Alec Guinness: Biography, Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi

Alec Guinness’s biography is a captivating success story showcasing his profound impact on entertainment. Guinness’s career spanned various memorable performances, from his early days on the London stage to his iconic role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. His life story reflects his versatility as an actor and his ongoing influence on film and theater.

Early Life

Alec Guinness was born on April 2, 1914, in Maida Vale, London. His birthplace was 155 Lauderdale Mansions South, located on Lauderdale Road. According to his birth certificate, his mother’s name was Agnes de Cuffe, formerly known as Agnes Cuff. She was born on December 8, 1890, to Mary Ann Benfield and Edward Cuff. Interestingly, Alec’s birth certificate only mentions his name, and no details about his father are available.¹

It’s still a mystery who Guinness’s father really was, as his identity was never officially confirmed. Back in 1875, English law required the father’s presence and consent to be named on the birth certificate of an illegitimate child, which wasn’t the case here. However, Guinness believed that his father was a Scottish banker named Andrew Geddes, born in 1861 and passed away in 1928. Geddes contributed to his education and would occasionally visit him under the guise of an uncle. This arrangement included funding Guinness’s attendance at Pembroke Lodge in Southborne and Roborough in Eastbourne.

Further complicating his early life, Guinness’s mother had a turbulent three-year marriage with a Scottish army captain named Stiven, known for his unpredictable and sometimes violent behavior.

Early Career

Alec Guinness’s early acting career took root in London, where he first joined the theatrical scene. On his 20th birthday, April 2, 1934, Guinness entered the professional world by participating in the play Libel. This play opened at the old King’s Theatre in Hammersmith and later moved to the West End’s Playhouse. Initially starting as a walk-on, Guinness quickly advanced to understudy, gaining responsibilities for two lines and seeing his salary rise to £1 a week.

By 1936, at age 22, Guinness had made significant strides, appearing in John Gielgud’s acclaimed production of Hamlet at the New Theatre, where he played Osric. That same year, he joined the Old Vic. This venue became a cornerstone of his career, providing him with opportunities to perform in many classic roles. His tenure at the Old Vic was a time of immense artistic growth and networking, where he worked alongside notable figures such as Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft, Anthony Quayle, and Jack Hawkins, all of whom would become frequent collaborators and friends.

Guinness continued to immerse himself in Shakespearean roles, enhancing his repertoire and expertise under the guidance of John Gielgud. In 1937, he portrayed Aumerle in Richard II and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice. His performance in a 1938 production of Hamlet brought him accolades from both British and American audiences. The year 1939 was particularly eventful; he starred as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and Exeter in Henry V, the latter two opposite Laurence Olivier. He also played Ferdinand in The Tempest with Gielgud as Prospero.

In addition to his theatrical achievements, Guinness adapted Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations for the stage, portraying Herbert Pocket in 1939. This adaptation caught the attention of a young British film editor, David Lean, who later cast Guinness in the same role for his 1946 cinematic version of the novel. This collaboration with Lean began a partnership that would shape Guinness’s film career.

World War II

During the Second World War, Alec Guinness served with distinction in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. Starting as a seaman in 1941, he quickly advanced in rank. He was commissioned as a temporary Sub-lieutenant on April 30, 1942, and was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant the following year. His military service saw him commanding a Landing Craft Infantry during the Allied invasion of Sicily. He also played an essential role in ferrying supplies and agents to Yugoslav partisans in the eastern Mediterranean theater.

In addition to his naval duties, Guinness’s acting career continued during the war. He was granted special leave to participate in the Broadway production of Terence Rattigan’s play Flare Path, which focuses on the experiences of RAF Bomber Command. In this production, Guinness took on the role of Flight Lieutenant Teddy Graham, adding a significant theatrical engagement to his wartime activities.

