Richard Samuel Attenborough

Richard Attenborough was a British actor, director and producer who had a long and distinguished career in the film industry. He was born in Cambridge, England, on 29 August 1923, the eldest of three sons of Mary Attenborough, a founding member of the Marriage Guidance Council, and Frederick Attenborough, a scholar and academic administrator who was a fellow at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He had two younger brothers, David, a renowned naturalist and broadcaster, and John, a motor executive. Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. He made his stage debut in 1941 and his film debut in 1942. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and was part of the film unit that documented the war from the air. He returned to acting after the war and appeared in many British films, such as Brighton Rock (1948), The Great Escape (1963), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967), 10 Rillington Place (1971), Jurassic Park (1993) and Miracle on 34th Street (1994). He was also a successful stage actor and originated the role of Detective Sergeant Trotter in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, which has become the world's longest-running play. Attenborough also pursued a career as a director and producer, making his directorial debut with Oh! What a Lovely War (1969). He was best known for his epic biographical films, such as Young Winston (1972), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Gandhi (1982), Cry Freedom (1987) and Chaplin (1992). He won two Academy Awards for Gandhi in 1983: Best Picture and Best Director. He also won four BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and many other honors. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1967, knighted in 1976 and made a life peer as Baron Attenborough of Richmond upon Thames in 1993. He was also the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), as well as a life president of Chelsea Football Club. Attenborough was married to actress Sheila Sim from 1945 until his death. They had three children: Michael, an actor and theatre director; Jane, an actress who died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami along with her daughter Lucy; and Charlotte, an actress. Attenborough was also a grandfather and a great-grandfather. He was a passionate humanitarian and supported many causes, such as education, human rights, environmentalism and anti-apartheid. He died on 24 August 2014 at his home in London, five days before his 91st birthday. He was buried at St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard in Richmond, London.