Peter Ustinov Biography (1921-)

Full name, Peter Alexander Ustinov; born April 16, 1921, in London, England;son of Iona (a journalist; professional name, "Klop") and Nadia (a painter and scenic designer; maiden name, Benois) Ustinov; married Isolde Denham, 1940(divorced, 1950); married Suzanne Cloutier (an actress), 1953 (divorced, 1971); married Helene du Lau d'Allemans, June 17, 1972; children: (first marriage) Tamara; (second marriage) Pavla, Igor, Andrea. Avocational interests: Reading, collecting prints and drawings, classical music, cars, lawn tennis, squash. Career: Actor, writer, director, producer, set designer,and costume designer. Joint director, Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham, U.K., 1963---; worked as a professional impersonator in clubs and traveling revues; also appeared in radio for the BBC (London), in Germany, Belgium, Rome, Italy, Paris, New York City, and Hollywood. University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, rector, 1968-73; UNICEF, goodwill ambassador, 1969---; University of Dundee, rector, 1971-73; University of Durham, chancellor, 1992; World Federalist Movement, president, 1992; owner of a vineyard. Military service: British Army, Royal Sussex Regiment, 1942-46; also served with the Royal Army Ordinance Corps, the Kinematograph Service, and the Directorate of Army Psychiatry. Member: British Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, British Film Academy, Dramatists Guild, British League of Dramatists, British Screenwriters Society, London Society of Authors, Royal Society of Arts(fellow), Societe des Auteurs (France), Arts Theatre, Royal Society of Literature (fellow, 1978), Academy of Fine Arts (Paris, 1988), Garrick Club, Savage Club, Royal Automobile Club, Queen's Club. Awards, Honors: Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor, 1951, Golden Globe, Best Supporting Actor, 1952, both for Quo Vadis; Donaldson Award, Best First Play,New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Best Foreign Play, 1953, both for The Love of Four Colonels; Evening Standard Award, Best New Play, 1956, Antoinette Perry Award nomination, Best Actor in a Play, 1958, both for Romanoff and Juliet; Royal Society of Arts, Benjamin Franklin Medal, 1957; Emmy Award, 1957, for "The Life of Samuel Johnson," Omnibus; Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor, 1961, for Spartacus; British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award nomination, best British screenplay, 1963, for Billy Budd(with DeWitt Bodeen); Academy Award, Best SupportingActor, 1964, Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actor--musical/comedy, 1965, both for Topkapi; Syndicat des journalistes et ecrivains (France), First Prize, 1964, for Photo Finish; Emmy Award, Outstanding Single Performance in a Leading Role, 1966, for "Barefoot in Athens," Hallmark Hall of Fame; Cleveland Institute of Music, D.Mus., 1967; Academy Award nomination, Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (with Ira Wallach), 1968, Writers Guild, British comedy screenplay award, 1969, both for Hot Millions; University of Dundee, L.L.D., 1969; Emmy Award, Outstanding Single Performance in a Leading Role, 1970, for "Storm in Summer," Hallmark Hall of Fame; La Salle College, D.F.A., 1971; University of Lancaster, Litt.D., 1972; Peabody Award, 1972; Berlin Film Festival, special Silver Bear Award, 1972, for creative work and for direction of Hammersmith Is Out; Order of the Smile (Warsaw, Poland), 1974, for dedication to the idea of international assistance to children; Commander of the British Empire, 1975; Jordanian Independence Medal, 1978; Distinguished Service Award from UNICEF, 1978; Prix de la Butte, 1979; Variety Club of Great BritainAward, Best Actor, 1979; British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award nomination, best actor, 1979, for Death on the Nile; Emmy Award nomination, 1984, for The Well Tempered Bach; University of Toronto, honorarydoctorate, 1984, 1995; Commander, Order of Arts and Letters (France), 1985; Grammy Award for Peter and the Wolf; elected to Academy of Fine Arts, Paris, 1988; University of Georgetown, L.H.D., 1988; Knight of the Realm, 1990; Medal of Honor, Charles University, 1991; University of Ottawa, LL.D., 1991; Britannia Award, 1992; Critics Circle Award, 1993; German Cultural Award, 1994; German Bambi, 1994; International Child Survival Award, 1995; Rudolph Valentino Award, 1995; Norman Cousins Global Governance Award, 1995; Free University of Brussels, honorary doctorate, 1995; German Video Prize, 1997, for life-time achievement. Addresses: Agent: William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor, writer, director, producer, set designer, costume designer
Birth Details
April 16, 1921
London, England

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