier, with his diverse selection of roles, had a "type," his appearance in John Osborne's ''The Entertainer'' counts. Besides playing a seedy musical hall comedian, Olivier's involvement in the play gave credibility to Osborne and the Royal Court Theatre, who were considered disreputable outsiders among England's stage community. Afterwards, establishment actors like John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson queued to appear at the Royal Court!

[[KnightFever Baron Olivier of Brighton]] '''Laurence Olivier''' (May 22, 1907 -- July 11, 1989) was an English actor and director, considered by many the greatest actor of the twentieth century. His roles range from the AcademyAward-winning title role of ''{{Hamlet}}'' (which he also directed) to a [[GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]]-winning supporting role in the remake of ''Film/TheJazzSinger''.

** Played straighter with Charles Laughton. The two hated each other so much that they barely spoke while filming ''Film/{{Spartacus}}'' together.

As a film director, he's best known for his three Creator/WilliamShakespeare adaptations: ''HenryV'' (1944), ''{{Hamlet}}'' (1948), and ''Theatre/RichardIII'' (1955). He also played the title role in each, being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar each time. He won for ''Hamlet'', which also won Best Picture (the ''only'' movie spoken in Shakespeare's dialogue to win to date) and earned Olivier a Best Director nomination (making him the only person to direct ''himself'' to an Oscar until Roberto Benigni won an Oscar for acting in ''LifeIsBeautiful'' 50 years later).

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite playing Nazis and cruel emperors, he was known as a very friendly, down to earth guy in real life to the point that he hated being called by any of his royal titles and preferred to be addressed as Larry. He was such a nice guy that even MarlonBrando, who was known as a big jerkass, couldn't bring himself to seduce Vivien Leigh when they were married. DustinHoffman has said that, contrary to rumors that he and Olivier didn't get along while making ''MarathonMan'', Olivier and wife Joan Plowright took Hoffman to dinner several times, and presented him with Olivier's personal copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare once filming ended.

** This hatred of method acting made filming ''ThePrinceAndTheShowgirl'' with MarilynMonroe difficult for Olivier, since Marilyn's coach Paula Stasburg would insist she employ all the Stanislavskian techniques even in a read-through.
** A story goes that, when filming ''MarathonMan'', DustinHoffman stayed up all night in order to appear tired for a scene. Olivier was unimpressed by the show and said "Why not try acting, dear boy? It's easier".

* TheRival: John Gielgud. The two appeared in a stage production of ''RomeoAndJuliet'' together in the '30s, clashed over acting styles and became the two preeminent Shakespearean actors of their day. The two initially disliked each other, but grew into VitriolicBestBuds later in life.

[[KnightFever Baron Olivier of Brighton]] '''Laurence Olivier''' (1907 – 1989) was an English actor and director, considered by many the greatest actor of the twentieth century. His roles range from the AcademyAward-winning title role of ''{{Hamlet}}'' (which he also directed) to a [[GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]]-winning supporting role in the remake of ''Film/TheJazzSinger''.

* MoneyDearBoy: {{Trope Namer|s}}. It was the reason he gave for appearing in ''Inchon'' (which netted him the second of his two [=Razzies=]). He started doing film roles like ''Inchon'' - which he hated making - just for the money after he was forced out of his job as director of the National Theatre. He was worried that he would die and his family would be left with nothing.

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite playing Nazis and cruel emperors, he was known as a very friendly, down to earth guy in real life to the point that he hated being called by any of his royal titles and preferred to be addressed as Larry. He was such a nice guy that even MarlonBrando, who was known as a big jerkass, couldn't bring himself to seduce Vivien Leigh when they were married. DustinHoffman has said that, contrary to rumors that he and Olivier didn't get along while making ''MarathonMan'', Olivier and then-wife Joan Plowright took Hoffman to dinner several times, and presented him with Olivier's personal copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare once filming ended.

[[KnightFever Sir]] '''Laurence Olivier''' (1907 – 1989) was an English actor and director, considered by many the greatest actor of the twentieth century. His roles range from the AcademyAward-winning title role of ''{{Hamlet}}'' (which he also directed) to a [[GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]]-winning supporting role in the remake of ''Film/TheJazzSinger''.

