Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Hugh Griffith was born on May 30, 1912 in Marian-glas, United Kingdom and was credited as a stage actor, film actor and television actor. Hugh Griffith died on May 14, 1980 at the age of 67. Awards on record include Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (1960).
My Take
Hugh Griffith belongs to a vanishing breed of character actors who could steal a scene with nothing but their eyes. That wild, watchful intensity won him an Oscar for Ben-Hur, but the more telling fact is the sheer volume of his career, over a hundred stage, film, and television roles across forty years. He never needed to carry a picture; he simply made every picture better by being in the corner of the frame. As a Welsh actor of that golden mid-century era, he embodied the idea that supporting roles can be the most memorable. Decades after his death, his ferocity still crackles on screen.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hugh Griffith
- Name (Japanese)
- ヒュー・グリフィス
- Reading
- ひゅー・ぐりふぃす
- Born
- May 30, 1912 – May 14, 1980
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rat
- Origin
- Marian-glas, United Kingdom
- Occupation
- actor / stage actor / film actor / television actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1960 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Hugh Griffith born?
Born May 30, 1912.
When did Hugh Griffith die?
Died May 14, 1980, aged 67.
Where was Hugh Griffith from?
Hugh Griffith was from Marian-glas, United Kingdom.
What did Hugh Griffith do?
Hugh Griffith worked as actor, stage actor, film actor, television actor.
Actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from the United Kingdom →