Actor, director, producer. b. August 29, 1923, in Cambridge, England. He started acting at the age of 12. Attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his professional stage debut at 18. At 19 he made his feature film debut in In Which We Serve and made a highly successful move to directing with Oh! What a Lovely War.
It was his life ambition to direct Gandhi. Philosphies include believing in content as opposed to style and sincerity rather than intelligence. He reprised his Jurassic Park character, John Hammond, for Universal Studio's Jurassic Park: The Ride attraction. He appears in a short film at the beginning of the ride telling you that the NEW Jurassic Park (the ride you're on) is completely safe, and that there will never be another incident like that at Costa Rica in 1993. 57 years after he starred in Young Scarface, his son, Michael Attenborough, is directing a musical version of Graham Greene's novel. [2004] Was the first to star in Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" in 1952, now the longest-running play in the world. Has two brothers, naturalist/presenter David Attenborough, and John Attenborough. Also, during World War Two, his parents adopted two German Jewish girls, who had been brought to Britain as part of the Kindertransport. Appointed a CBE in 1967, knighted in 1976 and created a life peer in 1993. Third president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) [2002-] Vice-president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) [1971-1994] Freeman of the City of Leicester, 1990. Fellow of King's College, London, 1993. Created an honorary D.Litt of the Universities of Leicester, Kent and Sussex in 1970, 1981 and 1987 respectively. In December 2002 he said he would go back on his claim to never appear in front of the camera again for one role only: that of Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. Brother-in-law of actor Gerald Sim Former father-in-law of actress Jane Seymour Life Vice-President of Chelsea Football Club Was made President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2003, a role that had been vacant since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. He was awarded the Patricia Rothermere Award for his lifelong service to theatre at the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He was trained at RADA (The Royal Acadamy of Dramatic Arts), where he later became Chairman. Father of director Michael Attenborough and actress Charlotte Attenborough Often casts Anthony Hopkins. Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 78-84. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988. Steven Spielberg has named him as an influence. Members of his family - daughter Jane, son-in-law Michael Holland, grandchildren Sam, Lucy and Alice and Michael's mother Jane - were holidaying in Phuket, Thailand when the area was hit by the South Asian tsunami on Boxing Day 2004. Lord Attenborough lost his daughter, her mother-in-law and his fourteen-year-old granddaughter Lucy in the tragedy. His elder granddaughter, seventeen-year-old Alice, was seriously injured and his son-in-law and grandson survived physically unscathed. [December 26, 2004] Has been involved in some form with the University of Sussex since 1970; he was elected Chancellor of the University on March 20, 1998, replacing the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, who had held that post since 1985. Attended the funeral of British film producer Lord John Brabourne in September 2005. He was a close friend of the English actor Sir John Mills for many years, and gave the eulogy at his funeral in April 2005. On 11 May 2005, he gave a reading at a national British memorial service for the victim of the South Asian tsunami. Lord Attenborough lost three members of his family in the tragedy. Godfather of Emma Forbes. Directed 4 different performers in Oscar-nominated performances: Ben Kingsley, Denzel Washington, Robert Downey Jr. and Debra Winger. Kingsley won an Oscar for his performance in Gandhi.