Sebastian Shaw, English actor, director, and playwright (d. 1994)
Sebastian Lewis Shaw (29 May 1905 – 23 December 1994) was an English actor, director, novelist, playwright and poet. During his 65-year career, he appeared in dozens of stage performances and more than 40 film and television productions.
Shaw was born and brought up in Holt, Norfolk, and made his acting debut at age eight at a London theatre. He studied acting at Gresham's School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Although he worked primarily on the London stage, he made his Broadway debut in 1929, when he played one of the two murderers in Rope's End. He appeared in his first film, Caste, in 1930 and quickly began to create a name for himself in films. He described himself as a "rotten actor" as a youth and said his success was primarily due to his good looks. He claimed to mature as a performer only after returning from service in the Royal Air Force during World War II.
Shaw was particularly known for his performances in productions of Shakespeare plays which were considered daring and ahead of their time. In 1966, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he remained for a decade and delivered some of his most acclaimed performances. He also wrote several poems and a novel, The Christening, in 1975. In 1983, he appeared in the third installment of the original Star Wars Trilogy, Return of the Jedi, in a brief but significant role as the redeemed Anakin Skywalker, as well as Skywalker's ghost in the original 1983 theatrical release of the film.
1905May, 29
Sebastian Shaw (actor)
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Events on 1905
- 27May
Battle of Tsushima
Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima begins. - 28May
Battle of Tsushima
Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima ends with the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet by Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō and the Imperial Japanese Navy. - 26Sep
Special theory of relativity
Albert Einstein publishes his first paper on the special theory of relativity. - 26Oct
Norway
Sweden accepts the independence of Norway. - 30Oct
Nicholas II of Russia
Czar Nicholas II of Russia issues the October Manifesto, granting the Russian peoples basic civil liberties and the right to form a duma. This was October 17 in the Julian calendar.