When Oliver Reed passed away during the filming of Gladiator, the world lost one of the most exciting and fascinating on-screen and off-screen actors. Since then, a list of his works, spanning more than four decades, has apparently been largely forgotten. In the midst of his career, he was Britain's highest paid and world famous movie star and was constantly surrounded by a huge fan club. Nevertheless, his career came to a standstill, and soon he became famous for his off-screen antics, and not for his earlier successes in films, which ultimately led to the fact that Oliver Reed's participation in the films came to naught. Whether he fought with the cardinal's guards in the guise of Athos in The Three Musketeers or in the guise of captain Billy Bones in Treasure Island, Reed was always determined to show his best side and was optimistic about his crumbling acting career. His vibrant and eventful life, although to a significant degree, is overlooked, is an illustration of true determination and talent, and although Reed was not really able to achieve a successful “return”, he is still remembered for his role. Oliver Reed's films Trap, Oliver, Desert Lion, and Les Miserables continued to be remembered.
Childhood and youth
Robert Oliver Reid was born in London on February 13, 1938. After the parents divorced, Oliver was left to his own devices. From childhood, the future actor had dyslexia, because of which he was constantly on the list of the most lagging students. Reed compensated for his failure in studies by playing sports and even led the school athletic team.
Oliver changed more than one school, but ended up dropping out of school and getting a bouncer at one of Soho's nightclubs. Later, Reid began serving in the British army in the medical corps, but due to the same dyslexia, the officer’s career was closed for him.
Behind Reed's work is a watchman, boxer and taxi driver. Only in the late 50s, he began acting in films, initially as an extra, and after a while became a full-fledged actor.
Career
Without any preparation, his career began with the British children's series Spur in 1959.
Beginning actor Oliver Reid got his first lead role in The Curse of the Werewolf in 1961, where he played a young man who turned into a hairy beast during the full moon.
The following year, he appeared in The Bloody River Pirates with Christopher Lee, and also starred in Captain Clegg with Peter Cushing.
In 1963, Reed became widely known as the leader of the gang in the Damned.
In 1965, he starred in the adventure film "Kandahar Bandit", and in 1966 in the film "Trap". However, in the 60s the most unforgettable was his participation in the classical musical adaptation "Oliver!", Where he played the role of the villain Bill Sykes.
Oliver Reid spent his first decade as an actor playing episodic roles, but he soon began to be invited to more films, where he had the main roles. Soon, Reed played the killer in the comedy The Bureau of the Kills in 1969.
In 1969, he gained international fame after a scene of a fight with Alan Bates in nude in the movie Women in Love.
In the 70s, Reed continued to play many diverse and complex roles in films such as “Hunt”, “Three Musketeers” and “Devils”, which made him internationally recognizable, but the fame was very short-lived.
Around the same time, he contacted three other British actors: Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole, with whom he participated in drinking, vandalism and public fights with witnesses. This ultimately affected his career, which came to naught.
After several unsuccessful films, he starred in a series of unreleased horror films. And then he returned to the failed projects.
Later, Oliver appeared in the image of Martin Pinzon in the two-part miniseries “Christopher Columbus” in 1985.
In 1986, the film “Les Miserables” was released, where, as can be seen in the photo, Oliver Reed played the role of a middle-aged man who was looking for a girl to live together on a remote Pacific island, and received a response from a gray, uninteresting secretary.
Oliver then starred in several other films as a minor actor, including Gore, The Prisoner of Honor, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
In the 1990s, he finally began to overcome his destructive addictions that haunted him, and appeared in the mini-series Lone Pigeon: The Return in 1993. He then starred in "Jokes aside" along with Oliver Pratt and Jerry Lewis.
In 1999, Oliver Reid got a role in the historical thriller “Marco Polo” and in the comedy film “Fatal Shots”. And he appeared, as it turned out, in his last film “The Gladiator”, but died before the work was completed. Reid played the role of slave trader Proximo, a former gladiator who turns the character Russell Crowe into a champion.
Main works
Reed gained fame thanks to the role of Athos musketeer in Richard Lester's film based on the book Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas. This version of the hero is considered one of the most memorable images of all time. The actor returned to the role of Athos in the sequel “Four Musketeers”, and was also involved in the adaptation of “The Return of the Musketeers”.
Awards and Achievements
Oliver Reed took fifth place in the list of the most popular stars in the British box office.
Reed was posthumously nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in the movie Gladiator.
Personal life and heritage
Reed married Kate Byrne in 1960. The couple had one son, but they divorced in 1969.
Then the actor met with Jacques Daryl, a classical dancer with whom he had a daughter.
In 1985, Reed married Josephine Burg, the marriage survived until his death.
Oliver Reed died of a heart attack during the filming of Gladiator. He was 61 years old, several scenes of the film were completed using computer technology.
The actor is buried in Charlestown, County Cork, Ireland.
Interesting Facts
Reed is the nephew of the acclaimed British filmmaker, Academy Award winner and other film awards, Sir Carol Reed.
During the filming of The Three Musketeers, Oliver Reid was seriously injured when his throat was injured during a windmill scene.
According to rumors, in the late 60s, Reed's candidacy was considered for the role of agent 007, but the producers decided that the actor’s passion for alcohol would harm the film.