Synopses & Reviews
Based on exclusive, unprecedented access, the definitive biography of Sir Laurence Olivier, the dashing, self-invented Englishman who became the greatest actor of the twentieth centurySir Laurence Olivier met everyone, knew everyone, and played every role in existence. But Olivier was as elusive in life as he was on the stage, a bold and practiced pretender who changed names, altered his identity, and defied characterization.
In this mesmerizing book, acclaimed biographer Terry Coleman draws for the first time on the vast archive of Oliviers private papers and correspondence, and those of his family, finally uncovering the history and the private self that Olivier worked so masterfully all his life to obscure. Beginning with the death of his mother at age eleven, Olivier was defined throughout his life by a passionate devotion to the women closest to him. Acting and sex were for him inseparable: through famous romances with Vivien Leigh and Joan Plowright and countless trysts with lesser-known mistresses, these relationships were constantly entangled with his stage work, each feeding the other and driving Olivier to greater heights. And the heights were great: at every step he was surrounded by the foremost celebrities of the time, on both sides of the Atlantic—Richard Burton, Greta Garbo, William Wyler, Katharine Hepburn. The list is as long as it is dazzling.
Here is the first comprehensive account of the man whose autobiography, written late in his life, told only a small part of the story. In Olivier, Coleman uncovers the origins of Oliviers genius and reveals the methods of the centurys most fascinating performer.
Review
"[A] landmark biography."--
San Francisco Chronicle
"In the end, guided by Coleman's straightforward, gently ironic intelligence, we cannot help succumbing to Olivier, as one does to any natural force."--The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
In this mesmerizing book, acclaimed biographer Terry Coleman draws for the first time on the vast archive of Olivier's private papers and correspondence, and those of his family, finally uncovering the history and the private self that Olivier worked so masterfully all his life to obscure.
Synopsis
"To my mind already a classic, Mr. Coleman had access to the great actor's archives, but obviously had his heirs' permission to tell his story fearlessly."--Richard Schickel, The Wall Street Journal Sir Laurence Olivier met everyone, knew everyone, and played every role in existence. But the century's most accomplished actor was as elusive in life as he was on the stage.
In this enthralling biography, acclaimed biographer Terry Coleman draws for the first time on the vast archive of Olivier's private papers and correspondence, and those of his family, finally uncovering the history and the private self that Olivier worked so masterfully all his life to obscure. For Olivier, acting and sex were inseparable: his relationships with his wives Vivien Leigh and Joan Plowright, and many others, became both a powerful inspiration and a constant torment, each feeding the other and driving Olivier to greater heights.
Here, in the first comprehensive and only authorized biography, Coleman uncovers the origins of Olivier's genius and reveals the methods of the century's most fascinating performer.
About the Author
Terry Coleman, who was selected by the Olivier estate to write Laurence Oliviers biography, is a historian, novelist, and journalist. As special correspondent for The Guardian of London, he reported from seventy countries and interviewed eight prime ministers. He lives in London.