Postwar Theater Career

After serving in World War II, Alec Guinness resumed acting at the Old Vic in 1946, remaining there until 1948. During this period, he took on several significant roles: he played Abel Drugger in Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, the Fool in King Lear opposite Laurence Olivier, DeGuiche in Cyrano de Bergerac opposite Ralph Richardson, and Shakespeare’s Richard II in a memorable Old Vic production. In October 1946, Guinness also portrayed Eric Birling in J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls at the New Theatre.

His stage career continued to flourish with diverse roles across different venues. In 1950, he was the Uninvited Guest in the Broadway production of T.S. Eliot’s The Cocktail Party, a role he reprised at the Edinburgh Festival in 1968. Further showcasing his directorial skills, Guinness directed and starred in Hamlet at the New Theatre in the West End in 1951.

Guinness’s contributions to theater extended internationally when his friend Tyrone Guthrie invited him to join the premiere season of the Stratford Festival of Canada. Living briefly in Stratford, Ontario, he opened the festival on July 13, 1953, with the first lines of Shakespeare’s Richard III, marking a significant moment in the festival’s history.

His remarkable stage presence earned him a Tony Award for portraying Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in the Broadway production Dylan. In 1966, he starred as Macbeth opposite Simone Signoret at the Royal Court Theatre. Guinness made his final stage appearance on May 30, 1989, in A Walk in the Woods at the Comedy Theatre in the West End. Over his extensive career from April 2, 1934, to May 30, 1989, Guinness performed in 77 different theatrical roles, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of drama.

Film Career

Alec Guinness’s film career began with a standout performance in the 1946 drama Great Expectations. He quickly became known for his versatile roles, especially in the Ealing Comedies. His most notable early performance was in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), where he played nine characters. Other significant films from this period include Oliver Twist (1948), The Lavender Hill Mob, and The Man in the White Suit (both 1951), as well as The Ladykillers (1955), all of which are considered among the best British films.

In 1950, Guinness portrayed the 19th-century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli in The Mudlark, delivering a memorable seven-minute speech in Parliament. By 1951, a British exhibitors’ poll named him the top box office attraction in British films and fifth internationally. This period also marked his first romantic lead role in The Card (1952), opposite Petula Clark.

Peter Sellers, who became famous for playing various characters, idolized Guinness and starred alongside him in The Ladykillers, marking Sellers’s first major film role. Guinness continued to take on diverse and challenging roles, such as the drunken painter Gulley Jimson in The Horse’s Mouth (1958), for which he wrote the screenplay that earned an Academy Award nomination. He also starred in Carol Reed’s Our Man in Havana (1959). He played Marcus Aurelius in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964).

Who is more foolish? The fool or the fool that follows it?

Alec Guinness

Guinness’s role as Lieutenant General Yevgraf Andreyevich Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago (1965) was followed by performances in The Quiller Memorandum (1966) and as Marley’s Ghost in Scrooge (1970). He portrayed Charles I in Cromwell (1970) and Pope Innocent III in Franco Zeffirelli’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972). One of his most acclaimed roles was as Major Jock Sinclair in Tunes of Glory (1960), which many critics and he considered among his best performances. Guinness played Jamessir Bensonmum, the blind butler, in the 1976 Neil Simon film Murder by Death.

Guinness viewed his portrayal in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) as his best film performance, although it received mixed reviews. His extensive and diverse roles showcase a career that not only spanned a wide range of characters but also significantly impacted the film industry, making him one of the most respected actors of his time.

David Lean

Alec Guinness’s collaboration with director David Lean brought him his most critically acclaimed performances. Starting with roles in Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, Guinness’s partnership with Lean evolved when he was cast in The Bridge on the River Kwai opposite William Holden. His portrayal of Colonel Nicholson, the steadfast British POW commander, earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor.