As a film director, he's best known for his three Creator/WilliamShakespeare adaptations: ''HenryV'' (1944), ''{{Hamlet}}'' (1948), and ''Theatre/RichardIII'' (1955). He also played the title role in each, being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar each time. He won for ''Hamlet'', which also won Best Picture (the ''only'' movie spoken in Shakespeare's dialogue to win to date) and earned Olivier a Best Director nomination (making him the only person to direct ''himself'' to an Oscar until Roberto Benigni won an Oscar for acting in LifeIsBeautiful 50 years later).

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* MoneyDearBoy: TropeNamer. It was the reason he gave for appearing in ''Inchon'' (which netted him the second of his two {{Razzie}}s). He started doing film roles like ''Inchon'' - which he hated making - just for the money after he was forced out of his job as director of the National Theatre. He was worried that he would die and his family would be left with nothing.

[[KnightFever Sir]] '''Laurence Olivier''' (1907 – 1989) was an English actor and director, considered by many the greatest actor of the twentieth century. His roles range from the AcademyAward-winning title role of ''{{Hamlet}}'' (which he also directed) to a {{Razzie}}-winning supporting role in the remake of ''Film/TheJazzSinger''.

As a film director, he's best known for his three Creator/WilliamShakespeare adaptations: ''HenryV'' (1944), ''{{Hamlet}}'' (1948), and ''Theatre/RichardIII'' (1955). He also played the title role in each, being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar each time. He won for ''Hamlet'', which also won Best Picture (the ''only'' movie spoken in Shakespeare's dialogue to win to date) and earned Olivier a Best Director nomination (making him the only person to direct ''himself'' to an Oscar).

* TheRival: John Gielgud. The two appeared in a stage production of ''RomeoAndJuliet'' together in the '30s, clashed over acting styles and grew to be the two preeminent Shakespearean actors of their day. The two initially disliked each other, but grew into VitriolicBestBuds later in life.

* TheRival: John Gielgud. The two appeared in a stage production of ''RomeoAndJuliet'' together in the '30s, clashed over acting styles and from then on very cordially hated each other.

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite playing Nazis and cruel emperors, he was known as a very friendly, down to earth guy in real life to the point that he hated being called by any of his royal titles and preferred to be addressed as Larry. He was such a nice guy that even MarlonBrando, who was known as a big jerkass, couldn't bring himself to seduce Vivien Leigh when They were married.

As a film director, he's best known for his three Creator/WilliamShakespeare adaptations: ''HenryV'' (1944), ''{{Hamlet}}'' (1948), and ''Theatre/RichardIII'' (1955). He also played the title role in each, being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar each time. He won for ''Hamlet'', which also won Best Picture (the ''only'' movie spoken in Shakespeare's dialogue to win to date) and earned Olivier a Best Director nomination.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite playing Nazis and cruel emperors, he was known as a very friendly, down to earth guy in real life to the point that he hated being called by any of his royal titles and preferred to be addressed as Larry. He was such a nice guy that even MarlonBrando, who was known as a big jerkass, couldn't bring himself to seduce Vivien Leigh when They were married.

'''Laurence Olivier''' (1907 – 1989) was an English actor and director, considered by many the greatest actor of the twentieth century. His roles range from the AcademyAward-winning title role of ''{{Hamlet}}'' (which he also directed) to a {{Razzie}}-winning supporting role in the remake of ''Film/TheJazzSinger''.

'''Laurence Olivier''' (1907 – 1989) was an actor and director, considered by many the greatest actor of the twentieth century. His roles range from the AcademyAward-winning title role of ''{{Hamlet}}'' (which he also directed) to a {{Razzie}}-winning supporting role in the remake of ''TheJazzSinger''.

In what was perhaps the logical extreme to both their careers, KennethBranagh netted an AcademyAward nomination for playing Olivier in ''MyWeekWithMarilyn''.

