Donald Wolfit

Donald Wolfit was an English actor, theatre director, stage producer, and teacher. Born Donald Woolfitt in Newark-on-Trent (East Midlands, England) on April 20, 1902, he died of a heart attack in London, England, on February 17, 1968. Donald Wolfit made his theatrical debut in 1920, a field in wh... More

Donald Wolfit was an English actor, theatre director, stage producer, and teacher. Born Donald Woolfitt in Newark-on-Trent (East Midlands, England) on April 20, 1902, he died of a heart attack in London, England, on February 17, 1968. Donald Wolfit made his theatrical debut in 1920, a field in which he remained particularly active throughout his career, notably in the plays of William Shakespeare (see the "Theater" section below). In fact, he named the touring troupe he founded and directed the "Shakespeare Company." Among his disciples were Ronald Harwood (who would later write a biography of him[2]) and Peter O'Toole. In film, he appeared in thirty-nine films (mostly British) between 1931 and 1968. These include Svengali (1954) in 1954—where his performance in the title role earned him a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role the following year—and Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, where he played General Archibald Murray, reuniting with Peter O'Toole. On television, he contributed to a television film in 1959 (a TV version of Ben Jonson's play Volpone) and thirteen series, mostly dedicated to the stage, from 1952 to 1968. For his contributions to the theatre, Donald Wolfit was honored in 1957 with the rank of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).