Richard Attenborough

Famed as a director for his Academy Award-laden films, including Gandhi and Cry Freedom, Attenborough is also a BAFTA-winning actor. The son of a Cambridge school administrator, his screen career began with his portrayal of the terrified seaman in David Lean and Noel Cowards In Which We Serve. However, it was his role as the vicious Pinkie in Brighton Rock that brought international acclaim. The 50s brought him wider roles, but it was his work with director Bryan Forbes that allowed him to test his mettle with characters like the strike breaker Tom Curtis in The Angry Silence and the morally compromised Bill Savage in Séance on a Wet Afternoon. Military roles followed in the 60s, notably his BAFTA-winning performance in Guns at Batasi. From the 70s onwards most of his energy went into directing, although he has put in very memorable performances since, including what many regard as his career best  the serial killer Jon Christie in 10 Rillington Place in 1971. Attenborough was knighted in 1976 and became a life peer in 1993.