Acting legend Albert Finney, who started his career at the height of the British new wave of cinema in the 1960s and paved a career leading all the way into blockbuster’s like the BOURNE series and 2012’s SKYFALL, has died today at the age of 82. The Associated Press (via Deadline) confirmed his passing, relatives saying he “passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side.”
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Nominated for five Academy awards over the course of 40 years, Finney broke into the mainstream with his first Oscar-nominated role in the movie TOM JONES, and continued on with a successful career with roles in 1970’s SCROOGE, 1974’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, 1982’s ANNIE, and all the way into the 21st Century in hits like ERIN BROCKOVICH, BIG FISH and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM.
Born in 1936, Finney grew up the son of a bookmaker, he was encouraged while at school to try out for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, which he got in. After graduating he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and forged a career on stage, performing in plays such as “Coriolanus.” He soon made the leap to film, appearing in the movie THE ENTERTAINER for director Tony Richardson in 1960, and in that same year received more acclaim for his appearance in the movie SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.
Finney really stepped into the spotlight in the movie TOM JONES, for which he received his first Oscar nomination, and the movie itself went on to win four Oscars, including Best Picture. Throughout the 60s he continued to star in movies such as NIGHT MUST FALL, Stanley Donen’s TWO FOR THE ROAD and CHARLIE BUBBLES, which he also directed. He then kicked off the 70s by played Ebenezer Scrooge in the movie SCROOGE, an adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” He then received his second Oscar nomination for playing Hercule Poirot in the 1974 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.
Throughout the 80s he continued to work with directors like John Huston in movies like ANNIE and UNDER THE VOLCANO (for which he received another Oscar nomination), all before hitting with a new generation of audiences when he was cast in the Coen Brothers’ MILLER’S CROSSING.
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In the 2000s he found even more mainstream success, having roles in box office and critical hits like Steven Soderbergh’s ERIN BROCKOVICH (another Oscar nomination) and TRAFFIC; The 2002 HBO television movie THE GATHERING STORM as Winston Churchill (winning a Golden Globe and an Emmy); Tim Burton’s BIG FISH and CORPSE BRIDE; Soderbergh’s OCEAN’S TWELVE; THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM and BOURNE LEGACY and; making his final film appearance in the box office smash SKYFALL in 2012.
A star is a stage and screen, Finney was also nominated for a total of nine Golden Globes (winning three), two Emmys (winning one) and 13 BAFTAs (winning three), and was a true titan in the acting community. Regarded as a master of the craft across generations, Finney left a body of work that’s recognizable and loved to viewers young and old. You can go into any decade between now and the 60s and pluck out all sorts of unique, incredible performances from his acting canon, and there's no doubt his work will be remembered for generations to come.