Sir Arthur John Gielgud  was een Engels toneel- en filmacteur. Hij wordt door velen beschouwd als één van de grootste acteurs van zijn tijd. Hij is vooral bekend om zijn vele rollen in stukken van Shakespeare.

GEBOREN:
---------------
 14 april 1904

OVERLEDEN:
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 21 mei 2000


John Gielgud is de achterneef van de beroemde toneelactrice Ellen Terry. Na de Westminster School te hebben afgerond ging hij studeren aan de Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (1922).  Zijn acteercarrière vlotte voorspoedig en hij speelde op jonge leeftijd al in klassieke rollen. Op zijn vijfentwintigste maakte Gielgud zijn debuut in the Old Vic en een jaar later speelde hij Hamlet.

Vanaf de jaren dertig speelde Gielgud ook regelmatig in films. Toch lag zijn hart bij het theater, waardoor de concurrentie met Laurence Olivier, die zich meer op films richtte, minimaal was. Ook toen de toneelwereld door de jaren heen veranderde, veranderde Gielgud mee. Zo was hij te zien in verscheidene stukken van Harold Pinter.

Gielgud was homoseksueel. In 1953 werd hij daardoor veroordeeld voor obsceen gedrag. In plaats van dat hij werd verworpen door het publiek, kreeg hij bij zijn eerstvolgende verschijning op het toneel een staande ovatie.

In 1953 werd Gielgud geridderd. In 1977 werd hij opgenomen in the Order of the Companions of Honour en in 1996 kreeg hij de Order of Merit.

In 1973 speelde hij mee in de musical Lost Horizon.

John Gielgud is één van de negen personen die zowel een Grammy, een Emmy, een Oscar en een Tony Award hebben gewonnen. In 1961 kreeg hij een Tony voor de beste dramaregisseur voor Big Fish, Little Fish, in 1979 een Grammy voor beste ingesproken documentaire of drama voor Ages of Man, in 1981 de Oscar voor Beste Acteur in een Bijrol voor Arthur en in 1991 de Emmy voor beste hoofdrolspeler in een miniserie of special voor Summer's Lease.

In de jaren tachtig was Gielgud te zien in de televisieserie Brideshead Revisited. In 1994 werd de naam van het Globe Theatre op West End veranderd in Gielgud Theatre, ter ere van de negentigste verjaardag van de acteur.

John Gielgud stierf een natuurlijke dood in mei 2000. Hij is 96 jaar oud geworden. Martin Hensler, die meer dan 25 jaar zijn levenspartner was, stierf slechts enkele maanden eerder.

Hij speelde tot vlak voor zijn dood nog in films en toneelstukken: zijn laatste filmrol was Catastrophe, een filmbewerking van het gelijknamige stuk van Samuel Beckett. De filmproductie werd enige weken voor zijn dood voltooid.