In the years that followed, despite a challenging personal relationship with Lean, Guinness played key roles in Lean’s films, contributing to their lasting impact. He depicted Arab leader Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), played the Bolshevik leader Yevgraf, the half-brother of the title character in Doctor Zhivago, and portrayed Indian mystic Professor Godbole in A Passage to India. Although he was offered a role in Ryan’s Daughter (1970), Guinness declined, reflecting a period of mistrust towards Lean.

However, Guinness remembered the director at Lean’s funeral as “charming and affable,” highlighting a complex but ultimately respectful relationship. Guinness’s contributions to Lean’s films were significant, with five of them listed among the British Film Institute’s 50 greatest British films of the 20th century, including Lawrence of Arabia at third place, Great Expectations at fifth, The Bridge on the River Kwai at eleventh, Doctor Zhivago at twenty-seventh, and Oliver Twist at forty-sixth. This collaboration showcased Guinness’s versatile acting skills and solidified his status as a key figure in British cinema.

Star Wars: An Iconic Role with Mixed Feelings

Alec Guinness achieved global recognition as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy, starting with Star Wars in 1977. This role brought him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Despite his view of the film as “fairy-tale rubbish,” the moral narrative and a doubled salary offer convinced him to accept the role, with the condition that he would not have to promote the film publicly.

Guinness initially secured a deal for 2% of the film’s royalties paid to the director, George Lucas. Following positive feedback on the film and recognition of Guinness’s helpful amendments to the screenplay, Lucas increased his share by 0.5%. However, after discussions with the film’s producer, Gary Kurtz, his share was adjusted to 2.25%, effectively giving him about 0.45% of the overall box office takings, substantially increasing his wealth in later years.²

On his first viewing, Guinness acknowledged the film as a “staggering… technically brilliant” spectacle, though he critiqued the dialogue and the length of the battle scenes. Despite the success, Guinness quickly grew disillusioned with the fanfare associated with the role. He revealed in a 1999 interview that it was his idea to have Obi-Wan killed off, arguing it would strengthen the character. He admitted to growing tired of the “mumbo jumbo” dialogue.

Essentially, I’m a small-part actor who’s been lucky enough to play leading roles for most of his life.

Alec Guinness

George Lucas, along with his co-stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, praised Alec Guinness’s professionalism despite his reluctance to embrace the fame that came with Star Wars. Lucas acknowledged Guinness’s contribution to the movie’s completion and credited him with inspiring the cast and crew. Meanwhile, Guinness expressed his contentment with the financial security that the films provided him, as it allowed him to comfortably live without any debt, thanks to the royalties he received.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Alec Guinness, is an iconic character in the Star Wars franchise. Guinness returned to play the role in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) as a force ghost. In 2003, the American Film Institute recognized Guinness’s portrayal and named Obi-Wan Kenobi the 37th-greatest hero in cinema history. Even after his passing, Guinness’s voice was used in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), which further solidified his legacy in the series.

Television Roles

Though initially hesitant to venture into television, Alec Guinness made memorable appearances that significantly marked his career. His selectiveness in choosing roles led him to portray George Smiley in the 1979 adaptation of John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. This role came to fruition after Guinness met the author, influencing his decision to participate.

His performance as Smiley was met with critical acclaim, prompting him to reprise this character in Smiley’s People in 1982. His portrayal earned him the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor twice. Guinness continued to garner attention and acclaim on television. He received another Best Actor nomination for his role in Monsignor Quixote in 1987.

One of Guinness’s final television appearances was in the BBC drama Eskimo Day in 1996, among his last acting roles before retirement. His selective but impactful television career left a lasting impression, showcasing his versatility and depth as an actor even outside the more familiar confines of the film industry.

Awards

Alec Guinness’s career in film and theater has been widely recognized. In 1957, he received the Academy Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai. His talents were acknowledged earlier with an Oscar nomination in 1952 for The Lavender Hill Mob. In 1958, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing for his screenplay The Horse’s Mouth, based on Joyce Cary’s novel.

