Laurence Olivier Net Worth

Early Life

Laurence Olivier was born May 22, 1907, in Dorking, United Kingdom, to parents Gerard Olivier and Agnes Crookenden. He grew up with these two older siblings. His father was an ordained priest in the Church of England but practiced very ritualistic Anglicanism, which was generally disfavored in England. This meant that he was unable to find permanent postings in churches but rather moved around often, meaning Olivier had a nomadic existence during his early years. However, in 1912, his father secured a permanent post, and the family was able to live in Pimlico for six years. In 1916, at the age of 9, Olivier passed a singing examination for admission to the choir school of All Saints, Margaret Street, in central London. It was there that he also began acting in school productions of “Julius Caesar,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” and “Twelfth Night.” He then enrolled at St. Edwards School in Oxford, where he continued acting. After completing school in 1924, he enrolled for one year at the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art.

Career

After leaving school, Olivier joined a small touring company and then joined the Birmingham Repertory Company in 1926. He had a number of notable roles in the years that followed, including in “Journey’s End” and “Beau Geste.” He also landed two small film roles in 1930 in the films “The Temporary Widow” and “Too Many Crooks.” He was also cast in the play “Private Lives,” which opened at the Phoenix Theater in London. He moved to Hollywood in 1931 after RKO Pictures offered him a two-film contract at $1000 a week. Olivier continued his work on stage as well. In 1935, he played in “Romeo and Juliet,” which helped catapult him into stardom by the end of the decade. He also notably acted in the film “Wuthering Heights” in 1939. By the 1940s, he was firmly established as one of the best stage actors in England. He became a co-director of the Old Vic, one of the famous theaters in Waterloo, London. It was there that he performed in some of his most highly celebrated roles, including “Richard III” and “Oedipus.” His stage career took a downward turn in the 1950s until he joined the avant-garde English Stage Company in 1957 to play the title role in “The Entertainer,” a part which he later reprised in film. He also was the founding director of Britain’s National Theatre from 1963 until 1973. During this time, it was his film career that really took off. He appeared in “Spartacus,” “The Shoes of the Fisherman,” “Sleuth,” “Marathon Man,” and “The Boys from Brazil.” He also made television appearances in “The Moon and Sixpence,” “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and “King Lear.” “King Lear” was made in 1983, and Olivier had experienced a number of illnesses over the previous two decades. This resulted in obvious frailty in his physicality and his speech, which critics agreed added much to his depiction of the title character. This was also his last time performing Shakespeare. Olivier developed a reputation in his work for being able to transform completely for different characters. He was known for changing his appearance considerably from role to role and began using extravagant makeup, especially in the later years of his career. He also excelled at using different voices and accents and was obsessive over making sure each detail of his character seemed authentic. Over the course of his long career on stage and onscreen, Olivier received numerous awards and accolades. In 1947, he was granted knighthood in England. He also received the Order of Merit in 1981. For his work in film, he received four Academy Awards, two British Film Academy Awards, five Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. The National Theatre in London named its largest auditorium in his honor, and his memory is commemorated in the Laurence Oliver Awards. These awards are given annually by the Society of London Theatre. He also received honorary doctorate degrees from Tufts University, Oxford University, and Edinburgh University. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February of 1960.

Personal Life

Olivier married Jill Esmond in July of 1930. The couple realized within a few weeks that the marriage had been a mistake, as Esmond was in love with someone else. However, they remained married until 1940. Following their divorce, Olivier married actress Vivien Leigh in 1940. The couple was married for 20 years before divorcing in 1960. He then began a relationship with Joan Plowright, and the two married in 1961. They remained married until Olivier’s death in 1989. The last couple decades of Olivier’s life were plagued with illness. He died of kidney failure in July of 1989 at the age of 82 at his home near West Sussex. He was cremated three days later, and his ashes were buried in Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey during a memorial service later that year. He is one of only two actors interred in Poets’ Corner.