Stage Between 1946 and 1976, Griffith won acclaim for many stage roles, in particular for his portrayals of Falstaff, Lear and Prospero. In 1958, he was back in New York, this time taking a lead role in the opening production of
Look Homeward, Angel, alongside
Anthony Perkins. Both he and Perkins were nominated for the
Tony Award for
Best Actor in a Play.
Film Griffith began his film career in British films during the late 1940s, and by the 1950s was also working in
Hollywood. He won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in
Ben-Hur (1959), and was nominated for his performance in
Tom Jones (1963). In 1968, he appeared as the magistrate in
Oliver!. His later career was often blighted by his chronic alcoholism. He played the funeral director Caradog Lloyd-Evans in the 1978
BBC Wales comedy
Grand Slam. While visibly unwell at the time of shooting (years of alcohol abuse had taken their toll), Griffith's portrayal received widespread acclaim and helped the movie attain cult status. Griffith was attached to
Orson Welles'
unproduced 1960s adaptation of
Treasure Island.
Television On television, he had major roles in
Quatermass II (1955), a
miniseries adaptation of
A. J. Cronin's
The Citadel (1960) and
Clochemerle (1972). He also appeared in an episode, 'The Talking Head', of
Colonel March of Scotland Yard. ==Honours==