Sir Laurence Olivier

Sir Laurence Olivier first became afflicted with a sudden and severe case of stage fright in 1964 while playing in Othello at the National Theatre. He asked fellow actors not to look him in the eye so that he would not be distracted and forget his lines.

During his last 10 years on the stage he continued to use self-protective avoidance strategies, such as shielding himself from the audience by getting more into his characters, using elaborate makeup, and adopting thick foreign accents.

Olivier was born on May 22, 1907 in Surrey England. Although based in England he starred in a number of Hollywood films. Olivier was featured in 120 stage roles, 60 films, and 15 television productions. Some of his most well-known films include Wuthering Heights, Hamlet and Henry V.

During the filming of Fire Over England, he started an affair with Vivien Leigh that eventually led to marriage, despite the fact both were married to other people at the time. Olivier was knighted in 1947, and awarded the Order of Merit in 1981. He died of renal failure on July 11, 1989.

"Use your weaknesses; aspire to the strength."

"Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult."

"[Stage fright is] an animal, a monster which hides in its foul corner without revealing itself but you know that it is there and that it may come forward at any moment”

_Sources

_{The Official Website of Sir Laurence Olivier. Biography. Accessed May 2, 2011.}

_{Internet Movie Database (IMDB). Sir Laurence Olivier. Accessed May 2, 2011.}

_{Encyclopedia Brittanica. Laurence Olivier. Accessed May 2, 2011.}