Frank Finlay

At 89 years old, Frank Finlay has this physical status:

Frank Finlay, Edward Finlay, 6 August 1926 – January 31, 2016, also known as Frank Finlay, was an English stage, film, and television actor.

He was nominated for his supporting role in Laurence Olivier's 1965 film version of Othello, and he was named as Casanova in 1971, which resulted in appearances on The Morecambe and Wise Exhibition.

He appeared in Barbed Wire's controversial drama Bouquet.

Early life

Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, and the son of Josiah Finlay and Margaret Finlay. He was educated at St Gregory the Great School but was sent to Toppings at 14 years old, with a City and Guilds Diploma in the trade.

Private life and honours

Finlay met his future wife, Dolly Shepherd, while attending Farnworth Little Theatre together. Stephen, Cathy, and Daniel, along with their three children, lived in Shepperton, Middlesex. She died in 2005 at the age of 79. Finlay, a Roman Catholic, became a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild (now the Catholic Association of Performing Arts).

Finlay was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year's Honours of 1984 and an honorary doctor of the University of Bolton in 2009.

Finlay died on January 30th, 2016, aged 89, at his home in Weybridge, Surrey, England.

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Stage career

Finlay appeared in various productions at the local Farnworth Little Theatre, including Peter Blackmore's Miranda in 1951. The new Little Theatre president, who was also cast in the Miranda revival, remembers him as a perfectionist in his art. He began playing in repertory, first in Scotland, before winning a scholarship to RADA in London.

Following several scenes in productions at the Royal Court Theatre, including the Arnold Wesker trilogy, the Arnold Wesker trilogy followed. He became attached with the National Theatre, particularly during the years when Laurence Olivier was director. Finlay's appearance in John Dexter's 1965 film Othello and the film version of that production (also 1965), left theatre critics unmoved, but the film version received a Golden Globe Award nomination. Finlay's close-ups in the film allowed him to give a more subtle and effective performance than he had on stage, according to critic John Simon.

Finlay performed roles ranging from the First Gravedigger in Hamlet to Josef Frank in Weapons of Happiness at the Chichester Festival Theatre. He appeared in The Party, Plunder, Saint Joan, Hobson's Choice, Amadeus (as Salieri), Much Ado About Nothing (as Dogberry), The Dutch Courtesan, Mother Courage, and Juno and the Paycock.

Finlay appeared on Broadway, in Epitaph for George Dillon (1958–1959), and in the National Theatre and Broadway performances of Filumena opposite Joan Plowright in 1980. Finlay toured Australia from November 1988 to April 1989, appearing in Jeffrey Archer's Beyond Reasonable Doubt at theatres in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.

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