Peter Finch
English-Australian actor (1916–1977) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Peter Finch?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch (28 September 1916 – 14 January 1977) was an English-Australian actor of theatre, film and radio.[1][2]
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2024) |
Peter Finch | |
---|---|
Born | Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch (1916-09-28)28 September 1916 South Kensington, London, England |
Died | 14 January 1977(1977-01-14) (aged 60) |
Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1934–1977 |
Spouses | Eletha Barrett
(m. 1973) |
Children | 4; including Charles Finch |
Awards | See below |
Military career | |
Allegiance | Australia |
Service/ | Australian Army |
Years of service | 1941–1945 |
Rank | Sergeant |
Unit | 2/1st Field Regiment (Australia) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Born in London, he emigrated to Australia as a teenager and was raised in Sydney, where he worked in vaudeville and radio before becoming a star of Australian films. Joining the Old Vic Company after World War II, he achieved widespread critical success in Britain for both stage and screen performances. One of British cinema's most celebrated leading men of the time,[3] Finch won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role five times, and won a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of crazed television anchorman Howard Beale in the 1976 film Network.
According to the British Film Institute, "it is arguable that no other actor ever chalked up such a rewarding CV in British films, and he accumulated the awards to bolster this view".[4] He died only two months before the 49th Academy Awards, making him the first person to win a posthumous Oscar in an acting category. As of 2023, the only other person to have done so was fellow Australian Heath Ledger.