Frank Finlay
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- August 6, 1926 in Farnworth, Lancashire, England, UK
- Died
- January 30, 2016
- Active Years
- 1950–2018 (69 Years)
- Total Credits
- 150 credits in database
Biography
Frank Finlay was an actor born on August 6, 1926, in Farnworth, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, and he died on January 30, 2016, at the age of 89. He 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 screen portrayal of Alexandre Dumas’ musketeer Porthos in three movies for director Richard Lester, which were The Three Musketeers in 1974, The Four Musketeers in 1975, and The Return of the Musketeers in 1989. His many other films include The Longest Day, The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner, The Molly Maguires, Murder by Decree, and The Ret.
Career overview
Frank Finlay was an actor born in Farnworth, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, on August 6, 1926. During his career, he accumulated 140 known credits in acting across movies and television shows. He passed away on January 30, 2016, at the age of 89.
Finlay 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. For this role, he also won the Best Actor Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. He later played Alexandre Dumas’ musketeer Porthos in three movies directed by Richard Lester, consisting of The Three Musketeers in 1974, The Four Musketeers in 1975, and The Return of the Musketeers in 1989.
His extensive filmography also includes numerous other motion pictures. Among these are The Longest Day, Tony Richardson’s The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Martin Ritt’s The Molly Maguires, Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree, and Alan Bridges’ The Ret.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
150 titles- Nothing Like a Dame (2018) as Self (archive footage)
- Fifty Shades of Erotica (2015) as (archive footage)
- Merlin (2008) as Anhora
- Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons (2008) as Alexander 'Alex' Combe
- The Waiting Room (2007) as Roger
- Johnny and the Bomb (2006) as Tom Maxwell
- Life Begins (2004) as Eric Thornhill
- Lighthouse Hill (2004) as Alfred
- The Lost Prince (2003) as Asquith
- The Statement (2003) as Commissaire Vionnet
- Eroica (2003) as Josef Haydn
- The Pianist (2002) as Father
- The Martins (2001) as Mr Heath
- Station Jim (2001) as Riorden Snr
- Longitude (2000) as Admiral Wagner
- The Sins (2000) as Uncle Irwin Green
- For My Baby (2000) as Rudi Wittfogel
- The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (1999) as General Bulstrode
- Dreaming of Joseph Lees (1999) as Father
- How Do You Want Me? (1998)
- Stiff Upper Lips (1998) as Hudson Junior
- The Grand (1997) as Edward Lawrence
- Romance and Rejection (So This Is Romance?) (1997) as Mike's Dad
- Limited Edition (1997) as John Rathbone
- A Mind to Murder (1995) as Professor Etherege
- Virgin Mary (1995) as Monsignor
- The Voyeur (1994) as Nino Rolfe
- Charlemagne, le prince à cheval (1994) as Alcuin
- The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994) as Professor Coram / Sergius
- Sparrow (1994) as Father Nunzio
- An Exchange of Fire (1993) as Pavel Rhele
- Heartbeat (1992) as Howard Franklin
- Stalin (1992) as Sergei
- Cthulhu Mansion (1992) as Chandu
- The Other Side (1992) as Arthur Conan Doyle
- Prime Suspect (1991) as Arnold Tennison
- The Burning Shore (1991) as Garrick
- Mountain of Diamonds (1991) as Garrick
- Mountain of Diamonds (1991) as Garrick
- King of the Wind (1990) as Edward Coke
- The Return of the Musketeers (1989) as Porthos
- Casanova (1987) as Razetta
- Erebus: The Aftermath (1987) as Justice Peter Mahon
- Lovejoy (1986) as Harold Plumb
- Screen Two (1985) as Frank Strange
- Lifeforce (1985) as Dr. Hans Fallada
- Nineteen Nineteen (1985) as Sigmund Freud (voice)
- In the Secret State (1985) as Frank Strange
- The Making Of Lifeforce (1985) as Self
- Sherlock Holmes (1984) as Professor Coram / Sergius
- A Christmas Carol (1984) as Jacob Marley
- Arch of Triumph (1984) as Col. Boris Morosov
- Sakharov (1984) as Kravtsov
- Royal Variety Performance 1984 (1984)
- Blackadder (1983) as The Witchsmeller Pursuivant
- The Key (1983) as Nino Rolfe
- The Spanish Civil War (1983) as Self - Narrator
- The Spanish Civil War (1983) Vocals
- The Ploughman's Lunch (1983) as Matthew Fox
- The Return of the Soldier (1983) as William Grey
- Wogan (1982) as Self
- Enigma (1982) as Canarsky
- All for Love (1982) as Captain Manson
- Mona (1982) as Captain Manson
- Dear Brutus (1981) as Dearth
- Tales from the Thousand and One Nights (1981) as Shahriar
- Tales of the Unexpected (1979) as Arthur Pearson
- Murder by Decree (1979) as Inspector Lestrade
- Ring of Darkness (1979) as Paul
- The Wild Geese (1978) as Fr. Geoghagen
- Betzi (1978) as Napoleon
- The Thief of Baghdad (1978) as Abu Bakar
- Saturday, Sunday, Monday (1978) as Peppino
- Count Dracula (1977) as Professor Van Helsing
