Richard Burton

This article is about the 20th-century actor. For the 19th-century explorer, scholar, and orientalist, see Richard Francis Burton.


Richard Burton (November 10, 1925 - August 5, 1984) was a Welsh actor from the late 1940s through the 1980s.

Richard Burton

He was born Richard Walter Jenkins in the village of Pontrhydyfen near Port Talbot. With the assistance of his inspirational schoolmaster, Philip H Burton (who legally adopted him), he excelled in school productions. It was at this time that he began to develop the distinctive speaking voice that became his hallmark, having been encouraged by Philip (who sidelined as a BBC radio producer) to "lose his Welsh accent".

There is a widespread myth (perhaps encouraged or even believed by some members of his stoutly working-class family) that Richard Burton "won a scholarship to Oxford at the age of sixteen" but left after six months. The facts, as recorded by Burton himself in his own autobiography and in Richard and Philip, which he co-wrote, are as follows: At the age of sixteen, he was forced to leave school and find work as a shop assistant. His former teacher, Philip Burton, recognising his talent, adopted him and enabled him to return to school. In 1943, at the age of eighteen, Richard Burton (who had now taken his teacher's surname), was allowed into Exeter College for a term of six months study. This was made possible only because it was wartime and he was an air force cadet.

In 1952, Burton successfully made the transition to Hollywood star, appearing in My Cousin Rachel opposite Olivia de Havilland. In 1954, he took his most famous radio role, as the narrator in the original production of Under Milk Wood, a role he would reprise in the film version twenty years later.

An insomniac and notoriously heavy drinker, Burton was married five times - twice, consecutively, to Elizabeth Taylor. Burton and Taylor played opposite each other in Mike Nichols's film of the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, in which a bitter erudite couple spend the evening trading vicious barbs in front of their horrified and fascinated guests. The film is reputed to have been similar to Burton and Taylor's real-life marriage.

Burton was banned permanently from BBC productions in 1974 for questioning the sanity of Winston Churchill and others in power during World War II--Burton reported hating them "virulently" for the alleged promise to wipe out all Japanese people on the planet.

Burton died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage at his home in Switzerland, where he is buried. He was only 58 years old.

Burton appears in the 2002 List of "100 Great Britons" (sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public).

Burton is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Sir Richard Burton", perhaps due to the similarity of his assumed name to that of Richard Francis Burton, but unlike the 19th century scholar, he never received a knighthood.

Selected filmography

  • Alexander the Great (1956)
  • The Longest Day (1962)
  • Cleopatra (1963)
  • Becket (1964)
  • Hamlet (1964)
  • Night of the Iguana (1964)
  • Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
  • Where Eagles Dare (1968)
  • Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
  • 1984 (1984) - (his final screen appearance) (see also: Nineteen Eighty-Four (novel))

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Burton is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Sir Richard Burton", perhaps due to the similarity of his assumed name to that of Richard Francis Burton, but unlike the 19th century scholar, he never received a knighthood.
. Burton appears in the 2002 List of "100 Great Britons" (sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public). Related Links:. He was only 58 years old.
External Links:. Burton died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage at his home in Switzerland, where he is buried.
Bried Filmography.

Burton was banned permanently from BBC productions in 1974 for questioning the sanity of Winston Churchill and others in power during World War II--Burton reported hating them "virulently" for the alleged promise to wipe out all Japanese people on the planet. He lives in Los Angeles, California, USA with his wife and two children. The film is reputed to have been similar to Burton and Taylor's real-life marriage. He has also worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and in the lead role of Macbeth performed at the Stratford Theatre. Burton and Taylor played opposite each other in Mike Nichols's film of the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, in which a bitter erudite couple spend the evening trading vicious barbs in front of their horrified and fascinated guests. Kim Coates (born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian actor who has worked in both Canadian and American movies and television series. An insomniac and notoriously heavy drinker, Burton was married five times - twice, consecutively, to Elizabeth Taylor. List of people.

In 1954, he took his most famous radio role, as the narrator in the original production of Under Milk Wood, a role he would reprise in the film version twenty years later. List of Canadians. In 1952, Burton successfully made the transition to Hollywood star, appearing in My Cousin Rachel opposite Olivia de Havilland. List of actors. This was made possible only because it was wartime and he was an air force cadet. Kim Coates at IMDB.com (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167649/). In 1943, at the age of eighteen, Richard Burton (who had now taken his teacher's surname), was allowed into Exeter College for a term of six months study. as Drifter.

His former teacher, Philip Burton, recognising his talent, adopted him and enabled him to return to school. Waterworld .. The facts, as recorded by Burton himself in his own autobiography and in Richard and Philip, which he co-wrote, are as follows: At the age of sixteen, he was forced to leave school and find work as a shop assistant. as Palmer Davis. There is a widespread myth (perhaps encouraged or even believed by some members of his stoutly working-class family) that Richard Burton "won a scholarship to Oxford at the age of sixteen" but left after six months. Crash .. It was at this time that he began to develop the distinctive speaking voice that became his hallmark, having been encouraged by Philip (who sidelined as a BBC radio producer) to "lose his Welsh accent". as Bob Murdoch.

With the assistance of his inspirational schoolmaster, Philip H Burton (who legally adopted him), he excelled in school productions. Airborne .. He was born Richard Walter Jenkins in the village of Pontrhydyfen near Port Talbot. as Carlo.
Richard Burton (November 10, 1925 - August 5, 1984) was a Welsh actor from the late 1940s through the 1980s. Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 .. For the 19th-century explorer, scholar, and orientalist, see Richard Francis Burton.. as Toffler/Fisk 2.

This article is about the 20th-century actor. X Change .. 1984 (1984) - (his final screen appearance) (see also: Nineteen Eighty-Four (novel)). as Jack Richards. Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
. Pearl Harbor .. Where Eagles Dare (1968)
. Tim 'Griz' Martin.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
. as Msgt. Night of the Iguana (1964)
. Black Hawk Down .. Hamlet (1964)
. as Butler. Becket (1964)
. Open Range ..

Cleopatra (1963)
. The Longest Day (1962)
. Alexander the Great (1956)
.