Biography
After studying at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the late 1950s, Courtenay rose to fame amidst the British New Wave, deftly portraying classic angry young men in "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" (1962) and "Billy Liar" (1963). Courtenay was poised for international stardom following his Oscar-nominated turn in the epic "Doctor Zhivago" (1965), but instead he made a casual withdrawal from film acting to concentrate on …
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Career Milestones
1960 | Made his debut in "The Seagull" at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland |
1961 | Replaced Albert Finney in the West End production of "Billy Liar" |
1962 | Made film debut in "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" |
1963 | Reprised the title role in John Schlesinger's feature version of "Billy Liar"; first screen pairing with Julie Christie |
1964 | Portrayed a WWI deserter in Joseph Losey's "King and Country" |
1965 | Played a British WWII lieutenant in "King Rat"; film adapted from the James Clavell novel |
1965 | Played the revolutionary Pasha, husband of Lara (Julie Christie) in David Lean's "Doctor Zhivago"; earned Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination |
1967 | Co-starred with Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in "Night of the Generals" |
1971 | Played the title role in "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" |
1977 | Made his Broadway debut in Simon Gray's "Otherwise Engaged" |
1980 | Originated role of Norman in the London production of "The Dresser" |
1981 | Reprised role for the Broadway production of "The Dresser" |
1983 | Again portrayed Norman for Peter Yates' film version of "The Dresser"; earned Best Actor Oscar nomination |
1985 | Played Daniel Quilp in the animated adaptation of Charles Dickens' "The Old Curiosity Shop" |
1987 | Joined Bill Cosby for the lamentable "Leonard Part 6" |
1987 | Played a Jewelry Store Owner in "Happy New Year," a remake of Claude Lelouch's "La bonne annee" (1973) |
1991 | Played the father of Derek Bentley (Christopher Eccleston) in the film "Let Him Have It" |
1991 | Starred in Karel Kachyna's "The Last Butterfly" as the French mime coerced by the Nazis to perform for the children of Terezin |
1995 | Acted on Broadway in "Uncle Vanya" |
1995 | Reprised role of Daniel Quilp for the Disney miniseries version of "The Old Curiosity Shop" |
1996 | Co-starred with Albert Finney in "Art" on the London stage |
1996 | Portrayed strange Uncle Tony in "The Boy From Mercury" |
1998 | Teamed with Albert Finney for the acclaimed BBC drama "A Rather English Marriage" |
1999 | Acted in "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?" |
2002 | Co-starred in the film "Nicholas Nickleby" |
2002 | Headlined the one-man show, "Pretending To Be Me," based on the letters and writings of poet Philip Larkin |
2007 | Appeared in the fantasy film "The Golden Compass" |
2008 | Appeared in the BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Little Dorrit" as William Dorrit; earned an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Television Movie |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie |
Awards
1962 | BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer To Leading Film Roles in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner |
1963 | BAFTA Award for British Actor in Billy Liar |
1964 | BAFTA Award for British Actor in King and Country |
1964 | Venice International Film Festival for Volpi Cup for Best Actor in King and Country |
1965 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Doctor Zhivago |
1983 | Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in The Dresser |
1983 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Dresser |
1984 | BAFTA Award for Actor in The Dresser |
2009 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in Little Dorrit |