Donald Wolfit is a durable British actor whose accumulated screen time beats that of most leading names. The role of General Archibald Murray in 'Lawrence of Arabia' is the one that keeps being brought up. Among the rest of the work, 'Becket' stands out. Very few actors keep finding work for 95 years.
Donald Wolfit
65 years (Apr 20, 1902 – Feb 17, 1968)New Balderton, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
32 Movies4 Series
Donald Wolfit is a durable British actor whose accumulated screen time beats that of most leading names. The role of General Archibald Murray in 'Lawrence of Arabia' is the one that keeps being brought up. Among the rest of the work, 'Becket' stands out. Very few actors keep finding work for 95 years.
1902-04-20 · New Balderton, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
Donald Wolfit (born Donald Woolfitt; 20 April 1902 – 17 February 1968) was an English actor-manager, best known for touring productions of Shakespeare and his performances as King Lear. Born in New Balderton, Nottinghamshire, he made his London stage debut in 1924 and later joined the companies at the Old Vic and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
After playing Hamlet at Stratford, he formed his own touring company in 1937, taking Shakespeare and other plays to audiences across Britain and abroad. His company continued performing during the Second World War, including lunchtime productions in London. Among the actors who worked with him were Harold Pinter and Brian Rix. Wolfit also appeared in films, including Svengali (1954), Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Becket (1964). He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1950 and knighted in 1957 for his services to the theatre.