Sir Alec Guinness (1914-2000)

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Sir Alec Guinness was one of the last surviving members of Britain's greatest generation of actors, which included Sir Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson.

He is aptly summed up by Sir John Gielgud's words to him: "Alec, dear, I just can't think why you want to play big parts. Why don't you stick to the little people you do so well?".

Sir Alec was born in London in 1914 and after early years on stage and a stint serving in WWII, he officially began his film career with a tremendous treble, starring in quick succession in Great Expectations in 1946, followed by Oliver Twist and Kind Hearts and Coronets.He is known for a myriad of other notable performances which have included hysterically funny Ealing comedy The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and Little Dorrit (1988).

Aside from the Star Wars (1977) role, of course, his most memorable performance was that of the colonel in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for which he won a Best Actor Oscar. The Academy also awarded him an honorary Oscar in 1980 and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II that same year.

By the end of his life, Guinness became a reclusive figure, making few theatre appearances.