Richard Burton (actor)

Richard Burton (1925-1984) was a Welsh actor. He was nominated for seven Academy Awards, but never won, making him one of the biggest losers in Oscar history. Burton was also notable for his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor, who they met on the set of Cleopatra and engaged in an affair, which resulted him in leaving his first wife Sybil Williams, for Taylor. They married in 1964, divorced in 1974, remarried in 1975, and divorced again in 1976.

His films included The Robe, The Longest Day, Becket, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Taming of the Shrew, Where Eagles Dare, Anne Of The Thousand Days, Exorcist II the Heretic, Equus, Nineteen Eighty-Four and The Wild Geese. After his marriage to Taylor ended twice, he later married twice more, to Suzy Hunt (1976-1982) and Sally Hay (1983-1984).

In 1970, Burton was ceremonially honoured with a CBE at Buckingham Palace on his 45th birthday.

On August 5, 1984, after years of alcoholism, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 58.