Richard Burton Biography
Born Richard Jenkins on November 10, 1925, in Pontrhydyfen, South Wales, the twelfth of thirteen children of a Welsh coal miner. His mother died before he was two years old and he was raised by his much older sister and her husband.
He studied at Oxford and became a mainstay of the Oxford University Drama Society. After military service, he quickly established himself as a distinguished performer in theatre. His film career took off shortly after helped by his good looks and very distinctive voice.
He successfully made the transition to Hollywood appearing in films like The Robe (1953), My Cousin Rachel (1952), Alexander the Great (1956), etc. In 1962, he replaced Stephen Boyd as Mark Anthony in the film Cleopatra opposite Elizabeth Taylor. Their off-screen romance made headlines around the world, and after divorcing their respective spouses, they married in 1964. They then appeared in several films together such as The VIPs (1963), The Sandpiper (1965), Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), The Comedians (1967), The Taming of the Shrew (1967), Boom (1968).
Burton also appeared on Broadway in Camelot to considerable acclaim.
Other notable films have included; Becket (1964), The Spy who came from the Cold (1966), Where eagles dare (1968), Anne of the thousand days (1969), Raid on Rommel (1971), Massacre in Rome (1973), Equus (1977), The Wild Geese (1978), The Medusa Touch (1978), Nineteen-Eighty-Four (1984), etc.
Burton was first married to Sybil Williams in 1949, with whom he had two daughters. After his divorce from Elizabeth Taylor, he married Suzy Hunt in 1976, that marriage also ended in divorce. He then married Sally Hay in 1983.
He died at his home in Céligny, Switzerland, on August 5, 1984, from a cerebral haemorrhage.
Related
Source of article: Simple Wiki