FILMOGRAFIE:
----------------------
Catastrophe (2000) .... The Protagonist
Elizabeth (1998) .... The Pope
... aka Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen (USA: closing credits title)
The Tichborne Claimant (1998) .... Cockburn
Quest for Camelot (1998) (voice) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Merlin
... aka The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot (International: English title)
Merlin (1998/II) (TV) .... King Constant
"A Dance to the Music of Time" .... St. John Clarke (1 episode, 1997)
    - Part One (1997) TV episode .... St. John Clarke
David (1997) (TV) (voice) (uncredited) .... God
... aka Die Bibel - David (Germany)
... aka La bibbia: David (Italy)
Hamlet (1996) .... Priam
... aka William Shakespeare's Hamlet (USA: complete title)
The Portrait of a Lady (1996) .... Mr. Touchett
Dragonheart (1996) (voice) (uncredited) .... King Arthur
Gulliver's Travels (1996) (TV) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Professor of Sunlight
Shine (1996) .... Cecil Parkes
Haunted (1995) .... Doctor Doyle
First Knight (1995) .... Oswald
A Summer Day's Dream (1994) (TV) .... Stephen Dawlish
"Scarlett" (1994) TV mini-series .... Pierre Robillard
"Alleyn Mysteries" .... Percival Pyke Period (1 episode, 1994)
... aka "Inspector Alleyn"
... aka "Ngaio Marsh's Alleyn Mysteries" (UK: complete title)
... aka "The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries" (Australia)
    - Hand in Glove (1994) TV episode .... Percival Pyke Period
"Under the Hammer" (1 episode, 1994)
    - The Fatal Attribution (1994) TV episode
"Lovejoy" .... Lord Wakering (1 episode, 1993)
    - The Lost Colony (1993) TV episode .... Lord Wakering
"Inspector Morse" .... Lord Hinksey (1 episode, 1993)
    - Twilight of the Gods (1993) TV episode .... Lord Hinksey
The Power of One (1992) .... St. John
... aka La puissance de l'ange (France)
Shining Through (1992) .... Sunflower
Swan Song (1992) .... Svetlovidov
"Strauss Dynasty" (1991) TV mini-series .... Dreschler
... aka "The Strauss Dynasty" (International: English title)
Prospero's Books (1991) .... Prospero
... aka L'ultima tempesta (Italy)
"A TV Dante" .... the voice of Virgil / ... (6 episodes, 1991)
... aka "A TV Dante: The Inferno - Cantos I-VIII" (UK: video box title)
... aka "Dante: The Inferno" (UK: video title)
    - Canto 10 (1991) TV episode .... the voice of Virgil
    - Canto 11 (1991) TV episode .... the voice Virgil
    - Canto 12 (1991) TV episode .... the voice of Virgil
    - Canto 13 (1991) TV episode .... the voice of Virgil
    - Canto 14 (1991) TV episode .... the voice of Virgil
      (1 more)
The Best of Friends (1991) (TV) .... Sydney Cockerell
Strike It Rich (1990) .... Herbert Dreuther
... aka Loser Takes All
... aka Money Talks
"Summer's Lease" .... Haverford Downs (2 episodes, 1989)
    - The Urbino Trail (1989) TV episode .... Haverford Downs
    - A Battlefield (1989) TV episode .... Haverford Downs
"War and Remembrance" .... Aaron Jastrow (11 episodes, 1988-1989)
    - Part 11 (1989) TV episode .... Aaron Jastrow
    - Part 10 (1989) TV episode .... Aaron Jastrow
    - Part 9 (1989) TV episode .... Aaron Jastrow
    - Part 8 (1989) TV episode .... Aaron Jastrow
    - Part 7 (1988) TV episode .... Aaron Jastrow
      (6 more)
Getting It Right (1989) .... Sir Gordon Munday
A Man for All Seasons (1988) (TV) .... Cardinal Wolsey
Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988) .... Hobson
Appointment with Death (1988) .... Colonel Carbury
The Whistle Blower (1987) .... Sir Adrian Chapple
Quartermaine's Terms (1987) (TV) .... Eddie
Barbablú, Barbablú (1987)
... aka Blaubart und seine Kinder (West Germany)
... aka Bluebeard, Bluebeard
Leave All Fair (1986) .... John Middleton Murry
... aka Souvenirs secrets (France)
Time After Time (1986) (TV) .... Jasper Swift
The Canterville Ghost (1986) (TV) .... Sir Simon de Canterville
Plenty (1985) .... Sir Leonard Darwin
Romance on the Orient Express (1985) (TV) .... Theodore Woodward
The Shooting Party (1985) .... Cornelius Cardew
Invitation to the Wedding (1985) .... Reverend Clyde Ormiston
Frankenstein (1984/I) (TV) .... DeLacey
Camille (1984) (TV) .... Duke de Charles
"Six Centuries of Verse" (8 episodes, 1984)
