Oliver Reed
English actor celebrated for his fierce screen intensity and notorious hellraiser reputation across more than five decades of film and television.
What do we know about Oliver Reed?
Here are the key biographical details about Oliver Reed:
- Name: Oliver Reed
- Also Known As: Robert Oliver Reed
- Date of Birth: February 13, 1938
- Place of Birth: Wimbledon, London, England, UK
- Date of Death: May 2, 1999
- Gender: Male
- Job Title: Actor
Who is Oliver Reed?
Robert Oliver Reed (February 13, 1938 – May 2, 1999) was an English actor known for his “hellraiser” lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his notable films include The Trap (1966), playing Bill Sikes in the 1968 Best Picture Oscar winner Oliver! (a film directed by his uncle Carol Reed), Women in Love (1969), Hannibal Brooks (1969), The Devils (1971), portraying Athos in The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974); the lover and stepfather in Tommy (1975), Funny Bones (1995) and Gladiator (2000).
For playing Antonius Proximo, the old, gruff gladiator trainer in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, in what was his final film, Reed was posthumously nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2000. At the peak of his career, in 1971, British exhibitors voted Reed fifth most popular star at the box office. The British Film Institute (BFI) stated that “partnerships with Michael Winner and Ken Russell in the mid-60s saw Reed become an emblematic Brit-flick icon”, but from the mid-1970s his alcoholism began affecting his career, with the BFI adding “Reed had assumed Robert Newton's mantle as Britain's thirstiest thespian”.
What is Oliver Reed known for?
With over 136 credits, Oliver Reed's most celebrated screen performances include:
- Gladiator (2000, Movie)
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988, Movie)
- The Brood (1979, Movie)
- Oliver! (1968, Movie)
- The Devils (1971, Movie)
- Tommy (1975, Movie)
- The Three Musketeers (1973, Movie)
- Burnt Offerings (1976, Movie)
- The Four Musketeers (1974, Movie)
- Lion of the Desert (1981, Movie)
External Links
Explore further information about Oliver Reed through these authoritative sources.