Sir Alec Guinness was an English actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Grammy Awards. Guinness has also been honored with the Academy Honorary Award in 1980, a Gala Tribute from the Film Society at Lincoln Center in 1987, the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 1988, the Honorary Golden Bear in 1988, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1989, the BFI Fellowship in 1991. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959.
Quick facts Awards and nominations, Award ...
Alec Guinness awards and nominations Guinness in 1972 |
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| Wins | 20 |
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| Nominations | 42 |
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Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They acknowledge several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.
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For his role as British commander Colonel Nicholson in the David Lean directed epic war film The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, the BAFTA Award for Best British Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. He wrote and starred in the British film The Horse's Mouth (1958) he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and won the Venice International Film Festival's Volpi Cup for Best Actor. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
He gained international attention for originating the role of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the George Lucas directed space opera Star Wars (1977) for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. For his portrayal of William Dorrit in the screen adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel Little Dorrit (1987) he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.
On television, he acted in Startime: The Wicked Scheme of Jebal Deeks (1960) earning a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor. He portrayed George Smiley in the BBC spy drama series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) and the BBC2 series Smiley's People (1982) for which he earned two British Academy Television Awards for Best Actor. The later of which also earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He played Father Quixote in the ITV British film Monsignor Quixote (1985) earning a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.
On stage, he portrayed the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in the Sidney Michaels play Dylan (1964) on Broadway for which he earned the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. For his roles on the West End he earned two nominations for the Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a New Play for playing Hilary in the play The Old Country (1977) and Andrey Botvinnik in the Lee Blessing play A Walk in the Woods (1988).
