The Merchant of Venice

Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud, dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles. His family had no theatrical connections, but Olivier's father, a clergyman, decided that his son should become an actor. After attending a drama school in London, Olivier learned his craft in a succession of acting jobs during the late 1920s. In 1930 he had his first important West End success in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and he appeared in his first film. In 1935 he played in a celebrated production of Romeo and Juliet alongside Gielgud and Ashcroft, and by the end of the decade he was an established star. In the 1940s, together with Richardson and John Burrell, Olivier was the co-director of the Old Vic, building it into a highly respected company. There his most celebrated roles included Shakespeare's Richard III and Sophocles's Oedipus. In the 1950s Olivier was an independent actor-manager, but his stage career was in the doldrums until he joined the avant garde English Stage Company in 1957 to play the title role in The Entertainer, a part he later played on film. From 1963 to 1973 he was the founding director of Britain's National Theatre, running a resident company that fostered many future stars. His own parts there included the title role in Othello (1965) and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (1970). Among Olivier's films are Wuthering Heights (1939), Rebecca (1940), and a trilogy of Shakespeare films as actor-director: Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), and Richard III (1955). His later films included The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Sleuth (1972), Marathon Man (1976), and The Boys from Brazil (1978). His television appearances included an adaptation of The Moon and Sixpence (1960), Long Day's Journey into Night (1973), Love Among the Ruins (1975), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976), Brideshead Revisited (1981) and King Lear (1983). Olivier's honours included a knighthood (1947), a life peerage (1970) and the Order of Merit (1981). For his on-screen work he received four Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. The National Theatre's largest auditorium is named in his honour, and he is commemorated in the Laurence Olivier Awards, given annually by the Society of London Theatre. He was married three times, to the actresses Jill Esmond from 1930 to 1940, Vivien Leigh from 1940 to 1960, and Joan Plowright from 1961 until his death. Description above from the Wikipedia article Laurence Olivier, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Joan Ann Plowright, Lady Olivier, DBE (born 28 October 1929), better known as Dame Joan Plowright, was an English actress, whose career has spanned over sixty years. Throughout her career she has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award and has been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy, and two BAFTA Awards. Joan Plowright is also one of only four actresses to have won two Golden Globes in the same year.

Jeremy Brett was a highly acclaimed English actor, with an illustrious career spanning stage, film, and television. Best known for playing the famous, fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in the Granada Television series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" from 1984 to 1994, Brett's portrayal is considered iconic. His interpretation brought depth, intellect, and charisma to the character, earning him widespread acclaim and a devoted fanbase. Brett's dedication to embodying the intricacies of Sherlock Holmes, capturing the detective's eccentricities and brilliance, solidified his legacy as one of the definitive portrayals of the character in the history of film and television adaptations.

Michael James (born 29 October 1935), known professionally as Michael Jayston, was an English actor. He played Nicholas II of Russia in the film Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). He has also made many television appearances, which have included playing the Valeyard in all fourteen episodes of the Doctor Who serial The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) and appearing in the Only Fools and Horses episode "Time on Our Hands" (1996) as Raquel's father, James.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Anthony Nicholls  (16 October 1902 – 22 February 1977) was an English film, television, and stage actor. Description above from the Wikipedia article Anthony Nicholls, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Anna Carteret (born 11 December 1942) is a British stage and screen actress best known for her performance as Inspector Kate Longton in the hit BBC drama series Juliet Bravo in the 1980s. She is married to the director Christopher Morahan and is the mother of actress, Hattie Morahan.

Actor known for his roles as Travis in Blake's 7 and gangster Harry Fenning in Citizen Smith.

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Denis Stamper Lawson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actor and director. He is perhaps best known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of Bleak House and as Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero. Description above from the Wikipedia article Denis Lawson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.