Michael Redgrave

Overview

Born
March 20, 1908 · Bristol, England, UK
Died
March 21, 1985 · Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK (Parkinson's disease)
Birth name
Michael Scudamore Redgrave
Nickname
- Red Redgrave
Height
6′ 2½″ (1.89 m)

Sir Michael Redgrave was of the generation of English actors that gave the world the legendary John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, Britain three fabled "Theatrical Knights" back in the days when a knighthood for thespian was far more rare than it is today. A superb actor, Redgrave himself was a charter member of the post-Great War English acting pantheon and was the sire of an acting dynasty. He and his wife, Rachel Kempson, were the parents of Vanessa Redgrave, Corin Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave and the grandparents of Natasha Richardson, Joely Richardson and Jemma Redgrave.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jon C. Hopwood
Michael made his professional stage debut on the 30th August 1934 as Roy Darwin in "Counsellor at Law" at the Liverpool Playhouse then spent 2 years at the Liverpool Repertory. He moved to London where he made his debut in September 1936 as Ferdinand in "Love's Labour's Lost" at the Old Vic. In 1941 he joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman then transferred to the reserves and was discharged on medical grounds in November 1942. In 1955 he won the New York Drama Critics Award for his role of Hector in "Tiger at the Gates". In 1963 he won the Evening Standard Award for his performance of Uncle Vanya. His film debut in 1936 was in "Secret Agent". "The Browning Version" (1951) earned him an Evening Standard Award. In 1947 he received an award from the American Board of Film Review for "Mourning Becomes Electra".
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5

According to his daughter, Vanessa, and son Corin, Sir Michael's favourite film roles were in The Browning Version (1951), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) and The Dam Busters (1955), (speaking at a screening to mark the centenary of his birthday, 7th February 2008 at the Barbican centre, London.).
He, his daughter Lynn Redgrave and his son Corin Redgrave all appeared in adaptations of the 1898 novella "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James: Michael played the Uncle in The Innocents (1961), Lynn played Miss Jane Cubberly in The Turn of the Screw (1974) and Corin played the Professor in The Turn of the Screw (2009).
Father of Lynn Redgrave, Corin Redgrave, and Vanessa Redgrave. Grandfather of Natasha Richardson, Joely Richardson, Carlo Gabriel Nero, and Jemma Redgrave.
After their success with The Lady Vanishes (1938), he and Margaret Lockwood were meant to star in film versions of "Rob Roy" and "The Blue Lagoon" for Gainsborough Productions but both projects were canceled with the advent of World War II.
He and his three children Corin Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave and Vanessa Redgrave all appeared in films directed by Sidney Lumet: Michael in The Hill (1965), Corin in The Deadly Affair (1967), Lynn in The Deadly Affair (1967) and The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) and Vanessa in The Sea Gull (1968) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

[on Dame Edith Evans] "Acting with her was heaven. It was like being in your mother's arms."
I didn't think I'd be any good in films... I couldn't imagine myself on the screen. Besides, there were such exciting things to do in the theatre, so much to learn.
[on director Carol Reed] Reed is one of those dedicated beings, the artist who is completely absorbed by his dream. He eats, drinks and sleeps cinema.
[on Edith Evans] We have such things in common - rice pudding on the hearth rug and coats over the back of the chair.

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