Peter Ustinov

Photo of Peter Ustinov

Biography

Peter Ustinov later won international acclaim and reached the peak of his fame in the early 1960s for his appearances in sweeping epics and lighthearted romps. He won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars, for his clown in "Spartacus" (1960) and his engaging con man in "Topkapi" (1964). Ustinov has also earned critical praise for his directorial efforts (which he also produced, starred in and wrote): "Romanoff and Juliet" (1962), a biting Cold War …
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Job Title

Actor, Director, Producer, Writer

Born

April 16, 1921

Career Milestones

Joined Leonard Sachs' Players' Theatre where he wrote and performed monologues

Recited his monologues in a short film, "Hello, Fame!"

1938

First stage appearance as Waffles in "The Wood Demon" at Barn Theatre in Shere

1939

Joined Aylesbury Repertory Company

1941

Began stage directing career with "Squaring the Circle"

1941

Screen acting debut, "Mein Kampf" (semi-documentary)

1941

Wrote first full-length staged play, "House of Regrets"

1942

Joined Royal Sussex Regiment of Army; transferred to the Directorate of Army Psychiatry, writing recruitment and propaganda films

1944

First screenwriting credit, "The Way Ahead" (with Eric Ambler)

1946

Directed first film, "School For Secrets"; also screenplay)

1949

First film as producer, "Private Angelo"; also director and screenplay)

1953

NY stage debut as playwright, "The Love of Four Colonels"

1957

Broadway acting debut, "Romanoff and Juliet"; also wrote play; later toured the USA

1957

US TV debut, "The Life of Samuel Johnson"; won first Emmy Award

1960

Won first Oscar for his comic turn in "Spartacus"

1964

Co-starred in "Topkapi"; won second Oscar

1978

Played Hercule Poirot in "Death on the Nile"

1981

Hosted TV series, "Omni: The New Frontier"

1986

Served as host for BBC TV series "Peter Ustinov's Russia: A Personal History"

1992

Last film for seven years, "Lorenzo's Oil"

1999

Returned to features as a tea plantation owner in Raj India in the comic spoof "Stiff Upper Lips"

2001

Appeared in the British TV drama "Victoria & Albert"; aired on A&E in USA

2003

Cast as William Stoughton in the TV MiniSeries "The Salem Witch Trials

2003

Co-starred in "Luther," a biopic of religious reformer Martin Luther

Awards

1951

Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Quo Vadis

1951

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Quo Vadis

1958

Primetime Emmy Award for Actor-Best Single Performance-Lead or Support in Omnibus

1960

Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Spartacus

1960

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Spartacus

1961

Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Romanoff and Juliet

1962

BAFTA Award for British Screenplay in Billy Budd

1962

Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Billy Budd

1964

Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Topkapi

1964

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Topkapi

1968

Academy Award for Writing (Story and Screenplay--Written Directly For the Screen) in Hot Millions

1972

Berlin International Film Festival for Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution in Hammersmith Is Out

1978

BAFTA Award for Actor in Death on the Nile

1982

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming in Omni: The New Frontier