| Alec Guinness Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 9¼ in |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Date of Birth | April 2, 1914 |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Date of Death | August 5, 2000 |
Alec Guinness was a veteran English actor who is widely remembered for his career-defining role as the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars Trilogy. Additionally, he starred in several popular films including Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Ladykillers (1955), Great Expectations (1946), Oliver Twist (1948), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), A Passage to India (1984), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), the latter of which earned him the Academy Award for ‘Best Actor’ in 1957.
Born Name
Alec Guinness de Cuffe
Nick Name
Alec Stiven
Age
He was born on April 2, 1914.
Died
Guinness was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few months before and liver cancer 2 days before his death on August 5, 2000, in Midhurst, West Sussex, England. He was 86 years old at that time.
Sun Sign
Aries
Born Place
Maida Vale, London, England, United Kingdom
Nationality
Occupation
Actor
Family
- Mother – Agnes de Cuffe
- Others – Edward Cuff (Maternal Grandfather), Mary Ann Benfield (Maternal Grandmother)
Net Worth
At the time of his death, Alec Guinness’ net worth was $60 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 9¼ in or 176 cm
Weight
72 kg or 158.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Alec had dated –
- Merula Salaman (1937-2000) – He wed the artist, playwright, and actress Merula Salaman on June 20, 1938. The couple was married for more than 62 years, during which, they welcomed a son named Matthew Guinness (b. June 6, 1940). Furthermore, their marriage lasted until Alec’s death on August 5, 2000.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He was of English and Scottish descent on his mother’s side.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
However, his hair had turned ‘Gray’ by the time of his death.
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
There was speculation about him being ‘Bisexual’, but without any concrete evidence.
Distinctive Features
- Pointed chin
- Reserved personality
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Alec Guinness Favorite Things
- Hotel In London – Connaught
- Actor – Pierre Fresnay
- Comedian – Stan Laurel
Source – IMDb
Alec Guinness Facts
- Five of his films have been selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry due to them being ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically’ significant. They are The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962).
- Out of all the actors in the Star Wars movie franchise, Guinness was the only one to earn a best acting Oscar nomination. In his case, it was for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977).
- He had met James Dean in Hollywood a few days before his untimely death at the age of 24 years. Upon seeing Dean’s brand-new Porsche, he had warned the actor saying “Get rid of that car, or you will be dead in a week!”. Sadly, his premonition came true as Dean died in a car crash on September 30, 1955.
- Alec’s widow Merula Salaman died just 2½ months after him on October 17, 2000. They both were 86 years old at the time of their passing.
- If you rearrange the characters in the words ‘genuine class’, you get the actor’s name: Alec Guinness.
- Ewan McGregor, who played the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) prepared for his role by watching Alec’s previous films to accurately portray his accent, tempo, and diction.
- He was a fiercely private person who disliked giving autographs and doing interviews to promote his films.
- The famous actor John Hurt was inspired to become an actor after watching Alec’s outstanding performance as Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948).
Featured Image by Allan Warren / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
