Finlay Currie
Biography
Finlay Jefferson Currie was a Scottish actor of stage, screen, and television, born in Edinburgh, Scotland on January 20, 1878, and also known as William Finlay. His acting career began on the stage, which included a song and dance act in the United States in the 1890s with his wife Maude Courtney. He made his first film, The Old Man, in 1931. His film credits include appearing as a priest in the 1943 Ealing World War II movie Undercover and gaining recognition for his role as the convict Abel Magwitch in David Lean's 1946 film adaptation of the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Later, he appeared in Hollywood film epics, including Quo Vadis as Saint Peter and Ben-Hur. He died on May 9, 1968.
Career overview
Finlay Jefferson Currie was a Scottish actor of stage, screen, and television. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on January 20, 1878, his acting career began on the stage. Early in his career, he and his wife Maude Courtney performed a song and dance act in the United States in the 1890s. He later transitioned to film, making his first movie, The Old Man, in 1931. Over the course of his career, he amassed 119 known credits in acting.
Currie appeared in various films across different decades. He portrayed a priest in the 1943 Ealing World War II movie Undercover. One of his most notable and famous film roles was as the convict Abel Magwitch in David Lean's 1946 film Great Expectations, which was based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. For this role in the British film, he received great acclaim.
Following his success in British cinema, Currie began appearing in Hollywood film epics and historical adventure films. His prominent roles included playing Saint Peter in the 1951 film Quo Vadis and appearing in the multi-Oscar winning 1959 film Ben-Hur. He also appeared in historical adventure and dramatic films such as Ivanhoe in 1952, Beau Brummell in 1954, Francis of Assisi in 1961 where he played the Pope, and Cleopatra in 1963 as the Roman Titus. Additionally, he was known for his work in television productions, including Prisoner and Gideon's Way. Currie passed away on May 9, 1968.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
119 titles- Vendetta for The Saint (1969) as Don Pasquale
- The Prisoner (1967) as General
- Les Misérables (1967)
- Alice in Wonderland (1966) as Dodo
- Brigadoon (1966) as Mr. Lundie
- Gideon's Way (1965) as General Sir Hector McGregor
- Knock on Any Door (1965) as Old Man
- Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) as Doll Maker
- The Battle of the Villa Fiorita (1965) as Emcee
- The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) as Senator
- Who Was Maddox? (1964) as Alex Campbell
- Cleopatra (1963) as Titus (uncredited)
- Murder at the Gallop (1963) as Old Enderby
- Billy Liar (1963) as Duxbury
- The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963) as Grandpa Stirling
- West 11 (1963) as Gash
- The Cracksman (1963) as Feathers
- The Saint (1962) as Don Pasquale
- Man of the World (1962) as Donald
- The Inspector (1962) as De Kool
- Go to Blazes (1962) as Judge
- The Amorous Prawn (1962) as Lochaye
- Joseph and His Brethren (1961) as Jacob
- Francis of Assisi (1961) as The Pope
- Five Golden Hours (1961) as Father Superior
- Clue of the Silver Key (1961) as Harvey Lane
- Hand in Hand (1961) as Mr. Pritchard
- Danger Man (1960) as 'Jock'
- Kidnapped (1960) as Cluny MacPherson
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960) as Captain Sellers
- The Angel Wore Red (1960) as Bishop
- Ben-Hur (1959) as Balthasar
- Solomon and Sheba (1959) as David
- The Naked Earth (1958) as Father Verity
- Corridors of Blood (1958) as Supt. Charles Matheson
- Tempest (1958) as Count Grinov
- 6.5 Special (1958) as Himself
- Rockets Galore (1958) as Narrator (uncredited)
- Seven Waves Away (1957) as Mr. Wheaton
- Campbell's Kingdom (1957) as Hyper-religious Old Barfly
- The Little Hut (1957) as The Rev. Bertram Brittingham-Brett
- Saint Joan (1957) as Archbishop of Rheims
- Dangerous Exile (1957) as Mr. Patient
- The Count of Monte Cristo (1956)
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) as Whist Partner