His role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars in 1977 earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 1980 and was nominated again for Best Supporting Actor in 1988 for Little Dorrit. The BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award recognized his lifetime achievement in 1989.

His theater achievements include winning an Evening Standard Award for his role as T.E. Lawrence in Ross and a Tony Award for his performance as Dylan Thomas in Dylan. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, placed there on February 8, 1960.

His drama service earned him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1955 Birthday Honours and a knighthood in the 1959 New Year Honours. He became a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the 1994 Birthday Honours. Cambridge University awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1991. In 2014, the Royal Mail featured him on a postage stamp in their “Remarkable Lives” series.

Personal Life

Alec Guinness married Merula Silvia Salaman, a talented artist, playwright, and actress, in 1938. In 1940, the couple was blessed with a son, Matthew Guinness, who also followed in his father’s footsteps and became an actor. They resided in Hampshire’s Kettlebrook Meadows near Steep Marsh, in a house specially designed by Merula’s brother, Eusty Salaman, from the 1950s. Their great-grandson, Nesta Guinness-Walker, has made a name for himself as a professional footballer.

Reports emerged about a controversial incident involving Guinness in 1946, claiming that he was fined for being involved in a homosexual act in Liverpool. However, his authorized biographer, Piers Paul Read, disputes this incident. Despite this, rumors about Guinness’s sexuality persisted, with a BBC Showbiz article in 2001 speculating that he might have been bisexual. This supposed fact was only known by his close friends and family.

Guinness’s spirituality was an important aspect of his life. Initially, he had intended to become an Anglican priest during his time in the Royal Navy. However, in 1954, while filming Father Brown in Burgundy, he dressed up as a Catholic priest and was mistaken for one by a local child. This incident had a profound impact on him. Later, when his son was struck with polio in 1956, he sought solace in prayer, which led him to convert to the Catholic Church. Subsequently, his wife also converted the following year.

Guinness recounted a weird experience with James Dean in a media interview and his memoir. He had met Dean and had a premonition about his death a week before it happened in 1955. Although he later downplayed the prediction in his interviews after Dean’s death, he did mention that Dean had been cautioned about his reckless driving.

Guinness began each day reciting verse eight from Psalm 143, drawing comfort and motivation from its words.³

Death

Alec Guinness passed away on the night of August 5, 2000, at King Edward VII’s Hospital in Midhurst, West Sussex. Earlier that year, in February, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and learned he had liver cancer just two days before his death. His wife, Merula, also suffered from liver cancer and died two months later, on October 18, 2000.⁴

Guinness’s funeral took place at St. Laurence Catholic Church in Petersfield, Hampshire. He was laid to rest in Petersfield Cemetery. His death marked the end of a remarkable life and career, leaving behind a legacy celebrated by many.z

Final Reflections

Alec Guinness’s life story is a brilliant example of success in acting. His biography reflects a career filled with memorable roles that won him both critical acclaim and the love of audiences everywhere. Today, Guinness’s legacy continues to influence and inspire, showing what one can achieve in film and theater with talent and dedication.

Reference List for Carrie Alec Guinness’s Biography

1. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. “Alec Guinness.” Hollywood Walk of Fame. ↩︎
2. “How Star Wars Producers Screwed Alec Guinness Out Of Millions.” CINEMABLEND, 1 October 2014. ↩︎
3. Davies, Hugh. “The Invisible Man.” The Daily Telegraph. Reprinted in The Sunday Age, 13 August 2000. ↩︎
4. “Alec Guinness, Reluctant Intergalactic Icon.” Cancer Today. ↩︎

External Sources

Works by Alec Guinness at Open Library

Similar Posts:

• Anthony Daniels: Biography, C-3PO, Star Wars
• Ian McDiarmid: Biography, Star Wars, Emperor Palpatine
• Peter Mayhew: Biography, Chewbacca, Star Wars
• Ewan McGregor: Biography, Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Daisy Ridley: Biography, Success Story, Star Wars