Sacha Baron Cohen (born 1971)
actor and comedian. Cohen was born in 1971 to a Jewish family in London. Even before his studies in Cambridge, where he joined a theater group, he gained acting experience. Cohen has become internationally known for his role as Borat and Ali G. His artistic work is often time-critical and humorous, close to the threshold of stupid. He has already won a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination.
Sean Connery (born 1930)
Scottish actor and Oscar winner Sir Thomas Sean Connery became world famous in the 1960s for the role of secret agent James Bond – 007. From the 1970s he developed more and more into a character actor. His most famous films include the James Bond films: “The Name of the Rose”, “The Untouchables”, “With Umbrella, Charm and Bowler Hat”, “Tempting Trap” and “Forrester – Found”. At 69, he was voted Sexiest Man of the Century.
Billy Connolly (born 1942)
comedian, musician, presenter, actor. William Connolly was born in Anderston in 1942 and is also known in his homeland as “The Big Yin”. He started out as a welder, then devoted himself to folk music, started as a stand-up comedian in the 70s and finally landed hits like “Her Majesty Mrs. Brown” (1997) or “Last Samurai” (2003) as an actor. Connolly was honored for his commitment with an honorary doctorate and a coveted BAFTA award for his life’s work.
Alan Cumming (born 1965)
actor, director. Alan Cumming was born in Aberfeldy in 1965 and is one of the international greats in the film business. He studied at the Glasgow Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. His participation in “Golden Eye” (1995), the Stanley Kubrick classic “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999) and “Nicolas Nickleby” (2002) or “The Mask 2: The Next Generation” (2005) brought Cumming worldwide fame. The actor lives with a man.
Timothy Peter Dalton (
born 1946) Timothy Peter Dalton was born in Colwyn Bay in 1946 and is a promising Shakespeare actor. Films like “The Living Daylights” (1987) and “License to Kill” (1989), in which he played the agent of the British secret service James Bond, made him known internationally. Dalton is also active on television, including in series such as “Tales from the Crypt” or “Scarlett”. He lives in Los Angeles.
Judi Dench (born 1934)
Judith Olivia Dench was born in York in 1934 as the daughter of a doctor and is one of the most famous English actresses. She completed her acting studies at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Dench has starred in numerous Hollywood films such as “A fine Romance” (1986) and “Shakespeare in Love” (1998 – Academy Award), and in the internationally successful James Bond films as M. As a stage actress, she specializes in William Shakespeare’s dramas.
Craig Ferguson (born 1962)
actor, presenter, director, comedian. Craig Ferguson was born in Glasgow in 1962 and started his show career as a drummer in a band and later as a comedian at festivals. He moved to America in the 90s. With his “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” on US television (CBS), he was very popular with audiences because he addressed social problems such as alcohol addiction. In the cinema he started with films such as “Grasgeflüster” (2000) and “The nacked truth” (2009).
John Fraser (born 1931)
John Fraser was born in Glasgow in 1931 and was one of Britain’s most important actors in his 30s. He played in legends on the screen such as “El Cid” (1961) by Anthony Mann or in “Sherlock Holmes’ greatest case” (1965). But star director Roman Polanski was also able to win him over for his film “Disgust” in 1965. In 2004, Fraser published his autobiography “Close Up,” in which he came out as gay.
Laura Fraser (born 1976)
Laura Fraser was born in Glasgow in 1976 and has three siblings. She studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and had her first roles in short films. She later appeared in “The Man in the Iron Mask” (1998), where she stood in front of the camera with Leonardi DiCaprio or “Titus” at the side of Anthony Hopkins. Fraser has been nominated several times for big prizes like the BAFTA or the Golden Bear.
Stephen Frears (born 1941)
director and producer. Frears was born in Leicester in 1941 and graduated from Cambridge before devoting himself to film. Frears is famous for works such as “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988), “Hi-Lo Country – In the Land of the Last Cowboys” (1998), “High Fidelity” (2000) or “The Queen” (2006). Frears received the European Film Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Stephen Fry (born 1957)
actor, director, screenwriter and writer. Fry was born in London in 1957 and initially sent to various boarding schools. He graduated from Cambridge where he befriended Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson. With the former he wrote and directed skits called “A Bit of Fry & Laurie” for the BBC. He became known for his roles in films such as “IQ – Love is relative” (1994), “Oscar Wilde” (1997), “The discovery of heaven” (2001) and “Alice in Wonderland” (2010). He is a British character actor.
Lucy Gordon (1980-2009)
actress. Lucy Gordon was born in Oxford in 1980, where she also went to school. She grew up bilingual and partly lived in France with her family. In her short life, Gordon played in well-known films, such as “L’auberge espagnole – Reunion in St. Petersburg”, “Spider-Man 3” and most recently in the 2010 film “Gainsbourg – The Man Who Loved Women “. Gordon died of suicide in Paris in 2009.
Hugh Grant (born 1960)
actor. Hugh Grant was born in 1960 in London to an officer and a teacher. He studied at Oxford and played in the college theater company. He is particularly fond of the love comedy genre. The 1994 film “Four Weddings and a Funeral” made Grant famous. Numerous box office hits such as “Notting Hill” and “Actually… Love” followed.
