| Biography | Richard Burton, CBE (10 November 1925 5 August 1984) was a Welsh stage and cinema actor noted for his mellifluous baritone voice and his great acting talent that many critics believed he squandered in an excess of hedonism. Establishing himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and the purveyor of a memorable Hamlet in 1964, Burton was called "the natural successor to Olivier" by critic and dramaturg Kenneth Tynan. An alcoholic, Burton's failure to live up to those expectations fueled his legend as the greatest thespian wastrel since John Barrymore, another great Hamlet whose career also foundered in a sea of alcohol.
Burton was nominated seven times for an Academy Award without ever winning. He was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. In the mid-1960s, Burton ascended into the ranks of the top box office stars and by the late 1960s, was the highest-paid actor in the world, receiving fees of $1 million or more plus a share of the gross receipts.
Burton remains closely associated in the public consciousness with his second wife, actress Elizabeth Taylor. The couple's turbulent relationship was rarely out of the news. |