    - Later Twentieth Century 1934-1984 (1984) TV episode
    - Earlier Twentieth Century 1914-1939 (1984) TV episode
    - Romantics and Realists 1870-1920 (1984) TV episode
    - American Pioneers 1849-1910 (1984) TV episode
    - Victorians 1837-1901 (1984) TV episode
      (3 more)
The Master of Ballantrae (1984) (TV) .... Lord Durrisdeer
Scandalous (1984) .... Uncle Willie
"The Far Pavilions" .... Cavagnari (2 episodes, 1984)
... aka "Blade of Steel"
    - Part One: Return to India (1984) TV episode .... Cavagnari
    - Part Three: 'Wally and Anjuli' (1984) TV episode .... Cavagnari
Oedipus the King (1984) (TV) .... Teiresias
... aka Theban Plays: Oedipus the King (USA)
Antigone (1984) (TV) .... Teiresias
... aka Theban Plays: Antigone (USA)
"Wagner" .... Pfistermeister (3 episodes, 1983)
    - Part 1 (1983) TV episode .... Pfistermeister
    - Part 2 (1983) TV episode .... Pfistermeister
    - Part 3 (1983) TV episode .... Pfistermeister
The Wicked Lady (1983) .... Hogarth
The Scarlet and the Black (1983) (TV) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Pope Pius XII
... aka Scarlatto e nero (Italy)
... aka The Vatican Pimpernel
Gandhi (1982) .... Lord Irwin
... aka Richard Attenborough's Film: Gandhi (USA: complete title)
Inside the Third Reich (1982) (TV) .... Albert Speer Sr.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) (TV) .... Charmolue
... aka Hunchback (USA: video title)
The Seven Dials Mystery (1982) (TV) .... Marquis of Caterhan
"Marco Polo" .... Doge of Venice (1 episode, 1982)
    - Episode #1.1 (1982) TV episode .... Doge of Venice
A Christmas Carol (1982/I) (TV) .... Narrator
"Brideshead Revisited" .... Edward Ryder (5 episodes, 1981)
    - A Twitch Upon a Thread (1981) TV episode .... Edward Ryder
    - The Unseen Hook (1981) TV episode .... Edward Ryder
    - Sebastian Against the World (1981) TV episode .... Edward Ryder
    - Home and Abroad (1981) TV episode .... Edward Ryder
    - Et in Arcadia Ego (1981) TV episode .... Edward Ryder
Priest of Love (1981) .... Herbert G. Muskett
Arthur (1981) .... Hobson
Lion of the Desert (1981) .... Sharif El Gariani
... aka Omar Mukhtar: Lion of the Desert
Chariots of Fire (1981) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Master of Trinity
Sphinx (1981) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Abdu-Hamdi
The Formula (1980) .... Dr. Abraham Esau, Director Reich Energy
... aka Die Formel (West Germany)
The Elephant Man (1980) .... Carr Gomm
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980) (TV) .... Reverend Jones
Dyrygent (1980) .... John Lasocki
... aka The Conductor (USA)
"Tales of the Unexpected" .... Cyril Boggis / ... (2 episodes, 1979-1980)
... aka "Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected"
    - Parson's Pleasure (1980) TV episode .... Cyril Boggis
    - Neck (1979) TV episode .... Jelks
The Human Factor (1979) .... Brig. Tomlinson
Caligola (1979) .... Nerva
... aka Caligula (USA)
... aka Caligula, My Son (UK)
... aka Io, Caligola (Italy: recut version)
Murder by Decree (1979) .... Prime Minister Lord Salisbury
... aka Sherlock Holmes and Saucy Jack (USA)
... aka Sherlock Holmes: Murder by Decree
Les miserables (1978) (TV) .... Gillenormand
King Richard the Second (1978) (TV) .... John of Gaunt
... aka Richard II
... aka The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: King Richard the Second (USA: video title)
Romeo & Juliet (1978) (TV) .... Chorus
... aka The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (USA: video title)
No Man's Land (1978) (TV) .... Spooner
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1977) .... The Preacher
"BBC Play of the Month" .... Captain Shotover / ... (5 episodes, 1967-1977)
    - Heartbreak House (1977) TV episode .... Captain Shotover
    - The Picture of Dorian Gray (1976) TV episode .... Lord Henry Wotton
    - In Good King Charles's Golden Days (1970) TV episode
    - St. Joan (1968) TV episode .... The Inquisitor
    - Romeo and Juliet (1967) TV episode .... Chorus
Joseph Andrews (1977) .... The Doctor
Providence (1977) .... Clive Langham
Peter Pan (1976) (TV) .... Narrator
Aces High (1976) .... Headmaster
"Shades of Greene" .... Mr. Ferraro (1 episode, 1975)
