Donald Wolfit

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Donald Wolfit (April 20, 1902 – February 17, 1968) was an English actor-manager, knighted in 1957 for his services to the theatre.

Wolfit was born in Newark, Nottinghamshire, and attended the Magnus Grammar School (now Magnus Church of England School) and made his stage début in 1920. He first appeared in the West End in 1924, playing The Wandering Jew. His speciality was Shakespeare, and in 1937 he formed his own company to take the Bard to the provinces. The company performed in London during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Wolfit was primarily a stage actor, and, despite taking his famous portrayal of Volpone to television and appearing in over thirty films (most notably Blood of the Vampire, Becket, and Lawrence of Arabia), he was never widely known outside the UK.

At one time, Ronald Harwood was his dresser and he based his play and film The Dresser on his relationship with Wolfit. Harwood also wrote his biography.

Donald Wolfit died from cardiovascular disease at the age of 66.