In September 1939, while father Frederick Attenborough was Principal ofUniversity College, Leicester (1932–1951), the Attenboroughs took in two GermanJewish refugee girls, Helga and Irene Bejach (aged 9 and 11, respectively), with the girls living with them in College House and being adopted by the family after the war, when it was discovered that their parents had been killed.[5] The sisters moved to the United States in the 1950s and lived with an uncle, where they married and achievedAmerican citizenship; Irene died in 1992, and Helga in 2005.[6]
During the Second World War, Attenborough served in the Royal Air Force. After initialpilot training, he wasseconded to the newly formed Royal Air Force Film Production Unit atPinewood Studios, under the command of Flight LieutenantJohn Boulting (whose brother,Peter Cotes, later directed Attenborough in the playThe Mousetrap), where he appeared withEdward G. Robinson in thepropaganda filmJourney Together (1945). He then volunteered to fly with the film production unit; after further training, he sustained permanent ear damage. After being qualified as a sergeant, he flew on several operations over Europe, filming from the tail gunner's position to document the outcome ofRAF Bomber Commandsorties.[7]
Attenborough's acting career started on the theatre stage, where he appeared in shows at Leicester'sLittle Theatre, Dover Street, prior to his attending RADA. His debut was in 1937 when he played Lucius in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. At the Little Theatre, he was coached for his RADA audition by Moyra Haywood, the theatre manager. He remained aPatron of the Little Theatre until his death.[8]
In 1949, exhibitors voted him the sixth most popular British actor at the box office.[9]
Early in his stage career, Attenborough starred in theWest End production ofAgatha Christie'sThe Mousetrap, which went on to become the world's longest running stage production. Both he and his wife were among the original cast members of the production, which opened in 1952 at theAmbassadors Theatre, moving toSt Martin's Theatre in 1974; the production ran continuously for nearly seven decades, until it was shut down by theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Attenboroughs took a 10 per cent profit-participation in the production, which was paid for out of their combined weekly salary; Attenborough later wrote in his autobiography, "It proved to be the wisest business decision I've ever made... but foolishly I sold some of my share to open a short-lived Mayfair restaurant called 'The Little Elephant' and later still, disposed of the remainder in order to keepGandhi afloat."[10]
At the beginning of the 1950s Attenborough featured on radio on theBBC Light Programme introducing records.[11]
In the late 1950s, Attenborough formed a production company, Beaver Films, withBryan Forbes and began to build a profile as a producer on projects includingThe League of Gentlemen (1959),The Angry Silence (1960) andWhistle Down the Wind (1961), appearing in the cast of the first two films.[citation needed] His performance inThe Angry Silence earned him his first nomination for a BAFTA.Séance on a Wet Afternoon won him his first BAFTA award.
His feature film directorial debut was the all-star screen version of the hit musicalOh! What a Lovely War (1969), after which his acting appearances became sporadic as he concentrated more on directing and producing. He later directed two epic period films:Young Winston (1972), based on the early life ofWinston Churchill, andA Bridge Too Far (1977), an all-star account of Second World WarOperation Market Garden.[citation needed]
Despite maintaining an acting career alongside his directorial roles, Attenborough never directed himself (save for an uncredited cameo appearance inA Bridge Too Far).[citation needed]
Lord Attenborough during his term as Chancellor of theUniversity of Sussex, February 2006
After 33 years of dedicated service as President of theMuscular Dystrophy campaign, Attenborough became the charity's Honorary Life President in 2004. In 2012, the charity, which leads the fight against muscle-wasting conditions in the UK, established the Richard Attenborough Fellowship Fund to honour his lifelong commitment to the charity, and to ensure the future of clinical research and training at leading UK neuromuscular centres.[15]
Attenborough was also the patron of theUnited World Colleges movement, whereby he contributed to the colleges that are part of the organisation. He was a frequent visitor to theWaterford KamhlabaUnited World College of Southern Africa (UWCSA). With his wife, they founded the Richard and Sheila Attenborough Visual Arts Centre. He founded the Jane Holland Creative Centre for Learning at Waterford Kamhlaba inSwaziland in memory of his daughter who died in thetsunami on 26 December 2004.[citation needed]
He was a longtime advocate of education that does not judge upon colour, race, creed or religion. His attachment to Waterford was his passion for non-racial education, which were the grounds on which Waterford Kamhlaba was founded. Waterford was one of his inspirations for directing the filmCry Freedom, based on the life ofSteve Biko.[citation needed]
A lifelong supporter ofChelsea Football Club, Attenborough served as a director of the club from 1969 to 1982 and between 1993 and 2008 held the honorary position of Life Vice President. On 30 November 2008 he was honoured with the title of Life President at the club's stadium,Stamford Bridge.
He was also head of the consortiumDragon International Film Studios, which was constructing a film and television studio complex inLlanilid, Wales, nicknamed "Valleywood". In March 2008, the project was placed into administration with debts of £15 million and was considered for sale of the assets in 2011.[20] A mooted long-term lease toFox 21 fell through in 2015, though the facilities continue to be used for filmmaking.[21]
He had a lifelong ambition to make a film about his hero the political theorist and revolutionaryThomas Paine, whom he called "one of the finest men that ever lived". He said in an interview in 2006 that "I could understand him. He wrote in simple English. I found all his aspirations – the rights of women, the health service, universal education... Everything you can think of that we want is inRights of Man orThe Age of Reason orCommon Sense."[22][23][24] He could not secure the funding to do so.[25] The website "A Gift for Dickie" was launched by two filmmakers from Luton in June 2008 with the aim of raising £40m in 400 days to help him make the film, but the target was not met and the money that had been raised was refunded.[26][27]
Attenborough's father was the principal ofUniversity College, Leicester, now the city's university. This resulted in a long association with the university, with Attenborough becoming a patron. The university's Embrace Arts at the RA centre,[28] which opened in 1997 is named in his honour. He had two younger brothers: naturalist and broadcasterDavid andmotor trade executiveJohn.
