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Ustinov, Peter Alexander CBE (Sir)

Birth date

1921

Biography

Peter Ustinov was born in London on 6 April; hs father was a journalist and his mother was a painter. His grandfather had been a Russian officer in the Czar’s army. Peter was educated at Westminster School and trained at the London Theatre School. He made his professional stage debut at the age of seventeen, as an old man in “The Wood Demon”. Many stage roles followed, but it as a film actor that he has made his career of some 60 years, appearing in more than 70 films. In 1951 he received an Academy Award nomination as Nero in “Quo Vadis?”. He received Oscars for the best supporting actor in “Spartacus” (1960) and “Topkapi” (1964). He played Hercule Poirot in six films in the 1970s and 1980s. The multi-talented Ustinov wrote a number of notable plays that were acted in London and New York: “The Love of Four Colonels” (1951), “Romanoff and Juliet” (1956) and “Halfway Up the Tree” (1967), to name a few. In his comedy “Beethoven’s 10th” (1983), he also starred as the composer. He acted and directed his film version of “Billy Budd”. In 1969 he received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay “Hot Millions”. Ustinov is a master story teller, and he has published collections of short stories. His autobiographical works include “Dear Me” (1977), “Ustinov at Large” (1993) and “Ustinov Still at Large” (1994). For his humanitarian efforts as Ambassador at large for UNICEF since 1969, he was awarded that organisation’s Medal for Distinguished Service in 1993. He received the CBE in 1975 and was knighted in 1990. Sir Peter was elected into the Garrick Club in 1948 and is a Life Member. (EB)
 
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