Much acclaimed and respected actor, director, and producer of stage and screen. Born Salford, England May 9, 1936. Five Academy award nominations. Recipient of many other nominations and awards, including BAFTA, Emmy, Golden Globe, various critics' awards and more. For complete list see IMdb.com. After huge success in 1963 as title character in the award winning movie Tom Jones, he was touted to become a Hollywood leading man and sex symbol. He avoided this route, choosing to be a serious actor. Though he went on to play other leading men, he honed his skills mostly in character roles and on the stage, where in the 1970s he starred as Hamlet and Tamburlaine in London West End productions. He continued appearing in films throughout the 1980s, 90s, and in the 2000s, recently reuniting with director, Sidney Lumet, to appear with the ensemble cast in the critically acclaimed "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead." Finney previously worked with Lumet in the 1974 Murder on the Orient Express, for which he received a best actor academy award nomination. Other best actor nominations were for Tom Jones, The Dresser, and Under the Volcano. He also was nominated for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Ed Masry in Erin Brockovich.
