Born in Dorking, Surrey, England, Laurence Olivier was first declared a great actor at the age of ten. Leaving the Central School in 1925, he worked for small theatrical companies, and in 1930 made his theatrical movie debut in The Temporary Widow. In 1938 he travelled to Hollywood to take the part of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Knighted in 1947, he was admitted to the Order of Merit in 1981, the first actor so honored in its 79-year-long history.
Considered by many to be the greatest English-speaking actor of the twentieth century, Laurence Olivier died in his sleep at the age of 82. He had been in ill health for several years, including bouts with cancer and a kidney ailment.
