Actor and director Richard Samuel Attenborough was born on 29 August 1923 in Cambridge. His father instilled the belief that not one minute of the day should be wasted. This philosophy carried into his professional life with tireless 20 hour day energy.
A scholar of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he won his first acting role at 17 when Noel Coward cast him in a small but decisive role in the play In Which We Serve. Going on to appear in the movies Brighton Rock; The Great Escape (1963); and Jurassic Park. With a career spanning six decades he was one of the greats of cinema. As a British Lord, he pushed the British film industry through triumphs and trials for more than 50 years.
An Oscar winning director and prolific movie maker he directed Young Winston and a Bridge Too Far. His career also included impressive movies such as Cry Freedom (Steve Biko Story) and of course Gandhi, which won eight Oscars, including Best Film and Best Director, and grossed over $100 million at the Box Office. He told stories with a beginning, a middle and an end.
After leaving the film industry he held a number of positions, most notably Chairman of Britain’s Channel 4 from 1987 to 1993.
RIP: Richard Samuel Attenborough, Lord Attenborough, actor, producer, director, philanthropist, born 29 August 1923; died 24 August 2014.
