The Right Honourable The Lord Attenborough CBE
Attenborough at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Richard Samuel Attenborough (1923-08-29) 29 August 1923 (age 88) Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor, director, producer
Years active	1942–2007
Title	President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Term	2001–2010
Predecessor	HRH The Princess Royal
Successor	HRH The Duke of Cambridge
Spouse	Sheila Sim (m. 1945–present)
Children	Michael Jane (d. 26 December 2004) Charlotte
Relatives	David Attenborough (brother) Gerald Sim (brother-in-law) Jane Seymour (former daughter-in-law)
Awards	Academy Award for Best Director 1982 Gandhi Academy Award for Best Picture 1982 Gandhi

Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough ( /ˈætənbərə/), CBE (born 29 August 1923) is an English actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. He is the current President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

As a film director and producer, he won two Academy Awards for Gandhi in 1982. He has also won four BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. As an actor he is perhaps best known for his roles in Brighton Rock, The Great Escape, 10 Rillington Place, Miracle on 34th Street and Jurassic Park.^[1]

He is the elder brother of naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough.

Early life[link]

Attenborough was born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, the eldest of three sons of Mary Attenborough (née Clegg) a founding member of the Marriage Guidance Council, and Frederick Levi Attenborough, a scholar and academic administrator who was a don at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and wrote a standard text on Anglo-Saxon law.^[2][3] Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester and at RADA. During the Second World War Attenborough served in the Royal Air Force.

Acting career[link]

Attenborough's acting career also was on stage and he appeared in shows at Leicester's Little Theatre, Dover Street, prior to him going to RADA, where he is still Patron. Attenborough's film career began in 1942 as a deserting sailor in In Which We Serve, a role which would help to type-cast him for many years as spivs or cowards in films like London Belongs to Me (1948), Morning Departure (1950), and his breakthrough role as a psychopathic young gangster in the film of Graham Greene's novel Brighton Rock (1947).

In 1949 exhibitors voted him the 6th most popular British actor at the box office.^[4]

Attenborough worked prolifically in British films for the next thirty years, and in the 1950s appeared in several successful comedies for John and Roy Boulting, including Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959). Early in his stage career, Attenborough starred in the London West End production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, which went on to become the world's longest-running stage production. Both he and his wife were among the original cast members of the production, which opened in 1952 and as of 2012 is still running.

In the 1960s, he expanded his range of character roles in films such as Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and Guns at Batasi (1964), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM). In 1963 he appeared in the ensemble cast of The Great Escape as RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett ("Big X"), the head of the escape committee. It was his first appearance in a major Hollywood film blockbuster and his most successful film up to that time.

In 1967 and 1968, he won back-to-back Golden Globe Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actor, the first time for The Sand Pebbles starring Steve McQueen and the second time for Doctor Dolittle starring Rex Harrison. He won another Golden Globe, for Best Director, for Gandhi in 1983. Six years prior to Gandhi he played the ruthless General Outram, in Indian director Satyajit Ray's period piece The Chess Players.

He took no acting roles following his appearance in Otto Preminger's version of The Human Factor (1979) until his appearance as the eccentric developer John Hammond in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) and the popular film's sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). He starred in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street (1994) as Kris Kringle. Since then he has made occasional appearances in supporting roles, including as Sir William Cecil in the historical drama Elizabeth (1998), Jacob in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and as "The Narrator" in the film adaptation of Spike Milligan's comedy book Puckoon (2002).^[5]

Producer and director[link]

Attenborough, photographed in 1983.

In the late 1950s, Attenborough formed a production company, Beaver Films, with Bryan Forbes and began to build a profile as a producer on projects including The League of Gentlemen (1959), The Angry Silence (1960) and Whistle Down the Wind (1961), also appearing in the first two of these as an actor.

His feature film directorial debut was the all-star screen version of the hit musical Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), and his acting appearances became more sporadic—the most notable being his portrayal of the serial killer John Christie in 10 Rillington Place (1971). He later directed two epic period films: Young Winston (1972), based on the early life of Winston Churchill, and A Bridge Too Far (1977), an all-star account of Operation Market Garden in World War II. He won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Director for his historical epic, Gandhi, a project he had been attempting to get made for many years. As the film's producer, he also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His most recent films as director and producer include Chaplin (1992) starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Charlie Chaplin and Shadowlands (1993), based on the relationship between C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham. The star of the latter was Anthony Hopkins, who also appeared in four other films for Attenborough: Young Winston, A Bridge Too Far, Magic (1978) and Chaplin.

Attenborough also directed the screen version of the musical A Chorus Line (1985) and the apartheid drama Cry Freedom (1987), based on the life and death of prominent anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko and the experiences of Donald Woods. Attenborough was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for both films.

In 2006-07 Attenborough spent time in Belfast, Northern Ireland, working on his latest film as director and producer, Closing the Ring, which was set in Belfast during the Second World War. The film was released in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland on 28 December 2007.^[6]

Corporate appointments[link]

• Chairman of the Board of Governors of the British Film Institute (1982–92)
• Chairman of Capital Radio
• Director of Chelsea Football Club (1969–82)
• Life Vice-President of Chelsea Football Club (1993–2008)
• Life President of Chelsea Football Club (2008 – present)
• Deputy Chairman of Channel Four Television (1982–87)
• Chairman of Channel Four (1987–92)
• Chairman of Goldcrest Films
• President of RADA
• President of BAFTA (2001–10)
• President of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation
• President of the British National Film and Television School
• Vice Patron of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund

Attenborough also heads a committee awarding the eponymous Attenborough Prize, a £2000 annual arts prize celebrating creativity by emerging artists. The Attenborough Prize is awarded to the best contemporary visual artist among a shortlist of six artists presented to Lord Attenborough. The most recent (2009) Prize was awarded to Neill Raitt.

