George Arliss

George Arliss
Arliss in 1919
Born
Augustus George Andrews

(1868-04-10)10 April 1868
London, England
Died5 February 1946(1946-02-05) (aged 77)
London, England
Occupations
  • Actor
  • author
  • playwright
  • filmmaker
Years active1887–1943
Spouse
(m. 1899)

George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was an English actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award – which he won for his performance as Victorian-era British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli in Disraeli (1929) – as well as the earliest-born actor of any category to win the honour. He specialized in successful biopics, such as Disraeli, Voltaire (1933), and Cardinal Richelieu (1935), as well as light comedies, which included The Millionaire (1931) and A Successful Calamity (1932).

His career ranged from being a star of the legitimate theatre, then silent films, then sound films.