FF
Frank Finlay
Actor
Died January 30, 2016 (89 years)
Frank received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations for his performance as William Shakespeare’s Iago in Stuart Burge’s 1965 film of Laurence Olivier’s staging of Othello. He also won the Best Actor Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.
He later essayed the definitive screen portrayal of Alexandre Dumas’ musketeer Porthos in three movies for director Richard Lester: The Three Musketeers (1974), The Four Musketeers (1975) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989). Frank’s many other films include The Longest Day; Tony Richardson’s The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner; Martin Ritt’s The Molly Maguires; Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree; Alan Bridges’ The Return of the Soldier (for which he recieved a BAFTA Award nomination); Franco Zeffrelli’s Sparrow; and Eric Styles’ Dreaming of Joseph Lees; and most recently Roman Polanski’s multi-award winning The Pianist and Norma Jewison’s The Statement.
His similarly extensive television projects have earned him two BAFTA Awards, for his performances in The Death of Adolf Hitler (starring as Hitler, with Rex Firkin directing); The Adventures of Don Quixote (as Sancho Panza, opposite Rex Harrison, for director Alvin Rakoff); the ground breaking Bouquet of Barbed Wire and Another Bouquet; 84 Charing Cross Road; and recently the critically acclaimed series The Sins. Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Finlay had already begun performing on stage when he earned the Sir James Knott Scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Since then he has led theatre companies in London and on Broadway.
He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1984 New Year’s Honours List, and was presented with his CBE by the Queen in February1984.
Filmography
| 2015 | Fifty Shades of Erotica · as Unknown |
| 2008 | Merlin (2008) (TV Series) · as Anhora |
| 2008 | Four Seasons (TV Series) · as Alexander 'Alex' Combe |
| 2007 | The Waiting Room · as Roger |
| 2007 | A Matter of Time · as Van Helsing |
| 2006 | Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2006 | Johnny and the Bomb (TV Series) · as Tom Maxwell |
| 2004 | Lighthouse Hill · as Alfred |
| 2004 | Life Begins (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2003 | The Statement · as Commissaire Vionnet |
| 2003 | The Lost Prince · as Asquith |
| 2002 | The Pianist · as Father |
| 2002 | Silent Cry · as Dr. Robert Barrum |
| 2001 | Station Jim · as Riorden Snr |
| 2001 | The Martins · as Mr Heath |
| 2000 | Longitude · as Adm. Wagner |
| 2000 | The Sins (TV Series) · as Uncle Irwin Green |
| 2000 | In the Beginning (TV Series) · as God |
| 2000 | Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show (TV Series) · as actor |
| 1999 | Dreaming of Joseph Lees · as Father |
| 1999 | The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (TV Series) · as General Bulstrode |
| 1998 | How Do You Want Me? (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1997 | Stiff Upper Lips · as Hudson Junior |
| 1997 | So This Is Romance? · as Mike's Dad |
| 1997 | Where the Heart Is (TV Series) · as Mr. Turner |
| 1997 | The Grand (TV Series) · as Edward Lawrence |
| 1996 | Tiré à part · as John Rathbone |
| 1995 | A Mind to Murder · as Professor Etherege |
| 1995 | Gospa · as Monsignor |
| 1994 | The Voyeur · as Nino Rolfe |
| 1994 | Common As Muck (TV Series) · as Derek |
| 1994 | The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) · as Professor Coram |
| 1993 | Sparrow · as Father Nunzio |
| 1992 | La mansión de los Cthulhu · as Chandu |
| 1992 | Heartbeat (TV Series) · as Howard Franklin |
| 1991 | Prime Suspect (TV Series) · as Arnold Tennison |
| 1990 | King of the Wind · as Edward Coke |
| 1989 | The Return of the Musketeers · as Porthos |
| 1986 | Lovejoy (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1985 | Lifeforce · as Dr. Hans Fallada |
| 1985 | Nineteen Nineteen · as Sigmund Freud (voice) |
| 1985 | Screen Two (TV Series) · as Frank Strange |
| 1984 | A Christmas Carol · as Jacob Marley |
| 1984 | Arch of Triumph · as Col. Boris Morosov |
| 1984 | Sherlock Holmes (1984) (TV Series) · as Professor Coram / Sergius |
| 1983 | The Key · as Nino Rolfe |
| 1983 | The Ploughman's Lunch · as Matthew Fox |
| 1983 | The Spanish Civil War (TV Series) · as Narrator |
| 1982 | The Return of the Soldier · as William Grey |
| 1982 | Enigma · as Canarsky |
| 1982 | Blackadder (TV Series) · as The Witchsmeller Pursuivant |
| 1979 | Murder by Decree · as Inspector Lestrade |
| 1979 | Tales of the Unexpected (TV Series) · as Arthur Pearson |
| 1978 | The Thief of Baghdad · as Abu Bakar |
| 1978 | The Wild Geese · as Fr. Geoghagen |
| 1977 | Count Dracula · as Abraham van Helsing |
| 1977 | Count Dracula (TV Series) · as Professor Van Helsing |
| 1977 | Another Bouquet (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1976 | Bouquet of Barbed Wire (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1976 | Laurence Olivier Presents (TV Series) · as Peppino |
| 1974 | The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge · as Porthos |
| 1973 | Shaft in Africa · as Vincent Amafi |
| 1973 | The Death of Adolf Hitler · as Adolf Hitler |
| 1973 | The Three Musketeers · as Porthos |
| 1972 | The Exorcism of Hugh · as George Dabernon |
| 1972 | Sitting Target · as Marty Gold |
| 1972 | The Merchant of Venice · as Shylock |
| 1972 | Danny Jones · as Unknown |
| 1971 | Gumshoe · as William Ginley |
| 1971 | In the Devil's Garden · as Det. Chief Supt. Velyan |
| 1971 | Casanova (1971) (TV Series) · as Casanova |
| 1971 | The Two Ronnies (TV Series) · as Bar Customer: Pinocchio II Segment |
| 1970 | Cromwell · as John Carter |
| 1970 | The Molly Maguires · as Davies |
| 1970 | The Body · as Narrator |
| 1970 | Play for Today (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1969 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as Adolf Hitler |
| 1968 | Inspector Clouseau · as Supt. Weaver |
| 1968 | The Shoes of the Fisherman · as Igor Bounin |
| 1968 | The Morecambe and Wise Show (1968) (TV Series) · as Casanova |
| 1967 | Robbery · as Robinson |
| 1967 | The Jokers · as Harrassed Man |
| 1967 | Les Misérables (1967) (TV Series) · as Jean Valjean |
| 1967 | The Spare Tyres · as Council foreman |
| 1966 | The Deadly Bees · as H.W. Manfred |
| 1965 | Othello · as Iago |
| 1965 | Play of the Month (TV Series) · as Sancho Panza |
| 1965 | A Study in Terror · as Inspector Lestrade |
| 1964 | Agent 8 3/4 · as British Embassy Porter |
| 1964 | The Wednesday Play (TV Series) · as Albert |
| 1963 | Doctor in Distress · as Corsetiere |
| 1963 | Underworld Informers · as Leon Sale |
| 1962 | The Longest Day · as Pvt. Coke (uncredited) |
| 1962 | The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner · as Booking Office Clerk |
| 1962 | Walk in the Shadow · as Teddy's Father |
| 1962 | Private Potter · as Capt. Patterson |
| 1962 | Z Cars (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1956 | Armchair Theatre (TV Series) · as Bosun |