Frank Finlay
Acting
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.
Known for
Acting140
movieNothing Like a Dame
2018
Self (archive footage)
movieFifty Shades of Erotica
2015
(archive footage)
tvRosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons
2008
Alexander 'Alex' Combe
tvMerlin
2008
Anhora
tvJohnny and the Bomb
2006
Tom Maxwell
movieLighthouse Hill
2004
Alfred
tvLife Begins
2004
Eric Thornhill
movieThe Statement
2003
Commissaire Vionnet
movieEroica
2003
Josef Haydn
tvThe Lost Prince
2003
Asquith
movieThe Pianist
2002
Father
Station Jim
2001
Riorden Snr
movieThe Martins
2001
Mr Heath
tvThe Sins
2000
Uncle Irwin Green
movieFor My Baby
2000
Rudi Wittfogel
tvLongitude
2000
Admiral Wagner
tvThe Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
1999
General Bulstrode
movieStiff Upper Lips
1998
Hudson Junior
Romance and Rejection (So This Is Romance?)
1997
Mike's Dad
tvThe Grand
1997
Edward Lawrence
movieLimited Edition
1997
John Rathbone
movieVirgin Mary
1995
Monsignor
movieA Mind to Murder
1995
Professor Etherege
tvThe Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
1994
Professor Coram / Sergius
movieSparrow
1994
Father Nunzio
movieThe Voyeur
1994
Nino Rolfe
An Exchange of Fire
1993
Pavel Rhele
movieStalin
1992
Sergei
The Other Side
1992
Arthur Conan Doyle
tvHeartbeat
1992
Howard Franklin
movieCthulhu Mansion
1992
Chandu
tvMountain of Diamonds
1991
Garrick
tvPrime Suspect
1991
Arnold Tennison
tvThe Burning Shore
1991
Garrick
movieKing of the Wind
1990
Edward Coke
tvErebus: The Aftermath
1987
Justice Peter Mahon
movieCasanova
1987
Razetta
tvLovejoy
1986
Harold Plumb
movieNineteen Nineteen
1985
Sigmund Freud (voice)
movieLifeforce
1985
Dr. Hans Fallada
movieIn the Secret State
1985
Frank Strange
tvScreen Two
1985
Frank Strange
movieArch of Triumph
1984
Col. Boris Morosov
movieA Christmas Carol
1984
Jacob Marley
movieSakharov
1984
Kravtsov
tvSherlock Holmes
1984
Professor Coram / Sergius
movieThe Key
1983
Nino Rolfe
tvBlackadder
1983
The Witchsmeller Pursuivant
movieThe Ploughman's Lunch
1983
Matthew Fox
tvThe Spanish Civil War
1983
Self - Narrator
movieThe Return of the Soldier
1983
William Grey
movieEnigma
1982
Canarsky
movieMona
1982
Captain Manson
All for Love
1982
Captain Manson
tvWogan
1982
Self
tvTales of the Unexpected
1979
Arthur Pearson
movieMurder by Decree
1979
Inspector Lestrade
Betzi
1978
Napoleon
movieThe Wild Geese
1978
Fr. Geoghagen
movieThe Thief of Baghdad
1978
Abu Bakar
movieCount Dracula
1977
Abraham van Helsing
tvCount Dracula
1977
Professor Van Helsing
tvBouquet of Barbed Wire
1976
Peter Manson
movie84 Charing Cross Road
1975
Frank Doel
movieVan der Valk and the Scapegoat
1975
Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
movieVan der Valk: Gun Before Butter
1974
Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
movieThe Four Musketeers
1974
Porthos
movieVan der Valk and the Rich
1973
Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk
movieThe Three Musketeers
1973
Porthos / O'Reilly
movieShaft in Africa
1973
Vincent Amafi
movieThe Death of Adolf Hitler
1973
Adolf Hitler
movieThe Adventures Of Don Quixote
1973
Sancho Panza
movieNeither the Sea Nor the Sand
1972
George Dabernon
movieSitting Target
1972
Marty Gold
movieGumshoe
1971
William Ginley
tvCasanova
1971
Giovanni Jacopo Casanova
movieAssault
1971
Det. Chief Supt. Velyan
movieThe Lie
1970
Andrew Firth
tvPlay for Today
1970
Dearth
movieThe Body
1970
Narrator
movieCromwell
1970
John Carter
movieJulius Caesar
1969
Brutus
The Piano Tuner
1969
Wilfred Tilley
tvITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
Wilfred Tilley / Adolf Hitler
This Happy Breed
1969
Frank Gibbons
movieTwisted Nerve
1968
Henry Durnley
movieThe Shoes of the Fisherman
1968
Igor Bounin
movieInspector Clouseau
1968
Supt. Weaver
tvLes Misérables
1967
Jean Valjean
movieRobbery
1967
Robinson
movieThe Jokers
1967
Harrassed Man
movieMuch Ado About Nothing
1967
Dogberry
The Spare Tyres
1967
Council foreman
movieThe Deadly Bees
1966
H.W. Manfred
tvNET Playhouse
1966
Marcus Brutus
movieThe Sandwich Man
1966
Second Fish Porter
movieOthello
1965
Iago
tvBBC Play of the Month
1965
Marcus Brutus / Shylock / Sancho Panza / Voltaire
tvThirty-Minute Theatre
1965
The Man
movieA Study in Terror
1965
Inspector Lestrade
Olivier Talks About Othello
1965
(archive footage)
tvThe Wednesday Play
1964
Albert
tvTheatre 625
1964
Dr Dee
movieHot Enough for June
1964
British Embassy Porter
movieThe Informers
1963
Leon Sale
movieDoctor in Distress
1963
Corsetiere
movieThe Longest Day
1962
Pvt. Coke (uncredited)
movieThe Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
1962
Booking Office Clerk (uncredited)
movieLife for Ruth
1962
Teddy's Father
The Hard Knock
1962
Franco Angelo
Studio 4
1962
Fernand Destayac
moviePrivate Potter
1962
Capt. Patterson
You Can't Win
1961
George Lander
The Younger Generation
1961
Ross Mayer / George Tremaine
Drama 61-67
1961
Albert Hope
Target Luna
1960
Conway Henderson
tvArmchair Theatre
1956
Franco Angelo / Bosun / Patrick Kelly / David Field