    - Special Duties (1975) TV episode .... Mr. Ferraro
"Edward the Seventh" .... Benjamin Disraeli (2 episodes, 1975)
... aka "Edward VII" (UK: short title)
... aka "Edward the King" (USA)
... aka "The Royal Victorians"
    - Dearest Prince (1975) TV episode .... Benjamin Disraeli
    - The Invisible Queen (1975) TV episode .... Benjamin Disraeli
Galileo (1975) .... The Old Cardinal
... aka Bertolt Brecht's Galileo (Australia: DVD box title)
... aka Galileo Galilei
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) .... Mr. Beddoes
... aka Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (UK: complete title)
11 Harrowhouse (1974) .... Meecham
... aka Anything for Love (USA: TV title)
... aka Eleven Harrowhouse
... aka Fast Fortune
Gold (1974) .... Farrell
... aka The Great Gold Conspiracy (USA)
"QB VII" (1974) TV mini-series .... Clinton-Meek (unknown episodes)
Frankenstein: The True Story (1973) (TV) .... Chief Constable (Police)
"Menace" .... Frederick William Densham (1 episode, 1973)
    - Deliver Us from Evil (1973) TV episode .... Frederick William Densham
Lost Horizon (1973) .... Chang
"ABC Afterschool Specials" .... Various Characters (1 episode, 1973)
    - William: The Life, Works and Times of William Shakespeare (1973) TV episode .... Various Characters
Probe (1972) (TV) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Harold Streeter
... aka Search (USA: rerun title)
Eagle in a Cage (1972) .... Lord Sissal
"Play for Today" .... Harry (1 episode, 1972)
    - Home (1972) TV episode .... Harry
Hassan (1971) (TV) .... Haroun al Raschid
"Hallmark Hall of Fame" .... The Ghost (1 episode, 1970)
... aka "Hallmark Television Playhouse"
    - Hamlet (1970) TV episode .... The Ghost
Julius Caesar (1970) .... Julius Caesar
Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) .... Count Leopold Von Berchtold
The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... The Elder Pope
Assignment to Kill (1968) .... Curt Valayan
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) .... Lord Raglan
"NET Playhouse" .... Harry (1 episode, 1968)
    - Home (1968) TV episode .... Harry
From Chekhov with Love (1968) (TV) .... Anton Chekhov
Sebastian (1968) .... Head of Intelligence
... aka Mr. Sebastian
"The Wednesday Play" .... Gabriel Quantara / ... (2 episodes, 1966)
    - Alice in Wonderland (1966) TV episode (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Mock Turtle
    - The Mayfly and the Frog (1966) TV episode .... Gabriel Quantara
"ABC Stage 67" .... Rich Man (1 episode, 1966)
    - The Love Song of Barney Kempinski (1966) TV episode .... Rich Man
Campanadas a medianoche (1965) .... Henry IV
... aka Falstaff (France) (Switzerland: German title)
... aka Campanades a mitjanit (Spain: Catalan title)
... aka Chimes at Midnight (UK)
The Loved One (1965) .... Sir Francis Hinsley
Hamlet (1964/I) (voice) .... Ghost
... aka Richard Burton's Hamlet (USA: DVD title)
Becket (1964) .... King Louis VII of France
"ITV Play of the Week" .... The Count (1 episode, 1963)
... aka "Play of the Week" (UK: short title)
    - The Rehearsal (1963) TV episode .... The Count
The Cherry Orchard (1962) (TV) .... Gaev
"The DuPont Show of the Month" .... Andrew Crocker-Harris (1 episode, 1959)
    - The Browning Version (1959) TV episode .... Andrew Crocker-Harris
Saint Joan (1957) .... Earl of Warwick
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957) .... Edward Moulton-Barrett
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) (as Sir John Gielgud) .... Fosdyke
... aka Michael Todd's Around the World in 80 Days (USA: complete title)
Richard III (1955) .... George, Duke of Clarence
Romeo and Juliet (1954) .... Chorus
... aka Giulietta e Romeo (Italy)
Julius Caesar (1953) .... Cassius
... aka William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
An Airman's Letter to His Mother (1941) .... Narrator
The Prime Minister (1941) .... Benjamin Disraeli
Secret Agent (1936) .... Richard Ashenden
... aka Laugh Track: Secret Agent (USA: video title (redubbed comic version))
The Good Companions (1933) .... Inigo Jollifant
Insult (1932) .... Henri Dubois
The Clue of the New Pin (1929) .... Rex Trasmere
Who Is the Man? (1924) .... Daniel