Albert Finney

Albert Finney (born 9 May 1936) is an English actor. Beginning in the theatre, Finney was especially successful in plays by William Shakespeare before he switched to films. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, his debut being The Entertainer, directed by Tony Richardson, who had directed him in theatre plays various times before. He became a leading Free Cinema figure, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television. He is known for his roles in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), Tom Jones (1963), Scrooge (1970), Annie (1982), The Dresser (1983), Miller's Crossing (1990), Big Fish (2003), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), The Bourne Legacy (2012), and the James Bond film Skyfall (2012). A recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe, Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Awards, Finney has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor four times, for Tom Jones (1963), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Dresser (1983), and Under the Volcano (1984); and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Erin Brockovich (2000). 2Early life Finney was born in the Charlestown area of Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire, England, the son of Alice (née Hobson) and Albert Finney, Sr., a bookmaker. He was educated at Tootal Drive Primary School, Salford Grammar School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. 2Career In February 1956 John Fernald, principal of RADA, gave Finney his first major role as Shakespeare's Troilus in the Vanbrugh Theatre's student production of Ian Dallas' play The Face of Love. Finney graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Compan