Richard Burton

Description

Richard Burton, CBE (November 10 1925 &ndash; August 5 1984) was a Welsh actor. He was at one time the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. Known for his distinctive voice, he was nominated seven times for Academy Awards for acting, yet never won. <p>He was born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr. in the village of Pontrhydyfen, Wales, near Port Talbot and grew up in a poor, Welsh-speaking household, the twelfth of thirteen children.[1] His father was a coalminer, and his mother died after the last birth, before he was two years old; thenceforth a sister in Port Talbot took him into her family[2][3] where he was raised a Presbyterian. <p>He showed a talent for English literature at grammar school, though his consuming interest was sport.[4] With the assistance of his inspirational schoolmaster, Philip H. Burton (who mentored him), he excelled in school productions. Philip could not legally adopt Burton because their ages were too close together. It was at this time that he began to develop the...