Hugh Griffith | |
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![]() Griffith in 1960 | |
Born | Hugh Emrys Griffith 30 May 1912 Marian-glas, Anglesey, Wales |
Died | 14 May 1980 London, England | (aged 67)
Resting place | Golders Green Crematorium, London, England |
Education | Llangefni County School |
Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1939–1980 |
Spouse | Adelgunde Margaret Beatrice von Dechend (m. 1947) |
Relatives | Elen Roger Jones (sister) |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service | 1940–1946 |
Unit | Royal Welch Fusiliers |
Battles/wars |
Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh actor.[1] Described by BFI Screenonline as a "wild-eyed, formidable character player",[2] Griffith appeared in over 100 theatre, film, and television productions in a career that spanned over 40 years.[2] He was the second-ever Welsh-born actor to win an Academy Award (following Ray Milland for The Lost Weekend), winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Ben-Hur (1959), with an additional nomination for Tom Jones (1963).
As a stage actor, he was a renowned Shakespearean and a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and was nominated for Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for the original production Look Homeward, Angel. He was also a BAFTA Award and a three-time Golden Globe nominee for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (for Tom Jones; 1963, Oliver!; 1968, and The Fixer, also 1968), and a Clarence Derwent Award winner.