Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1925-11-10
Day of Death
1984-08-05
Place of Birth
Pontrhydyfen, Wales, UK
Richard Burton
Biography
Richard Burton CBE (born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable performance of Hamlet in 1964. He was called "the natural successor to Olivier" by critic Kenneth Tynan. A heavy drinker, Burton's perceived failure to live up to those expectations disappointed some critics and colleagues and added to his image as a great performer who had wasted his talent. Nevertheless, he is widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation. Burton was nominated for an Academy Award seven times, but never won an Oscar. He was a recipient of BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Tony Awards for Best Actor. In the mid-1960s, Burton ascended into the ranks of the top box office stars. By the late 1960s, Burton was one of the highest-paid actors in the world, receiving fees of $1 million or more plus a share of the gross receipts. Burton remained closely associated in the public consciousness with his second wife, actress Elizabeth Taylor. The couple's turbulent relationship, in which they were married twice and divorced twice, was rarely out of the news.
Filmography (100)
Sketch For Dawn
2025
Richard Burton: Wild Genius
2025
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes
2024
Guilty Rebel
2024
Julie Andrews Forever
2019
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds: Live
2006
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
2003
Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood
2001
Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1
1999
Under Milk Wood
1992
John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick
1988
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton
1988
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
To Be Hamlet
1985
