Today there are generations who know Alec Guinness (1914-2000) only as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy, but when George Lucas cast him in that iconic role, the British actor had long established himself as one of the world’s consummate artists of stage and screen. Trained in classical theater, Alec Guinness delivered his first two significant film performances in Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), both adaptations from Charles Dickens directed by David Lean, with whom he would collaborate on four additional films.

Guinness’s most celebrated early film performances were in comedies for Ealing Studios, beginning with Kind Hearts and Coronets, which showcased his versatility in eight roles. His ability to disappear in his roles and play multiple characters would inspire Peter Sellers. Later Guinness would win the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), and in 1980 he received an Honorary Oscar for “advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances.” Following his supporting role in Star Wars (for which he was Oscar-nominated), he starred in two highly acclaimed television adaptations from John le Carré novels: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) and Smiley’s People (1982).