Alec Guinness (1914-2000), English actor, considered one of the best of the 20th century. In his roles in motion pictures and on the stage Guinness won acclaim for his ability to portray a wide range of characters. He was born in London and studied acting at the Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art. Guinness made his stage debut in 1933, and beginning in 1936 he played Shakespearean roles at the Old Vic Theatre in London, notably the title role in Hamlet (1938). After service in the Royal Navy, he returned to the Old Vic for the 1945 and 1946 seasons. Guinness later appeared on stage in England, Canada, and the United States in The Cocktail Party (1950), Ross (1960), and Dylan (1964).

Guinness achieved international success for his masterly character portrayals in such films as Oliver Twist (1948) and the comedies Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), in which he played eight roles; The Man in the White Suit (1951); The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for best actor; and The Captain's Paradise (1953). For his performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), he received an Academy Award for best actor. His later projects include the films Star Wars (1977) and Little Dorrit (1988), both of which earned him Oscar nominations for best supporting actor, and the television series Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979) and Smiley's People (1982). He wrote an autobiography, Blessings in Disguise (1985), and a collection of anecdotes and reflections on his career, My Name Escapes Me: The Diary of a Retiring Actor (1997) and A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal 1996-98 (1999). Guinness was knighted in 1959.