John Gielgud Height, Weight, Age, Death, Family, Biography

Publish date: 2024-04-15

John Gielgud Quick Info
Height	5 ft 11 in
Weight	72 kg
Date of Birth	April 14, 1904
Zodiac Sign	Aries
Date of Death	May 21, 2000

John Gielgud was an English actor, stage artist, voice actor, director, and writer who was one of the trinity of actors (along with Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier) who dominated the British stage scene for much of the 20th century. He initially focused only on theatre and did not take the cinema seriously during the first half of his career (although he did appear in his first film in 1924). John became one of the few actors with the rare distinction of winning an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.

Born Name

Arthur John Gielgud

Nick Name

Johnny G.

John Gielgud as seen in a publicity photo for the film Julius Caesar (1953) (MGM / eBay / Public Domain)

Age

He was born on April 14, 1904.

Died

On May 21, 2000, John Gielgud died of natural causes at the age of 96 in Wotton Underwood, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom.

Sun Sign

Aries

Born Place

South Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom

Residence

He resided in Wotton Underwood, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom.

Nationality

Education

At the age of 8, John Gielgud got enrolled at Hillside preparatory school in Surrey in 1912. He then attended Westminster School where he had access to the West End “in time to touch the fringe of the great century of the theatre”.

He also took drama lessons.

Occupation

Actor, Stage Artist, Voice Actor, Director, Writer

Family

Father – Frank Henry Gielgud (1860–1949) (Stockbroker)
Mother – Kate Terry-Gielgud (née Terry-Lewis) (1868–1958) (Stage Artist)
Siblings – Lewis Evelyn Gielgud (June 11, 1894 – February 25, 1953) (Older Brother) (Scholar, Writer, Intelligence Officer, Humanitarian Worker, Senior Official of the Red Cross and UNESCO), Val Henry Gielgud (April 28, 1900 – November 30, 1981) (Older Brother) (Actor, Writer, Director, Broadcaster, Served as the head of BBC radio drama), Eleanor (Younger Sister) (Served as John’s secretary for many years)
Others – Adam/Adomas Jerzy Konstanty Gielgud/Gelgaudas/Giełguduanian (Paternal Grandfather), Leontyna/Leontina Aniela/Anielė Aszperger/Ašpergeraitė (Paternal Grandmother), Arthur James Lewis (Maternal Grandfather) (Haberdasher, Silk Merchant), Eliza Kate Terry (Maternal Grandmother) (April 21, 1844 – January 6, 1924) (Stage Actor), Mabel Gwynedd Terry-Lewis (b. Mabel Gwynedd Lewis) (October 28, 1872 – November 28, 1957) (Maternal Aunt) (Actor), Adam (Nephew)

Build

Slim

John Gielgud as Benedick and Margaret Leighton as Beatrice in a promotional picture for the 1959 Broadway production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ (Unknown Author / eBay / Public Domain)

Height

5 ft 11 in or 180.5 cm

Weight

72 kg or 158.5 lbs

Boyfriend / Spouse

John Gielgud had dated –

Robert Pastene – He once hooked up with American actor Robert Pastene.

Graham Payn

Guthrie McClintic

Marlon Brando

Laurence Olivier – It was RUMORed that he once had an encounter with one of his contemporaries, actor Laurence Olivier.

Paul Anstee (1953) – In the year 1953, he dated Paul Anstee.

Martin Hensler (1962-1999) – He met Martin Hensler (an interior designer exiled from Hungary) in 1962 and the duo eventually started going out. They lived together until Hensler’s death in 1999.

Race / Ethnicity

White

John Gielgud was of Polish and Lithuanian descent on his father’s side and had Cornish and English roots on his mother’s side.

Hair Color

Salt and Pepper

Eye Color

Blue

Sexual Orientation

Gay

Distinctive Features

Rich baritone voice
Hooked nose

Brand Endorsements

John Gielgud was cast in a TV commercial for UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland).

John Gielgud as seen while posing for the camera in 1973 (Allan Warren / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0)

John Gielgud Favorite Things

Stage Role – Playing Prospero in The Tempest

Source – IMDb

John Gielgud Facts

He was a member of the Terry family theatrical dynasty.

His parents were reluctant for their children to pursue a career in arts and John had to persuade them to let him take drama lessons on the condition that if he was not self-supporting by the age of 25, he would seek an office post.

Alongside Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud co-starred as Hobson in the 1981 romantic comedy film Arthur. This performance won him an Academy Award for “Best Actor in a Supporting Role”.

He was reportedly J.K. Rowling‘s original inspiration for the character of Albus Dumbledore.

John Gielgud privately made donations to gay campaign groups. He later said to actor Simon Callow, “I do admire people like you and Ian McKellen for coming out, but I can’t be doing with that myself.”

Featured Image by MGM / eBay / Public Domain

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