Albert Finney
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Albert Finney (born 9 May 1936) is a British actor. He has received five Academy Awards nominations.
His most famous role was as Agatha Christie's master detective Hercule Poirot in the 1974 film "Murder On The Orient Express." Finney was so effective in the role that he complained that it typecast him for a number of years. "People really do think I am 300 pounds with a French accent" he said.
He was born in Salford, Manchester, England.
His first film was The Entertainer (1960), but his real breakthrough came with his portrayal of a disillusioned factory worker in Karel Reisz's film of Alan Sillitoe's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. This led to a series of "angry young man" roles in kitchen sink dramas, most notably 1963's Tom Jones (for which he turned down the role of T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia). Albert Finney has often been called "A second Olivier".
His television roles include the lead in Dennis Potter's final two plays: Karaoke and Cold Lazarus. In the latter he played a frozen, disembodied head. His most recent TV credit is the leading role in My Uncle Silas, about a Cornish country gentleman, who's looking after his grand-nephew. It ran from 2000 until 2002, then again for a mini-series in 2003.
From 1970 to 1978, he was married to the French actress Anouk Aimée.
Selected filmography
- Big Fish (2003)
- Traffic (2000)
- Erin Brockovich (2000)
- Simpatico (1999)
- The Browning Version (1994)
- Miller's Crossing (1990)
- Under the Volcano (1984)
- The Dresser (1983)
- Annie (1982)
- Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
- Gumshoe (1972)
- Scrooge (1970)
- Tom Jones (1963)
- Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)
- The Entertainer (1960)