During the life of Oliver Reed, he was called "a bewitching actor" - he played so strongly and brightly that the energy of his characters captured the audience completely and completely. For nearly four decades, this charismatic actor played criminals and heroes, musketeers and pirates. And he died, like many actors, on the set of the film "Gladiator". Oliver Reed is recognized as one of the most popular actors in the UK, and for his role in the film "Gladiator" was nominated for a BAFTA award posthumously.
Robert Oliver Reed was born in London in 1938. He suffered from dyslexia, so it was difficult for him to study at school. And all his childhood was spent on the street, as his parents had no time for him.
However, during his school years, Oliver became interested in athletics, and for some time was the captain of the school team. He attended several schools due to poor academic performance, and eventually dropped out and went to work as a bouncer at a nightclub.
When the time came, Oliver was drafted into the army and served in the medical corps. He planned to stay in the army to continue serving as an officer, but he was prevented by a diagnosis of dyslexia. By the time he returned from the army, Reed already had experience working as a taxi driver, boxer, watchman. He was looking for a suitable job, and ended up on the set as an extra.
Carier start
Already after a short time, Oliver becomes a real actor - in 1959 he gets a role in the British children's TV series "Spur", and two years later he will have the main role in the horror film "The Curse of the Werewolf" (1961).
In the following films, he played a pirate, gang leader, hunter. All roles are very vivid and characteristic. The most famous film in which Reed starred was the picture "Oliver!". In this musical drama, he got the role of the villain Bill Sykes.
Since that time, the actor Reed, who plays in the episodes, has become a real celebrity. He became even more famous for his roles in the films Murder Bureau and Women in Love. Thanks to the last picture, he gained international fame - the audience was delighted with the scene of the fight with Alan Bates.
The seventies were especially significant for Oliver Reed - he received recognition from audiences in many countries for his roles in the films The Three Musketeers, The Hunt and The Devils. However, this period was very short, and he failed to become truly famous at that period.
Career decline
Glory did not bring Reed satisfaction and happiness - this is evidenced by the fact that he began to lead a riotous lifestyle: he drank, fought in public places and behaved inappropriately. This could not but affect his career, and there were no offers for the main roles.
Oliver starred in horror films that never came out, tried his hand at supporting roles in the films Christopher Columbus (1985), Les Miserables (1986), Horus (1987), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) and Prisoner of Honor (1991).
In the 90s, Reed seemed to start living a normal life and starred in TV shows and feature films. However, the role of the merchant Proximo in the film "Gladiator" was his last role - he died right on the set. The film was finished without him.
Personal life
In 1960, Reed married actress Keith Byrne, and they soon had a son. Colleagues in the shop lived together for 9 years, then the family broke up.
In a civil marriage with the dancer Jacques Daryl, Oliver had a daughter, but this did not save them from parting.
The last wife who lived with him until his death was Josephine Bourgue, they got married in 1985. It was Josephine who saw off Oliver Reed on his last journey in the Irish County of Cork, in Charchtown.
