Albert Finney

Occupation: Actor
Also: Producer
Born: May 9, 1936, Salford, Lancashire, England

Education: Salford Grammar School, England; Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London, England A dynamic, often explosive, stage and screen star, Finney first made his mark on the London stage in Billy Liar (1960) and in film as the dissatisfied, working-class anti-hero/seducer in SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (1960), Karel Reisz's classic of 1960s British "angry young man" cinema. After quitting the starring role in David Lean's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA after four days so as not to be tied to a long-term film contract, he cemented his film stardom as the rakish, startlingly handsome, picaresque hero TOM JONES (1963) in Tony Richardson's lavish, bawdy hit. This performance also earned Finney his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. Selective about his film roles, Finney's first love seems to be the stage, where he has won acclaim in John Osborne's Luther (1961), Peter Nichols' A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1968) and numerous Shakespearean and contemporary plays, as both an actor and director. In 1965, with actor Michael Medwin, he founded Memorial Enterprises Productions, which was responsible for several outstanding features including his own directorial debut, CHARLIE BUBBLES (1968), and Lindsay Anderson's IF… (1968) and O LUCKY MAN! (1973). Since appearing as a musical SCROOGE in 1970, followed by a Oscar-nominated turn as Hercule Poirot in MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974), Daddy Warbucks in ANNIE (1982) and a Donald Wolfit-like actor-manager in THE DRESSER (1983), Finney has eschewed romantic roles for juicy character leads. He has regularly camouflaged his ruddy good looks under wigs, putty noses and other highly theatrical makeup, and his rich voice under a variety of regional accents. In a contemporary role (rare at this stage of his career) as the husband in Alan Parker's harrowing portrait of a divorce, SHOOT THE MOON (1982), he gave a powerful, sexually-charged performance filled with explosive anger. Finney also made a strong impression as an alcoholic diplomat in 1930s Mexico in John Huston's UNDER THE VOLCANO (1984). Recently Finney has given a series of vigorous performances in a wide variety of projects: a deceptive drunk in ORPHANS (1987); a competitive TV news anchor in the made-for-cable movie THE IMAGE (1990); a charismatic Irish gang leader in the Coen Brothers' MILLER'S CROSSING (1990); a constable in a small Northern Irish border town in THE PLAYBOYS (1992); a depressed Southern eccentric in Bruce Beresford's RICH IN LOVE (1993); a sexually repressed Irish bus conductor in A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (1994); and an Irish constable unable to express his emotions in THE RUN OF THE COUNTRY (1995).