Actor
Hugh Griffith
Born 30 May 1912 · Marianglas, Anglesey, Wales, UK — died 14 May 1980
Hugh Griffith was a Welsh actor of stage and screen, known for boisterous, scene-stealing character roles. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Ben-Hur and was nominated again for Tom Jones. He worked across British comedies, Hollywood epics and later horror films.
Key films
Ben-Hur (1959)On Cinespective
His role as Sheik Ilderim earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Appeared in the celebrated Ealing black comedy, a landmark of British film.
Tom Jones (1963)
His turn as Squire Western brought an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Oliver! (1968)
Featured in the Best Picture-winning musical adaptation of Dickens.
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Showed his later career in popular British horror-comedy.
Key awards
- 1960 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Ben-Hur)
- 1960 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor (Ben-Hur)
- 1964 Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Tom Jones)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 69
- 1940Night Train to MunichActor
- 1940Neutral Port · as BitActor
- 1948So Evil My Love · as CoronerActor
- 1948London Belongs to Me · as Headlam FynneActor
- 1948The First Gentleman · as John FisherActor
- 1948The Three Weird Sisters · as Mabli HughesActor
- 1949Kind Hearts and Coronets · as Lord High StewardActor
- 1949A Run for Your Money · as Huw PriceActor
- 1949The Last Days of Dolwyn · as MinisterActor
- 1949Dr. Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress · as Bensall, the butlerActor
- 1950Gone to Earth · as Andrew VessonsActor
- 1950Scrapbook for 1933 · as (voice)Actor
- 1951Laughter in Paradise · as Henry RussellActor
- 1951The Galloping Major · as Humbert TempleActor
- 1953The Titfield Thunderbolt · as DanActor
- 1953The Beggar's Opera · as The BeggarActor
- 1954The Million Pound Note · as PotterActor
- 1954The Sleeping Tiger · as Inspector SimmonsActor
- 1955Passage Home · as Pettigrew der ChefingenieurActor
- 1955The Moment of Truth · as The PhotographerActor
- 1955The Merry Christmas · as ScroogeActor
- 1957Lucky Jim · as Professor WelchActor
- 1957The Good Companions · as Morton MitchamActor
- 1957Now Let Him Go · as Simon KendallActor
- 1959Ben-Hur · as Scheich IldirimActor
- 1959The Story on Page One · as Judge Edgar NeilsenActor
- 1960Exodus · as MandriaActor
- 1960The Day They Robbed the Bank of England · as O'SheaActor
- 1960The Citadel · as Philip DennyActor
- 1962Mutiny on the Bounty · as Alexander SmithActor
- 1962The Counterfeit Traitor · as CollinsActor
- 1962Term of Trial · as O'HaraActor
- 1962The Inspector · as Van der PinkActor
- 1963Tom Jones · as Squire WesternActor
- 1964The Bargee · as Joe TurnbullActor
- 1964Hide and Seek · as WilkinsActor
- 1966How to Steal a Million · as Charles BonnetActor
- 1966The Poppy Is Also a Flower · as Salah Rahman KhanActor
- 1967Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad · as Commodore RoseaboveActor
- 1967The Sailor from Gibraltar · as LlewellynActor
- 1967On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who... · as Ibn-el-RascidActor
- 1967Brown Eye, Evil Eye · as Tadeusz BridgesActor
- 1968Oliver! · as The MagistrateActor
- 1968The Fixer · as LebedevActor
- 1968Il marito è mio e l'ammazzo quando mi pare · as IgnazioActor
- 1970Cry of the Banshee · as MickeyActor
- 1970Wuthering Heights · as Dr. KennethActor
- 1970Start the Revolution Without Me · as King LouisActor
- 1971The Abominable Dr. Phibes · as RabbiActor
- 1972The Canterbury Tales · as Sir JanuaryActor
- 1972Dr. Phibes Rises Again · as Harry AmbroseActor
- 1972What? · as Joseph NoblartActor
- 1972Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? · as Mr Harrison, The PigmanActor
- 1973The Final Programme · as Professor HiraActor
- 1973Take Me High · as Sir Harry CunninghamActor
- 1973Increase and Multiply · as Monsignor CasadeiActor
- 1974Craze · as SolicitorActor
- 1974Luther · as TetzelActor
- 1974High School Girl · as Barone di RoccaduraActor
- 1975Legend of the Werewolf · as Maestro PamponiActor
- 1976The Passover Plot · as CaiaphasActor
- 1976The Joke · as Dr WaldenActor
- 1977The Last Remake of Beau Geste · as JudgeActor
- 1977Joseph Andrews · as Squire WesternActor
- 1977Casanova & Co. · as The CaliphActor
- 1978The Hound of the Baskervilles · as FranklandActor
- 1978Grand Slam · as Caradog Lloyd-EvansActor
- 1980A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square · as Sid LarkinActor
- 1992Under Milk Wood · as Captain Cat (voice) (archive sound)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.