How Did Albert Finney Die? New Details About Tragic Death Of The Beloved Actor At 82
Legendary actor Albert Finney has died at 82.
How did Albert Finney die? Albert Finney, one of the great British film actors, has died in London. He was 82.
Finney’s career spanned half a century and he was famous for roles as varied as Hercule Poirot to Daddy Warbucks. His most recent appearance was in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall with Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench.
Finney was nominated for multiple Oscar and Tonys over the course of his career, as well as winning BAFTA and Golden Globe awards
What do you need to know about Finney’s life and death? Read on to find out.
1. Early Life
Albert Finney was born to parents Albert Finney, Sr, a bookmaker and Alice Finney in Lancashire, England in 1936. he attended local school growing up before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts to study acting.
2. Theatre actor
He began his career as a stage actor and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He worked in London on productions such as Jane Arden's The Party, directed by Charles Laughton, and he replaced Lawrence Olivier in the title role on Coriolanus.
3. Film
Finney’s film career began in 1960, where he played Olivier’s son in The Entertainer. By 1963, he was a full-blown Hollywood sensation after appearing in Tom Jones, for which he received his first Oscar award. While he did not win, the film received a Best Picture award. Finney worked steadily in film throughout the 60s and 70s, appearing in movies such as Scrooge, Two For The Road, and Murder on the Orient Express. In 1982, he shaved his head to portray the iconic Daddy Warbucks in Annie.
4. Action films
In his later roles, Finney appeared in action films such as the Jason Bourne series and Oceans 12, as well as taking on a meaty supporting role opposite Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovitch, which garnered him another Oscar nod. His final film was Skyfall in 2012, where he played a surrogate father to Daniel Craig’s James Bond.
5. Personal life
Finney was married to British actress Jane Wenham from 1957-61 and the couple had a son, Simon who works as a camera operator. From 1970-78 Finney was married to French actress Anouk Aimee. Since 2006 he has been married to Penelope Delmage.
6. Un-knighted
While his profile as an actor brought him official attention and offers of royal honors, Finney allegedly refused a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1980 and a knighthood in 2000. “The Sir thing slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery,” he said.
7. Death
In 2011, Finney announced that he was undergoing treatment for kidney cancer. That was ultimately successful and he was able to continue his for in film and on stage. This week, he was admitted to Royal Marsden Hospital in London with a chest infection, He died on Thursday at the age of 82.
Our condolences to Finney’s friends and family.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.