John Gielgud (1904-2000), Actor and theatre director
Sir John Gielgud
Sitter in 113 portraits
Born into a theatrical tradition - Ellen Terry was his great aunt and his father's Polish grandmother was also an actress. He made his professional debut in 1921 at the Old Vic and it was there that his performances in Richard II and Hamlet in 1929 propelled him to fame. Gielgud's fame before the War was as a Shakespearean actor and director, skills he re-deployed in the triumphant one-man Shakespeare recital, Ages of Man, with which he toured the world in 1959. A versatile talent, he directed and played in Christopher Fry's The Lady's Not for Burning in 1949. He won an Oscar for his film role in Arthur (1981). As late as 1998 he starred in The Titchborne Claimant.
by Madame Yevonde
black and white reprint on card mount, circa 1972
NPG x131735
by Press Association Photos
vintage print, 1980s
NPG x184108
National Portrait Gallery Extension
by Michael Heath
pen and ink, 2000
NPG D21631
Film and Broadcasting
Theatre and Live Entertainment
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Actors and actresses
Place
London
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