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Professor Syme
- Zarak (1956) as The Mullah
- Captain Lightfoot (1955) as Callahan
- Footsteps in the Fog (1955) as Inspector Peters
- King's Rhapsody (1955) as King Paul
- Make Me an Offer! (1954) as Abe Sparta
- Third Party Risk (1954) as Mr. Darius
- The End of the Road (1954) as Old 'Mick-Mack'
- General Electric Theater (1953) as MacMorriss
- Rob Roy, The Highland Rogue (1953) as Hamish MacPherson
- Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953) as MacDougal
- Ivanhoe (1952) as Cedric
- Kangaroo (1952) as Michael McGuire
- Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) as Col. Randolph
- Walk East on Beacon (1952) as Professor Albert Kafer
- Quo Vadis (1951) as Peter
- People Will Talk (1951) as Shunderson
- Treasure Island (1950) as Capt. Billy Bones
- The Black Rose (1950) as Alfgar
- Trio (1950) as Mr. McLeod
- The Mudlark (1950) as John Brown
- My Daughter Joy (1950) as Sir Thomas McTavish
- Whisky Galore! (1949) as Narrator
- The History of Mr. Polly (1949) as Uncle Jim
- My Brother Jonathan (1948) as Dr. Hammond
- Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948) as The Marquis of Tullibardine
- Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill (1948) as Sir Joshua Varley
- So Evil My Love (1948) as Dr. Krylie
- The Monkey's Paw (1948) as Sergeant-Major Morris
- Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948) as Alastair McBain
- Woman to Woman (1947) as Theatre Manager
- The Brothers (1947) as Hector Macrae
- Great Expectations (1946) as Abel Magwitch
- School for Secrets (1946) as Sir Duncan Wills
- In the Zone (1946)
- The Trojan Brothers (1946) as W.H. Maxwell
- Spring Song (1946) as Cobb
- I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) as Ruairidh Mhór
- Don Chicago (1945) as Bugs Mulligan
- Undercover (1943) as Priest (uncredited)
- They Met in the Dark (1943) as Merchant Captain
- The Bells Go Down (1943) as District Officer McFarlane
- The Shipbuilders (1943) as McWain
- Warn That Man (1943) as Captain Andrew Fletcher
- Theatre Royal (1943) as Clement J. Earle
- Thunder Rock (1942) as Capt. Joshua Stuart
- The Day Will Dawn (1942) as Capt. Alstad
- 49th Parallel (1941) as The Factor
- Crook's Tour (1940) as Tourist on Desert Bus (uncredited)
- The Claydon Treasure Mystery (1938) as Rubin
- The Edge of the World (1937) as James Gray
- Command Performance (1937) as Al, Arthur's Manager
- Catch as Catch Can (1937) as Al Parson
- Paradise for Two (1937) as Creditor
- Glamorous Night (1937) as Angus MacKintosh
- Wanted! (1937) as Uncle Mart
- The Improper Duchess (1936) as Milton Lee
- The Gay Adventure (1936) as Porter
- The Big Splash (1935) as Hartley Bassett
- Me and Marlborough (1935) as Marriage Celebrant (uncredited)
- Heat Wave (1935) as Captain
- Mister Cinders (1935) as Henry Kemp
- Gay Love (1934) as Highams
- Little Friend (1934) as Grove
- My Old Dutch (1934) as Mo
- It's a Boy (1934) as Publisher
- Princess Charming (1934) as Baron Seegman
- No Funny Business (1933) as Mr Potterton
- The Good Companions (1933) as Monte Mortimer
- Orders Is Orders (1933) as Dave
- Excess Baggage (1933) as inspector Toucan
- The Frightened Lady (1932) as Brooks
- Rome Express (1932) as Sam, Publicist
- The Old Man (1931) as Rennett
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Finlay Currie best known for?
Finlay Currie is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Prisoner (1967), Les Misérables (1967), Gideon's Way (1965), Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965).
When and where was Finlay Currie born?
Finlay Currie was born on January 19, 1878 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. They passed away on May 9, 1968.
How many credits does Finlay Currie have?
Finlay Currie has accumulated over 119 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1931 to 1969.
What is Finlay Currie's background in cinema and television?
Finlay Jefferson Currie was a Scottish actor of stage, screen, and television, born in Edinburgh, Scotland on January 20, 1878, and also known as William Finlay. His acting career began on the stage, which included a song and dance act in the United States in the 1890s with his wife Maude Courtney. He made his first fi...