Frank Finlay
Acting
🎂 1926-08-06
Frank 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 definitive screen portrayal of Alexandre Dumas’ musketeer Porthos in three movies for director Richard Lester: The Three Musketeers (1974), The Four Musketeers (1975) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989). Frank’s many other films include The Longest Day; Tony Richardson’s The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner; Martin Ritt’s The Molly Maguires; Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree; Alan Bridges’ The Return of the Soldier (for which he recieved a BAFTA Award nomination); Franco Zeffrelli’s Sparrow; and Eric Styles’ Dreaming of Joseph Lees; and most recently Roman Polanski’s multi-award winning The Pianist and Norma Jewison’s The Statement. His similarly extensive television projects have earned him two BAFTA Awards, for his performances in The Death of Adolf Hitler (starring as Hitler, with Rex Firkin directing); The Adventures of Don Quixote (as Sancho Panza, opposite Rex Harrison, for director Alvin Rakoff); the ground breaking Bouquet of Barbed Wire and Another Bouquet; 84 Charing Cross Road; and recently the critically acclaimed series The Sins. Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Finlay had already begun performing on stage when he earned the Sir James Knott Scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Since then he has led theatre companies in London and on Broadway. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1984 New Year’s Honours List, and was presented with his CBE by the Queen in February1984.
Cast credits(125)
1970
Dearth
1970
1962
Marcus Brutus
1965
Shylock
1965
Sancho Panza
1965
Voltaire
1965
The Witchsmeller Pursuivant
1983
Arthur Pearson
1979
Professor Coram / Sergius
1984
Anhora
2008
Arnold Tennison
1991
Alcuin
1994
General Bulstrode
1999
Self
1982
Howard Franklin
1992
Fernand Destayac
1962
Asquith
2003
Harold Plumb
1986
Alexander 'Alex' Combe
2008
Peter Manson
1976
1998
Jean Valjean
1967
Father
2002
Conway Henderson
1960
Garrick
1991
Tom Maxwell
2006
1977
Nino Rolfe
1983
Nino Rolfe
1994
Casanova
1971
Dr. Hans Fallada
1985
Professor Van Helsing
1977
Pvt. Coke (uncredited)
1962
Jacob Marley
1984
Peppino
1976
Justice Peter Mahon
1987
Admiral Wagner
2000
Porthos / O'Reilly
1973
Det. Chief Supt. Velyan
1971
Porthos
1974
Fr. Geoghagen
1978
Eric Thornhill
2004
Supt. Weaver
1968
Inspector Lestrade
1979
Commissaire Vionnet
2003
Henry Durnley
1968
Booking Office Clerk (uncredited)
1962
Uncle Irwin Green
2000
Canarsky
1982
Inspector Lestrade
1965
Igor Bounin
1968
William Grey
1983
Robinson
1967
Sergei
1992
Vincent Amafi
1973
Abu Bakar
1978
William Ginley
1971
John Carter
1970
H.W. Manfred
1966
2015
Harrassed Man
1967
British Embassy Porter
1964
Father
1999
Hudson Junior
1998
Self (archive footage)
2018
Abraham van Helsing
1977
Davies
1970
Iago
1965
Corsetiere
1963
Father Nunzio
1994
Mr Heath
2001
Porthos
1989
Matthew Fox
1983
Kravtsov
1984
Col. Boris Morosov
1984
Josef Haydn
2003
Teddy's Father
1962
Second Fish Porter
1966
Paul
1979
Riorden Snr
2001
Mike's Dad
1997
Garrick
1991
Narrator
1970
Captain Manson
1982
Leon Sale
1963
Monsignor
1995
Razetta
1987
Prout
1964
Roger
2007
Rudi Wittfogel
2000
Dogberry
1967
Alfred
2004
Peppino
1978
Franco Angelo
1962
George Dabernon
1972
Chaplain
1967
Frank Strange
1985
Marty Gold
1972
Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
1973
Professor Etherege
1995
Sigmund Freud (voice)
1985
Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
1974
Drunk
1965
1972
Chandu
1992
Adolf Hitler
1973
(archive footage)
1965
Edward Coke
1990
John Rathbone
1997
Shylock
1972
Frank Doel
1975
Council foreman
1967
Napoleon
1978
Capt. Patterson
1962
Sancho Panza
1973
Dearth
1981
Brutus
1969
Andrew Firth
1970
Pavel Rhele
1993
Narrator
1983
Albert
1969
Arthur Conan Doyle
1992
Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
1975
Wilfred Tilley
1969
