List of awards and nominations received by Laurence Olivier explained

Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier (1907–1989) was an English actor who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. From 1956 he performed in television roles, for which he won several awards.

In 1939, Olivier appeared in the film Wuthering Heights in the quintessential role of Heathcliff, which garnered him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The following year, he was again nominated for the same award for his portrayal of Maxim de Winter in Rebecca. In 1944, he produced, directed, and appeared as King Henry V of England in Henry V. The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, although it failed to win in any competitive category; instead Olivier received a "Special Award" for his work on the film. His next film, Hamlet (1948), became the first non-American film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and he also received the award for Best Actor. In 1979 Olivier was presented with an Academy Honorary Award to recognise his lifetime of contribution to the art of film. In total, he was nominated for nine other acting Academy Awards, plus one for the direction of Hamlet. For his stage work, Olivier won three Evening Standard Theatre Awards and was nominated for a Tony Award. He made his television debut in 1956, and was subsequently nominated nine times for an Emmy Award, winning on five occasions; he was also nominated for two British Academy Television Awards for his work in the medium.

In 1947, Olivier was appointed a Knight Bachelor,[1] and in 1970, he was given a life peerage;[2] the Order of Merit was conferred on him in 1981.[3] He also received honours from foreign governments. In 1949 he was made Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog by the Danish government; the French appointed him Officier, Legion of Honour, in 1953; the Italian government created him Grande Ufficiale, Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, in 1953; and in 1971 he was granted the Order of Yugoslav Flag with Golden Wreath.

From academic and other institutions, Olivier received honorary doctorates from the university of Tufts, Massachusetts (1946), Oxford (1957) and Edinburgh (1964). He was also awarded the Danish Sonning Prize for outstanding contributions to European culture in 1966, the Gold Medallion of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities in 1968; and the Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts in 1976. In February 1960 for his contribution to the film industry, Olivier was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a star at 6319 Hollywood Boulevard; he is also included in the American Theater Hall of Fame. In 1977 Olivier was awarded a British Film Institute Fellowship.

In addition to the naming of the National Theatre's largest auditorium in his honour, Olivier is commemorated in the Laurence Olivier Awards, bestowed annually since 1984 by the Society of London Theatre. In 1991 Olivier's friend, the actor John Gielgud, unveiled a memorial stone commemorating Olivier in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey. In 2007, the centenary of Olivier's birth, a life-sized statue of him was unveiled on the South Bank, outside the National Theatre; the same year the British Film Institute held a retrospective season of his film work.

Film

Awards and nominations for Olivier's film work
FilmYearAwardCategoryResult
Wuthering HeightsAcademy AwardBest Actor
RebeccaAcademy AwardBest Actor
Henry VNational Board of Review AwardBest Actor
Henry VNew York Film Critics Circle AwardBest Actor
Henry VAcademy AwardBest Actor
Henry VAcademy Honorary AwardHonorary award: "To Laurence Olivier for his outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen"
HamletVenice Film FestivalGrand International Prize of Venice (Best Film)
HamletNew York Film Critics Circle AwardBest Actor
HamletGolden Globe AwardBest Actor – Motion Picture Drama
HamletAcademy AwardBest Actor
HamletAcademy AwardBest Directing
HamletBodil AwardsBest European Film
Henry VItalian National Syndicate of Film JournalistsNastro d'Argento for Best Director (Silver Ribbon)
CarrieBritish Academy Film AwardBest British Actor
Richard IIIBritish Academy Film AwardBest Actor in a Leading Role
Richard IIISilver Bear International Prize
Richard IIIAcademy AwardBest Actor
Richard IIIDavid di Donatello AwardsBest Foreign Actor
Richard IIIDavid di Donatello AwardsBest Foreign Producer
Jussi AwardsBest Foreign Actor
British Academy Film AwardBest British Actor
British Academy Film AwardBest British Actor
Karlovy Vary International Film FestivalBest Actor
SpartacusGolden Globe AwardBest Actor – Motion Picture Drama
British Academy Film AwardBest British Actor
Academy AwardBest Actor
Term of TrialBritish Academy Film AwardBest British Actor
OthelloAcademy AwardBest Actor
OthelloNational Society of Film CriticsBest Actor
Oh! What a Lovely WarBritish Academy Film AwardBest Actor in a Supporting Role
SleuthNew York Film Critics Circle AwardBest Actor
SleuthGolden Globe AwardBest Actor – Motion Picture Drama
SleuthAcademy AwardBest Actor
SleuthDavid di Donatello AwardsBest Foreign Actor
SleuthBritish Academy Film AwardBest Actor
British Academy Film AwardAcademy Fellowship Award
Marathon ManGolden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Marathon ManAcademy AwardBest Supporting Actor
National Board of Review AwardBest Actor
Saturn AwardBest Actor
Academy AwardBest Actor
Academy Honorary AwardHonorary award: "To Laurence Olivier for the full body of his work, for the unique achievements of his entire career and his lifetime of contribution to the art of film."
Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Supporting Actor[4]
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Actor
Golden Globe AwardCecil B. DeMille Award
Film Society of Lincoln CenterGala Tribute

Stage

Awards and nominations for Olivier's stage work
ShowYearAwardCategoryResult
Evening Standard Theatre AwardsBest Actor
Tony AwardBest Actor in a Play
Evening Standard Theatre AwardsBest Actor
Long Day's Journey into NightEvening Standard Theatre AwardsBest Actor

Television

Awards and nominations for Olivier's television work
ShowYearAwardCategoryResult
Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
Uncle VanyaEmmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series
David CopperfieldEmmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
Long Day's Journey into NightEmmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
Long Day's Journey into NightBritish Academy Television AwardBest Television Actor
Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
Love Among the RuinsEmmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
Brideshead RevisitedEmmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
British Academy Television AwardBest Television Actor
King LearEmmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
Mr. Halpern and Mr. JohnsonCableACE AwardBest Actor
Banff Television FestivalLifetime Achievement Award
Lost EmpiresEmmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actor – Miniseries or a Movie

State and academic honours

State and academic honours for Olivier's
AwardYearCountry or institution
Honorary doctorateTufts University
Honorary doctorateUniversity of Massachusetts
Knight BachelorUK
Commander of the Order of the DannebrogDenmark
Officier, Legion of HonourFrance
Grande Ufficiale, Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicItaly
Honorary doctorateUniversity of Oxford
Honorary doctorateUniversity of Edinburgh
Sonning PrizeDenmark
Gold MedallionRoyal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, Sweden
Life peerageUK
Order of Yugoslav Flag with Golden WreathYugoslavia
Albert MedalRoyal Society of Arts, UK
Order of MeritUK

See also

Notes and references

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. The London Gazette. 12 June 1947. 37977. 2572. 30 March 2018. 14 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180614015029/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37977/supplement/2572. live.
  2. Crown Office. The London Gazette. 9 March 1971. 45319. 2001. 30 March 2018. 29 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180529091013/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45319/page/2001. live.
  3. Honours and Awards. 13 February 1981. 48542. 2145. 30 March 2018. 29 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180529080959/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/48524/page/2145. live.
  4. Web site: 2017-01-26 . 12 Surprising Razzie Award Winners . 2023-06-17 . Mental Floss . en-US.