Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > Richard Burton
Richard Burton Facts
| Sign | Scorpio |
| Born |
Nov 10, 1925 Pontrhydyfen, UK |
| Died |
Aug 5, 1984 Céligny, Switzerland |
| Age | Died at 58 |
| Total Facts | 82 |
In November 1974, Burton was asked to write an article about Sir Winston Churchill for "The New York Times". Since Burton had just played the wartime leader in The Gathering Storm (1974) (TV), the newspaper expected a laudatory piece. Instead they were presented with a rant about Churchill the right-wing politician, whom Burton wrote, "to know him is to hate him".
In the last seven years of his life he constantly resisted offers to play Lear on stage, instead preferring to make films like Absolution (1978).
Interred at Protestant Churchyard, Céligny, Switzerland.
Is reported to have lost his virginity in 1944 whilst attending Oxford University to a mature student.
Like almost all Welshmen, where the game is more a national religion than a sport, Burton played rugby. He continued to play well into his early career, mainly at wing-forward. He only hung up his boots when contractual obligations to film and theatre producers forced him to do so.
Loved to do crossword puzzles and was dismayed that American newspapers' crosswords were more geared towards encyclopedic information rather than puns and wordplay.
Met with Josip Broz Tito, whom he greatly admired, before starring in The Battle of Sutjeska (1973).
Planned on going back to the stage to appear in William Shakespeare's "Richard III" and "King Lear". His staging of "Richard III" would have been based on the ideas of his step-father, Philip Burton, to bring together all of William Shakespeare's dramatization of Richard, Duke of Glouster (later Richard III) from the "Henry VI" trilogy. Burton had planned on visiting his step-father in Florida in early 1985 to work on the project.
Producer Dino De Laurentiis wanted Burton to play Napoleon Bonaparte in Waterloo (1970/I), but the role went to Rod Steiger instead.
Recorded his sessions for the Jeff Wayne's musical version of "The War of the Worlds" in two afternoon sessions in New York between film making.
Since Elizabeth Taylor was unable to have children, she and Richard adopted a German girl as their daughter, legally naming her Maria Burton. She was born in Germany c. 1964 with a deformed jaw that was fixed while she was still a baby.
Spoke Cymraeg (Welsh-language) as mother tongue.
Suffered from acute insomnia.
The producers of the film Equus (1977), who envisioned either Marlon Brando or Jack Nicholson in the role of the psychiatrist "Martin Dysart" in the film version, would only consider Burton for the role if he agreed to undertake a screen-test of sorts by playing the role on Broadway. Though considered one of the most brilliant theatre actors of his generation, Burton had not been on the professional stage in a dozen years (though he had appeared in an Oxford Undergradate Dramatic Society production of Doctor Faustus (which subsequently was filmed as Doctor Faustus (1967)) in 1966. Having suffered a slew of failures since 1970 that had undermined his bankability as a movie star, Burton agreed to take on the grueling role for a 12-week run. Though he was scheduled for his Broadway debut on a Sunday, he took over a Saturday matinée for the departing Anthony Perkins (who had received excellent notices after taking over for Anthony Hopkins, Burton's fellow Welshman who had grown up in his neighborhood in Wales and who had won a 1975 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play for originating Dysart on Broadway). Th
The twelfth of thirteen children, he insisted that his way out of an impoverished Welsh childhood was due not to acting, but to books; he read one a day.
Underwent treatment for alcoholism at a clinic in America after filming Klansman (1974).
Until he married Elizabeth Taylor in 1964 Burton's favorite drink was always beer, thereafter it was mainly vodka.
Was a drinking partner of Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole until Peter O'Toole was forced to give up drinking after surgery in 1976.
Was a great fan of baseball, which he followed avidly when he was in America. Burton thought Pulitzer Prize-winning baseball columnist Red Smith was a brilliant writer. Burton played softball with a team from the Broadway theatre in the 1980s, despite crippling bursitis in his shoulder.
Was actively pursued for the role of "The Pilot" in the proposed film of The Little Prince (1974). Burton had had a huge success on Broadway with Lerner & Lowe's (Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe) Camelot (1967), but had turned down that film as he did The Little Prince (1974). The role of "The Pilot" subsequently was played by Richard Kiley.
Was at one point going to star in The Public Eye (1972) with Elizabeth Taylor.
Was famous for his high intelligence and for being incredibly well-read. Burton was widely admired for his command and understanding of English poetry, which he taught for a term at Oxford University in the early 1970s.
Was named "The Worst Actor of All Time" in Harry Medved and Michael Medved's 1980 book "The Golden Turkey Awards", beating out Victor Mature, John Agar, and Tony Curtis. In so naming Burton, the Medveds cited the preponderance of big-budget film flops he starred in, and the overall squandering of his acting potential for much of his career. Previously, Burton's The Assassination of Trotsky (1972) had been listed among "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time" in the 1978 book of the same name by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.
Was nominated for a 1958 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for "Time Remembered". Three years later he won a 1961 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for "Camelot", and three years after that, he was again nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his 1964 "Hamlet", which was directed by his mentor John Gielgud. Burton also received a Special Tony Award in 1976 after appearing as a replacement in "Equus". Like his friends Laurence Olivier and Peter O'Toole, Burton was an unique and utterly electrifying stage actor whom commanded the rapt attention of his audience.
Was offered the role of Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons (1966), but he turned the part down. Paul Scofield, who went on to win a Best Actor Oscar for his performance, was cast instead.
Was the best man at Laurence Olivier's marriage to Joan Plowright in New York City on March 17, 1961. Both were appearing on Broadway at the time, he in "Camelot" and Laurence Olivier in "Becket".
While filming 1984 (1984), he suffered from a terrible pain in his neck and had to wear a neck brace during rehearsals. He had to wear heavy make up in the film, since the director felt he looked twenty years older than his age. He minimized his famous voice for the part of O'Brien, although he had great difficulty remembering the lines and would sometimes require nearly forty takes to get a scene right. The result was one of his most critically acclaimed performances, and well as his most underplayed.
While playing Dr. Dysart in "Equus" on Broadway in 1976, Burton was so impressed by co-star Peter Firth that he offered to play the Friar with Firth as Romeo. Firth did play Romeo on stage, but Burton was not cast.
While starring as King Arthur in the musical "Camelot" in 1961, Burton told his co-star Julie Andrews that she was his only leading lady he had not slept with.
Won a Grammy in the "Best Recording for Children" category for "The Little Prince" (featuring Jonathan Winters and Billy Simpson). [1975]
Won Broadway's 1961 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for "Camelot" as well as a Special Award in 1976. He was also twice nominated for Tony Awards as Best Actor (Dramatic): for "Time Remembered" (1954) and for "Hamlet" (1964).
Won the 1951 Theatre World Award for "The Lady's Not For Burning".