49 Facts About Richard Attenborough

Richard Attenborough was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, as well as life president of the Premier League club Chelsea.

Richard Attenborough joined the Royal Air Force during the World War II and served in the film unit, going on several bombing raids over Europe and filming the action from the rear gunner's position.

Richard Attenborough was the older brother of broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and motor executive John Attenborough.

Richard Attenborough was married to actress Sheila Sim from 1945 until his death.

Richard Attenborough won two Academy Awards for Gandhi in 1983: Best Picture and Best Director.

Richard Attenborough won four BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and the 1983 BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement.

Richard Attenborough then volunteered to fly with the Film Unit and after further training, where he sustained permanent ear damage, qualified as a sergeant, flying on several operations over Europe filming from the rear gunner's position to record the outcome of RAF Bomber Command sorties.

Richard Attenborough's acting career started on stage and he appeared in shows at Leicester's Little Theatre, Dover Street, prior to his going to RADA, where he remained Patron until his death.

Richard Attenborough played the lead at age 22 as an RAF cadet pilot in Journey Together, in which top-billed Edward G Robinson played his instructor.

Early in his stage career, Richard Attenborough starred in the West End production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, which went on to become the world's longest running stage production.

At the beginning of the 1950s Richard Attenborough featured on radio on the BBC Light Programme introducing records.

Richard Attenborough worked prolifically in British films for the next 30 years, including in the 1950s, appearing in several successful comedies for John and Roy Boulting, such as Private's Progress and I'm All Right Jack.

Richard Attenborough took no acting roles following his appearance in Otto Preminger's version of The Human Factor until his appearance as John Hammond in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park and the film's sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Richard Attenborough starred in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street as Kris Kringle.

Richard Attenborough made his only appearance in a film adaptation of Shakespeare when he played the English ambassador who announces that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead at the end of Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet.

Richard Attenborough later directed two epic period films: Young Winston, based on the early life of Winston Churchill, and A Bridge Too Far, an all-star account of Second World War Operation Market Garden.

Richard Attenborough won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Director for his historical epic Gandhi, and as the film's producer, the Academy Award for Best Picture; the same film garnered two Golden Globes, this time for Best Director and Best Foreign Film, in 1983.

Richard Attenborough had been attempting to get the project made for 18 years.

Richard Attenborough directed the screen version of the musical A Chorus Line and the anti-apartheid drama Cry Freedom.

Richard Attenborough was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for both films.

Richard Attenborough was the patron of the United World Colleges movement, whereby he contributed to the colleges that are part of the organisation.

Richard Attenborough was a frequent visitor to the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa.

Richard Attenborough founded the Jane Holland Creative Centre for Learning at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland in memory of his daughter who died in the tsunami on 26 December 2004.

Richard Attenborough was a longtime advocate of education that does not judge upon colour, race, creed or religion.

Richard Attenborough founded The Richard Attenborough Arts Centre on the Leicester University campus in 1997, specifically designed to provide access for the disabled, in particular as practitioners.

Richard Attenborough was elected to the post of Chancellor of the University of Sussex on 20 March 1998, replacing The Duke of Richmond and Gordon.

Richard Attenborough stood down as Chancellor of the university following graduation in July 2008.

Richard Attenborough was head of the consortium Dragon International Film Studios, which was constructing a film and television studio complex in Llanilid, Wales, nicknamed "Valleywood".

Richard Attenborough had a lifelong ambition to make a film about his hero the political theorist and revolutionary Thomas Paine, whom he called "one of the finest men that ever lived".

Richard Attenborough's father was the principal of University College, Leicester, now the city's university.

Richard Attenborough had two younger brothers: naturalist and broadcaster David and motor trade executive John.

Richard Attenborough married actress Sheila Sim in Kensington on 22 January 1945.

Richard Attenborough trained with Chelsea Football Club for a fortnight, subsequently becoming good friends with those at the club.

In 2008, Richard Attenborough was appointed Life President of Chelsea Football Club.

Richard Attenborough later described the Boxing Day of 2004 as "the worst day of my life".

Richard Attenborough publicly endorsed the Labour Party in the 2005 General Election, despite his opposition to the Iraq War.

In May 2011, David Richard Attenborough said his brother had been confined to a wheelchair since his stroke in 2008, but was still capable of holding a conversation.

In June 2012, shortly before her 90th birthday, Sheila Sim entered the professional actors' retirement home Denville Hall, in Northwood, London, for which she and Richard Attenborough had helped raise funds.

Richard Attenborough died at Denville Hall, on 24 August 2014, five days before his 91st birthday.

Richard Attenborough requested that his ashes be interred in a vault at St Mary Magdalene church in Richmond beside those of his daughter Jane Holland and his granddaughter, Lucy, both of whom had died in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

Richard Attenborough was survived by his wife of 69 years, their oldest and youngest children, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his younger brother David.

Richard Attenborough was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1976 New Year Honours, having the honour conferred on 10 February 1976 and on 30 July 1993 he was created a life peer as Baron Attenborough, of Richmond upon Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Richard Attenborough was the subject of This Is Your Life in December 1962 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Savoy Hotel, during a dinner held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap, in which he had been an original cast member.

In 1983, Richard Attenborough was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, and the Martin Luther King Jr.

Richard Attenborough was awarded France's most distinguished awards, the Legion of Honour and the Order of Arts and Letters and the Order of the Companions of OR.

On 20 November 2008, Richard Attenborough was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Drama from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

Richard Attenborough was an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University for his contributions to film making.

Richard Attenborough is portrayed by Eric Idle as effusive and simpering.

In 2012 Richard Attenborough was portrayed by Simon Callow in the BBC Four biopic The Best Possible Taste, about Kenny Everett.