Image of Frank Finlay

Frank Finlay

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.


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Born:
Aug 6, 1926 In Farnworth, Lancashire, UK
Movie/TV Credits:
87
First Appeared:
In the movie Sakharov
Latest Project:
Movie Nothing Like a Dame 2018-05-02
Known For
Filmography
Movie Sakharov Kravtsov 2025
Movie Nothing Like a Dame Self (archive footage) 2018-05-02
Movie Fifty Shades of Erotica 2015-04-13
Movie The Waiting Room Roger 2007-08-18
Series Johnny and the Bomb Tom Maxwell 2006-01-15
Movie Lighthouse Hill Alfred 2004-05-04
Series Life Begins Eric Thornhill 2004-02-16
Series The Lost Prince Asquith 2003-01-19
Movie Eroica Josef Haydn 2003-10-04
Movie The Statement Commissaire Vionnet 2003-12-12
Movie The Pianist Father 2002-09-17
Movie The Martins Mr Heath 2001-09-14
Movie Station Jim Riorden Snr 2001-12-30
Series Sins Uncle Irwin Green 2000-10-24
Series The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns General Bulstrode 1999-11-07
Movie Dreaming of Joseph Lees Father 1999-10-29
Movie Stiff Upper Lips Hudson Junior 1998-06-12
Series How Do You Want Me? 1998-02-24
Movie Limited Edition John Rathbone 1997-01-22
Movie Romance and Rejection (So This Is Romance?) Mike's Dad 1997-11-01
Movie A Mind to Murder Professor Etherege 1995-01-01
Movie Virgin Mary Monsignor 1995-10-12
Series Charlemagne, le prince à cheval Alcuin 1994-02-28
Movie The Voyeur Nino Rolfe 1994-01-27
Movie Sparrow Father Nunzio 1994-02-04
Movie Cthulhu Mansion Chandu 1992-01-01
Movie Stalin Sergei 1992-11-21
Movie Mountain of Diamonds Garrick 1991-10-09
Movie King of the Wind Edward Coke 1990-05-25
Movie The Return of the Musketeers Porthos 1989-04-12
Movie Casanova Razetta 1987-03-01
Movie In the Secret State Frank Strange 1985-03-10
Movie Lifeforce Dr. Hans Fallada 1985-06-21
Movie Nineteen Nineteen Sigmund Freud (voice) 1985-11-14
Movie A Christmas Carol Jacob Marley 1984-10-09
Movie Arch of Triumph Col. Boris Morosov 1984-12-19
Movie The Return of the Soldier William Grey 1983-01-06
Movie The Key Nino Rolfe 1983-10-19
Movie The Ploughman's Lunch Matthew Fox 1983-05-30
Movie Enigma Canarsky 1982-10-15
Movie Ring of Darkness Paul 1979-10-29
Movie Murder by Decree Inspector Lestrade 1979-02-01
Movie Saturday, Sunday, Monday Peppino 1978-01-01
Movie The Thief of Baghdad Abu Bakar 1978-01-10
Movie The Wild Geese Fr. Geoghagen 1978-06-28
Movie Count Dracula Abraham van Helsing 1977-12-22
Series Count Dracula Professor Van Helsing 1977-12-22
Series Bouquet of Barbed Wire Peter Manson 1976-01-06
Movie 84 Charing Cross Road Frank Doel 1975-11-04
Movie The Four Musketeers Porthos 1974-10-31
Movie Van der Valk and the Rich Van der Valk 1973-12-26
Movie The Three Musketeers Porthos / O'Reilly 1973-12-11
Movie The Death of Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler 1973-01-07
Movie Shaft in Africa Vincent Amafi 1973-06-14
Movie The Merchant of Venice Shylock 1972-04-16
Movie Neither the Sea Nor the Sand George Dabernon 1972-11-01
Movie Danny Jones 1972-05-01
Movie Sitting Target Marty Gold 1972-05-01
Movie Assault Det. Chief Supt. Velyan 1971-02-11
Series Casanova Casanova 1971-11-16
Movie Gumshoe William Ginley 1971-12-01
Movie The Molly Maguires Davies 1970-02-08
Movie The Lie Andrew Firth 1970-10-29
Movie The Body Narrator 1970-10-09
Movie Cromwell John Carter 1970-07-16
Movie Julius Caesar Brutus 1969-04-13
Movie The Piano Tuner Wilfred Tilley 1969-03-08
Movie Twisted Nerve Henry Durnley 1968-12-20
Movie Inspector Clouseau Supt. Weaver 1968-07-19
Movie The Shoes of the Fisherman Igor Bounin 1968-11-14
Movie Much Ado About Nothing Dogberry 1967-01-01
Movie The Jokers Harrassed Man 1967-05-15
Movie I'll Never Forget What's'isname Chaplain 1967-12-18
Movie Robbery Robinson 1967-08-01
Movie The Sandwich Man Second Fish Porter 1966-07-01
Movie The Deadly Bees H.W. Manfred 1966-12-23
Movie A Study in Terror Inspector Lestrade 1965-10-01
Movie The Wild Affair Drunk 1965-12-05
Movie Othello Iago 1965-12-15
Movie Hot Enough for June British Embassy Porter 1964-01-01
Movie The Comedy Man Prout 1964-09-03
Movie The Informers Leon Sale 1963-11-29
Movie Doctor in Distress Corsetiere 1963-07-30
Movie Life for Ruth Teddy's Father 1962-09-06
Movie The Longest Day Pvt. Coke (uncredited) 1962-09-25
Movie The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Booking Office Clerk (uncredited) 1962-09-20
Series Target Luna Conway Henderson 1960-04-24