Richard Attenborough

Date of Birth: August 29, 1923

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: August 24, 2014

Biography

Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, was an acclaimed British actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. Born on August 29, 1923, in Cambridge, England, Attenborough had a prolific career spanning over six decades. He initially gained fame as an actor, with notable performances in films such as “Brighton Rock” (1947), “The Great Escape” (1963), and “Jurassic Park” (1993). Transitioning into directing and producing, he achieved critical and commercial success with films like “Gandhi” (1982), which won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Attenborough was also known for his humanitarian efforts, serving as the President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). He was knighted in 1976 and was made a life peer as Baron Attenborough in 1993. He passed away on August 24, 2014.

5 Interesting Facts about Richard Attenborough

1. Richard Attenborough served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

2. He was the older brother of renowned naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.

3. Attenborough’s film “Gandhi” took 20 years to get funded and produced.

4. He won two Academy Awards for “Gandhi” – Best Director and Best Picture.

5. Attenborough was a passionate advocate for various humanitarian causes, including the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Richard Attenborough

1. “I believe we need heroes… we need certain people who we can measure our own shortcomings by.”

2. “The most important thing in my life is my family.”

3. “I don’t read a great deal of fiction, to my shame, other than the classics.”

4. “It is not so much the future that I am concerned with as the present.”

5. “What I am sad about is that there is now, in our democracy, a lack of passion and conviction.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the height of his career, Richard Attenborough’s net worth was estimated to be around $20 million.

Children

Richard Attenborough had three children with his wife, Sheila Sim: Michael Attenborough, a renowned theatre director; Jane Holland, who tragically died in the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004; and Charlotte Attenborough, an actress.