Photo: International Video Service, San Francisco Film, Selenia Cinematografica / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Frank Finlay strikes me as the kind of actor whose name fans of serious British drama revere even if casual viewers don't. An Oscar nomination for playing Iago opposite Olivier in Othello is no small thing, and I respect that he built his reputation on the stage first. What I appreciate is the range I see across his career: from that heavyweight Shakespearean villainy to a leading television role in Casanova, and even lighter turns on The Morecambe and Wise Show. The CBE and his BAFTA win round out a long, distinguished life in the craft. To me he embodies the disciplined, unflashy English character actor.
Overview
Francis Finlay (6 August 1926 – 30 January 2016) was an English actor. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Iago in Othello (1965). His first leading television role came in 1971 in Casanova. This led to appearances on The Morecambe and Wise Show.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Frank Finlay
- Name (Japanese)
- フランク・フィンレー
- Reading
- ふらんく・ふぃんれー
- Born
- August 6, 1926 – January 30, 2016
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Tiger
- Origin
- Farnworth, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / television actor / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- 1974 British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Stage actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.