Current projects[link]

Chancellor of the University of Sussex

Attenborough is also the patron of the UWC movement (United World Colleges) whereby he continually contributes greatly to the colleges that are part of the organisation. He has frequented the United World College of Southern Africa (UWCSA) Waterford Kamhlaba. His wife and he founded the Richard and Sheila Attenborough Visual Arts Centre. He also founded the Jane Holland Creative Centre for Learning at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland in memory of his daughter who died in the tsunami on 26 December 2004. He passionately believes in education, primarily education that does not judge upon colour, race, creed or religion. His attachment to Waterford is his passion for non-racial education, which were the grounds on which Waterford Kamhlaba was founded. Waterford was one of his inspirations for directing the Cry Freedom motion picture based on the life of Steve Biko.

He was elected to the post of Chancellor of the University of Sussex on 20 March 1998, replacing The Duke of Richmond and Gordon. He stood down as Chancellor of the university following Graduation in July 2008.^[7] There now hangs a 42 inch by 46 inch portrait of him in the university's library.^[8]

A lifelong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, Attenborough served as a director of the club from 1969–1982 and between 1993 and 2008 held the honorary position of Life Vice President. On 30 November 2008 he was honoured with the title of Life President at the club's stadium, Stamford Bridge.^[9]

He was also head of the consortium Dragon International Film Studios, which was constructing a film and television studio complex in Llanilid, Wales, nicknamed "Valleywood". However in March 2008 the project was placed into administration with debts of £15m and the site is believed to be being considered for breaking-up with a sale of the assets.^[10]

Honours[link]

In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was knighted in 1976 and in 1993 he was made a life peer as Baron Attenborough, of Richmond upon Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.^[11]

In 1983, Attenborough was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolence Peace Prize by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.^[12]

On 13 July 2006, Attenborough, along with his brother David, were awarded the titles of Distinguished Honorary Fellows of the University of Leicester "in recognition of a record of continuing distinguished service to the university".^[13][14]

On 20 November 2008, Attenborough was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Drama from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) in Glasgow.^{[citation needed]}

Attenborough is also listed as an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University for his contributions to film making.^[15]

On Monday 23 April 2012 Pinewood Studios paid tribute to his amazing body of work by naming a purpose built film and television stage after him. 'The Richard Attenborough Stage' is 30,000 sq ft and increases stage capacity at the Studios by 7%. ^[16]

Personal life[link]

Attenborough's father was the principal of University College, Leicester, now the city's university. This has resulted in a long association with the university, with Richard becoming a patron. The university's Embrace Arts at the RA centre [1], which opened in 1997, is named in his honour. He has two younger brothers, naturalist and broadcaster David, and John, who has made a career in the motor trade.

Attenborough has been married to English actress Sheila Sim since 1945. Since 1951 they have lived in a house on Richmond Green in London. On 26 December 2004, the couple's elder daughter, 49-year-old Jane Holland, as well as her mother-in-law, also named Jane, and Attenborough's 15-year-old granddaughter Lucy, were killed when a tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake struck Khao Lak, Thailand.^[17] A service was held on 8 March 2005, and Attenborough read a lesson at the national memorial service on 11 May 2005. His grandson Samuel Holland, who survived the tsunami uninjured, and granddaughter Alice Holland, who suffered severe leg injuries, also read in the service. A commemorative plaque was placed in the floor of St. Mary Magdalen's parish church in Richmond. Attenborough later described Boxing Day of 2004 as "the worst day of my life".

Attenborough has two other children, Michael John and Charlotte, an actress. Michael is a director and the creative director of the Almeida Theatre in London and is married to actress Karen Lewis; they have two sons. Charlotte has three children.

Attenborough has collected Picasso ceramics since the 1950s. More than 100 items went on display at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester in 2007; the exhibition is dedicated to his family members lost in the tsunami.^[18][19]

In 2008 he published, in association with his long standing associate, Diana Hawkins, an informal autobiography, Entirely Up to You, Darling.

In August 2008 Attenborough was hospitalised with heart problems, and was fitted with a pacemaker. In December 2008 he suffered a fall at his home and was admitted to St. George's Hospital in Tooting, southwest London. He went into a coma, but came out of it within a few days.^[20]

In May 2011, David Attenborough revealed that his brother was now in a wheelchair but is still capable of holding a conversation. He added, however, that "he won't be making any more films."^[21]

Filmography[link]

Styles[link]

• Richard Attenborough, Esq. (1923–1967)
• Richard Attenborough, CBE (1967–1976)
• Sir Richard Attenborough, KBE (1976–1993)
• The Rt Hon. The Lord Attenborough, CBE (1993–)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Richard Attenborough

• Richard Attenborough at the Internet Movie Database
• Richard Attenborough on Charlie Rose
• Richard Attenborough Archive on the BAFTA website
• University of Sussex media release about Lord Attenborough's election as Chancellor, dated Friday, 20 March 1998
• Lord Attenborough at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Richard Attenborough Stills & Posters Gallery from the British Film Institute
• Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and the Arts
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Voting record at PublicWhip.org
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
• Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
• Works by or about Richard Attenborough in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Richard Attenborough at Virtual History