* MethodActing: He famously hated method acting, which is reassuring given [[Film/{{Spartacus}} some of]] [[MarathonMan the roles]] [[Film/TheBoysFromBrazil he played]]. This hatred of method acting made filming ''ThePrinceAndTheShowgirl'' with MarilynMonroe difficult for Olivier, since Marilyn's coach Paula Stasburg would insist she employ all the Stanislavskian techniques even in a read-through.

* MoneyDearBoy: TropeNamer. It was the reason he gave for appearing in ''Inchon'' (which netted him the second of his two {{Razzie}}s).
** Actually, he started doing film roles like ''Inchon'' - which he hated making - just for the money after he was forced out of his job as director of the National Theatre. He was worried that he would die and his family would be left with nothing.

Other roles that attracted Academy Award nominations but not wins included Heathcliff in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' (1939), Maxim de Winter in ''{{Rebecca}}'' (1940), the title role in ''The Entertainer'' (1960), the title role in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' (1965), Andrew Wyke in ''{{Sleuth}}'' (1972), Dr Christian Szell in ''MarathonMan'' (1976), and Ezra Lieberman in ''Literature/TheBoysFromBrazil'' (1978).

* MethodActing: He famously hated method acting, which is reassuring given [[Film/{{Spartacus}} some of]] [[MarathonMan the roles]] [[Literature/TheBoysFromBrazil he played]]. This hatred of method acting made filming ''ThePrinceAndTheShowgirl'' with MarilynMonroe difficult for Olivier, since Marilyn's coach Paula Stasburg would insist she employ all the Stanislavskian techniques even in a read-through.

Other roles that attracted Academy Award nominations but not wins included Heathcliff in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' (1939), Maxim de Winter in ''{{Rebecca}}'' (1940), the title role in ''The Entertainer'' (1960), the title role in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' (1965), Andrew Wyke in ''{{Sleuth}}'' (1972), Dr Christian Szell in ''MarathonMan'' (1976), and Ezra Lieberman in ''TheBoysFromBrazil'' (1978).

* MethodActing: He famously hated method acting, which is reassuring given [[Film/{{Spartacus}} some of]] [[MarathonMan the roles]] [[TheBoysFromBrazil he played]]. This hatred of method acting made filming ''ThePrinceAndTheShowgirl'' with MarilynMonroe difficult for Olivier, since Marilyn's coach Paula Stasburg would insist she employ all the Stanislavskian techniques even in a read-through.

* DoNotCallMePaul: Inverted. He made it clear that he preferred to be called Larry rather than "Sir Laurence".
** So much so in fact that he refused to even speak with anyone who didn't call him "Larry".

* KnightFever: Was made Sir Laurence Olivier in 1947, then ennobled as Baron Olivier of Brighton and also given the Order of Merit.

* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: Type B. In defiance of his knighthood and later peerage, he insisted on being called Larry.

In what was perhaps the logical extreme to both their careers, KennethBranagh netted an AdacemyAward nomination for playing Olivier in ''MyWeekWithMarilyn''.

As a film director, he's best known for his three Creator/WilliamShakespeare adaptations: ''HenryV'' (1944), ''{{Hamlet}}'' (1948), and ''Theatre/RichardIII'' (1955). He also played the title role in each, being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar each time (and winning for ''Hamlet'', making him the first person to direct ''himself'' to an acting Oscar).

* MethodActing: He famously hated method acting, which is reassuring given [[{{Spartacus}} some of]] [[MarathonMan the roles]] [[TheBoysFromBrazil he played]]. This hatred of method acting made filming ''ThePrinceAndTheShowgirl'' with MarilynMonroe difficult for Olivier, since Marilyn's coach Paula Stasburg would insist she employ all the Stanislavskian techniques even in a read-through.

* DramaticPause: This [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0RFGBjG35Q anecdote]] by Peter Ustinov, Olivier's ''{{Spartacus}}'' co-star on the Jack Paar Show demonstrates Olivier's tendencies toward this.

** A story goes that, when filming MarathonMan, DustinHoffman stayed up all night in order to appear tired for a scene. Olivier was unimpressed by the show and said "Why not try acting, dear boy? It's easier".