- Another Bouquet (1977)
- Count Dracula (1977) as Abraham van Helsing
- Laurence Olivier Presents (1976) as Peppino
- Bouquet of Barbed Wire (1976) as Peter Manson
- 84 Charing Cross Road (1975) as Frank Doel
- Van der Valk and the Scapegoat (1975) as Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
- The Four Musketeers (1974) as Porthos
- Van der Valk: Gun Before Butter (1974) as Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
- The Three Musketeers (1973) as Porthos / O'Reilly
- Shaft in Africa (1973) as Vincent Amafi
- The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973) as Adolf Hitler
- The Adventures Of Don Quixote (1973) as Sancho Panza
- Van der Valk and the Rich (1973) as Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
- Danny Jones (1972)
- The Merchant of Venice (1972) as Shylock
- Sitting Target (1972) as Marty Gold
- Neither the Sea Nor the Sand (1972) as George Dabernon
- Casanova (1971) as Giovanni Jacopo Casanova
- Assault (1971) as Det. Chief Supt. Velyan
- Gumshoe (1971) as William Ginley
- Play for Today (1970)
- Play for Today (1970) as Dearth
- The Molly Maguires (1970) as Davies
- Cromwell (1970) as John Carter
- The Body (1970) as Narrator
- The Lie (1970) as Andrew Firth
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre (1969) as Wilfred Tilley
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre (1969) as Adolf Hitler
- Julius Caesar (1969) as Brutus
- This Happy Breed (1969) as Frank Gibbons
- Blood of the Lamb (1969) as Albert
- The Piano Tuner (1969) as Wilfred Tilley
- Inspector Clouseau (1968) as Supt. Weaver
- The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) as Igor Bounin
- Twisted Nerve (1968) as Henry Durnley
- Robbery (1967) as Robinson
- Much Ado About Nothing (1967) as Dogberry
- I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967) as Chaplain
- Les Misérables (1967) as Jean Valjean
- The Jokers (1967) as Harrassed Man
- The Spare Tyres (1967) as Council foreman
- NET Playhouse (1966) as Marcus Brutus
- The Deadly Bees (1966) as H.W. Manfred
- The Sandwich Man (1966) as Second Fish Porter
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Marcus Brutus
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Shylock
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Sancho Panza
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Voltaire
- Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965) as The Man
- A Study in Terror (1965) as Inspector Lestrade
- Othello (1965) as Iago
- Olivier Talks About Othello (1965) as (archive footage)
- The Wild Affair (1965) as Drunk
- Theatre 625 (1964) as Dr Dee
- The Wednesday Play (1964) as Albert
- The Comedy Man (1964) as Prout
- Hot Enough for June (1964) as British Embassy Porter
- Doctor in Distress (1963) as Corsetiere
- The Informers (1963) as Leon Sale
- Z-Cars (1962)
- Studio 4 (1962) as Fernand Destayac
- The Longest Day (1962) as Pvt. Coke (uncredited)
- The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) as Booking Office Clerk (uncredited)
- Private Potter (1962) as Capt. Patterson
- Life for Ruth (1962) as Teddy's Father
- The Hard Knock (1962) as Franco Angelo
- Drama 61-67 (1961) as Albert Hope
- The Younger Generation (1961) as Ross Mayer
- The Younger Generation (1961) as George Tremaine
- You Can't Win (1961) as George Lander
- Target Luna (1960) as Conway Henderson
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Franco Angelo
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Bosun
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Patrick Kelly
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as David Field
- Sunday Night Theatre (1950) as Louis
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Frank Finlay best known for?
Frank Finlay is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Merlin (2008), CJ7 (2008), The Pianist (2002), Station Jim (2001).
When and where was Frank Finlay born?
Frank Finlay was born on August 6, 1926 in Farnworth, Lancashire, England, UK. They passed away on January 30, 2016.
How many credits does Frank Finlay have?
Frank Finlay has accumulated over 150 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1950 to 2018.
What is Frank Finlay's background in cinema and television?
Frank Finlay was an actor born on August 6, 1926, in Farnworth, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, and he died on January 30, 2016, at the age of 89. He 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...
Frank Finlay by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Count Dracula (1977) as Professor Van Helsing — aged about 50
- Charlemagne, le prince à cheval (1994) as Alcuin — aged about 67
- The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994) as Professor Coram / Sergius — aged about 67
- The Pianist (2002) as Father — aged about 75
- Bouquet of Barbed Wire (1976) as Peter Manson — aged about 49
- Sherlock Holmes (1984) as Professor Coram / Sergius — aged about 57
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