Acting
Frank Finlay
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
Nothing Like a Dame
Film · 2018
Fifty Shades of Erotica
Film · 2015
Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons
Series · 2008
Merlin
Series · 2008
The Waiting Room
Film · 2007
Johnny and the Bomb
Series · 2006
Lighthouse Hill
Film · 2004
Life Begins
Series · 2004
The Statement
Film · 2003
Eroica
Film · 2003
The Lost Prince
Series · 2003
The Pianist
Film · 2002
Station Jim
Film · 2001
The Martins
Film · 2001
For My Baby
Film · 2000
The Sins
Series · 2000
Longitude
Series · 2000
Dreaming of Joseph Lees
Film · 1999
The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
Series · 1999
Stiff Upper Lips
Film · 1998
How Do You Want Me?
Series · 1998
Romance and Rejection (So This Is Romance?)
Film · 1997
Limited Edition
Film · 1997
The Grand
Series · 1997
A Mind to Murder
Film · 1995
The Miracle of Medjugorje
Film · 1995
Sparrow
Film · 1994
The Voyeur
Film · 1994
Charlemagne, le prince à cheval
Series · 1994
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Series · 1994
An Exchange of Fire
Series · 1993
Cthulhu Mansion
Film · 1992
The Other Side
Film · 1992
Stalin
Film · 1992
Heartbeat
Series · 1992
Mountain of Diamonds
Film · 1991
Prime Suspect
Series · 1991
The Burning Shore
Series · 1991
Mountain of Diamonds
Series · 1991
King of the Wind
Film · 1990
The Return of the Musketeers
Film · 1989
Casanova
Film · 1987
Erebus: The Aftermath
Series · 1987
Lovejoy
Series · 1986
Lifeforce
Film · 1985
In the Secret State
Film · 1985
Nineteen Nineteen
Film · 1985
The Making Of Lifeforce
Film · 1985
Screen Two
Series · 1985
Arch of Triumph
Film · 1984
Sakharov
Film · 1984
A Christmas Carol
Film · 1984
Royal Variety Performance 1984
Film · 1984
Sherlock Holmes
Series · 1984
The Key
Film · 1983
The Ploughman's Lunch
Film · 1983
The Return of the Soldier
Film · 1983
Blackadder
Series · 1983
The Spanish Civil War
Series · 1983
Enigma
Film · 1982
Mona
Film · 1982
Wogan
Series · 1982
Dear Brutus
Film · 1981
Tales from the Thousand and One Nights
Film · 1981
Ring of Darkness
Film · 1979
Murder by Decree
Film · 1979
Tales of the Unexpected
Series · 1979
The Wild Geese
Film · 1978
The Thief of Baghdad
Film · 1978
Betzi
Film · 1978
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Film · 1978
Count Dracula
Film · 1977
Count Dracula
Series · 1977
Another Bouquet
Series · 1977
Bouquet of Barbed Wire
Series · 1976
Laurence Olivier Presents
Series · 1976
84 Charing Cross Road
Film · 1975
Van der Valk and the Scapegoat
Film · 1975
The Four Musketeers
Film · 1974
Van der Valk: Gun Before Butter
Film · 1974
Shaft in Africa
Film · 1973
The Three Musketeers
Film · 1973
Van der Valk and the Rich
Film · 1973
The Death of Adolf Hitler
Film · 1973
The Adventures Of Don Quixote
Film · 1973
Neither the Sea Nor the Sand
Film · 1972
Sitting Target
Film · 1972
Danny Jones
Film · 1972
The Merchant of Venice
Film · 1972
Gumshoe
Film · 1971
Assault
Film · 1971
Casanova
Series · 1971
Cromwell
Film · 1970
The Molly Maguires
Film · 1970
The Lie
Film · 1970
The Body
Film · 1970
Play for Today
Series · 1970
Play for Today
Series · 1970
Blood of the Lamb
Film · 1969
The Piano Tuner
Film · 1969
Julius Caesar
Film · 1969
This Happy Breed
Film · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Series · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Series · 1969
Inspector Clouseau
Film · 1968
Twisted Nerve
Film · 1968
The Shoes of the Fisherman
Film · 1968
Robbery
Film · 1967
The Jokers
Film · 1967
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
Film · 1967
Much Ado About Nothing
Film · 1967
The Spare Tyres
Film · 1967
Les Misérables
Series · 1967
The Deadly Bees
Film · 1966
The Sandwich Man
Film · 1966
NET Playhouse
Series · 1966
The Wild Affair
Film · 1965
Othello
Film · 1965
A Study in Terror
Film · 1965
BBC Play of the Month
Series · 1965
BBC Play of the Month
Series · 1965
BBC Play of the Month
Series · 1965
BBC Play of the Month
Series · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Series · 1965
Hot Enough for June
Film · 1964
The Comedy Man
Film · 1964
Theatre 625
Series · 1964
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964
Doctor in Distress
Film · 1963
The Informers
Film · 1963
The Longest Day
Film · 1962
The Hard Knock
Film · 1962
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Film · 1962
Life for Ruth
Film · 1962
Private Potter
Film · 1962
Z-Cars
Series · 1962
Studio 4
Series · 1962
The Younger Generation
Series · 1961
The Younger Generation
Series · 1961
Drama 61-67
Series · 1961
You Can't Win
Series · 1961
Target Luna
Series · 1960
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Sunday Night Theatre
Series · 1950