In the 1940s, he was asked to 'improve his physical condition' for his role as Pinkie inBrighton Rock. He trained withChelsea Football Club for a fortnight, subsequently becoming good friends with those at the club. He went on to become a director during the 1970s, helping to prevent the club losing itshome ground by holding onto his club shares and donating them, worth over £950,000, to Chelsea. In 2008, Attenborough was appointedLife President of Chelsea Football Club.[31]
On 26 December 2004, the couple's elder daughter,Jane Holland (born 30 September 1955), along with her mother-in-law, Audrey Holland, and Attenborough's 15-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, were killed when a tsunami caused by theIndian Ocean earthquake struckKhao Lak, Thailand, where they were on holiday.[32][33][34]
A service was held on 8 March 2005 and Attenborough read a lesson at the national memorial service on 11 May 2005. His grandson Samuel Holland, who survived the tsunami uninjured, and granddaughter Alice Holland, who suffered severe leg injuries, also read in the service.[34] A commemorative plaque was placed in the floor of St Mary Magdalene's parish church inRichmond. Attenborough later described the Boxing Day of 2004 as "the worst day of my life". Attenborough had two other children,Michael (born 13 February 1950) andCharlotte (born 29 June 1959). Michael is a theatre director formerly the Deputy Artistic Director of the RSC andartistic director of theAlmeida Theatre in London and has been married to actress Karen Lewis since 1984; they have two sons,Tom andWill. Charlotte, an actress, married Graham Sinclair in 1993 and has two children.[32]
Attenborough collectedPicassoceramics from the 1950s. More than 100 items went on display at theNew Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester in 2007, in an exhibition dedicated to family members lost in the tsunami.[37]
In 2008, he published an informal autobiography entitledEntirely Up to You, Darling in association with his colleague Diana Hawkins.[38][39]
In August 2008, Attenborough entered hospital with heart problems and was fitted with apacemaker. In December 2008, he suffered a fall at his home after a stroke[40] and was admitted toSt George's Hospital,Tooting, South West London. In November 2009, Attenborough, in what he called a "house clearance" sale, sold part of his extensive art collection, which included works byL. S. Lowry,C. R. W. Nevinson andGraham Sutherland, generating £4.6 million atSotheby's.[41]
In January 2011, he sold hisRhubodach estate on the ScottishIsle of Bute for £1.48 million.[42] In May 2011, David Attenborough said his brother had been confined to a wheelchair since his stroke in 2008,[40] but was still capable of holding a conversation. He added that "he won't be making any more films."[43]
In June 2012, shortly before her 90th birthday,Sheila Sim entered the professional actors' retirement homeDenville Hall, inNorthwood, London, for which she and Attenborough had helped raise funds. In October 2012, it was announced that Attenborough was putting the family home, Old Friars, with its attached offices, Beaver Lodge, which came complete with a sound-proofed cinema in the garden, on the market for £11.5 million. His brother David stated: "He and his wife both loved the house, but they now need full-time care.[44] It simply isn't practical to keep the house on any more."[45] In December 2012, in light of his deteriorating health, Attenborough moved into the same nursing home in London to be with his wife, as confirmed by their son Michael.[40]
Attenborough died at Denville Hall, on 24 August 2014, five days before his 91st birthday.[46][47] He requested that his ashes be interred in a vault atSt Mary Magdalene church inRichmond beside those of his daughter, Jane, and his granddaughter, Lucy, both of whom had died in the2004 Boxing Day tsunami.[48][49] He was survived by Sheila, his wife of 69 years, their oldest and youngest children, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his younger brotherDavid. Sheila died on 19 January 2016.
On 30 July 1993, he was created alife peer as Baron Attenborough, ofRichmond upon Thames in theLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames.[57][58] Although the appointment byJohn Major was 'non-political' (it was granted for services to the cinema) and he could have been acrossbencher, Attenborough chose to take theLabour whip and so sat on the Labour benches. In 1992, he had been offered a peerage byNeil Kinnock, then leader of the Labour Party, but declined it as he felt unable to commit himself to the time necessary "to do what was required of him in the Upper Chamber, as he always put film-making first".[59]
Attenborough was an Honorary Fellow ofBangor University for his contributions to film making.[62]
Pinewood Studios paid tribute to his body of work by naming a purpose-built 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2)sound stage after him. In his absence because of illness,Lord Puttnam and Pinewood chairmanLord Grade officially unveiled the stage on 23 April 2012.[63]
The Arts for India charity committee honoured Attenborough posthumously on 19 October 2016 at an event hosted at the home of BAFTA.[64]
Directed Academy Award performances Under Attenborough's direction, these actors have receivedAcademy Award nominations and wins for their performances in their respective roles.
In early 1973, he was portrayed as "Dickie Attenborough" in the British Showbiz Awards sketch late in the third series ofMonty Python's Flying Circus. Attenborough is portrayed byEric Idle as effusive and simpering. A portrayal similar to that seen inMonty Python can be seen in the early series ofSpitting Image, when Attenborough's caricature regularly appeared to thank others for an imaginary award.
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