David Niven was an English actor who received an Academy Award for Best Actor in ‘Separate Tables.’ He was a successful theater and motion-picture actor who was well-known in both Europe and the United States. He was born in London and sent to Heatherdown Preparatory School, where he was expelled due to his mischievous attitude. He went on to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, to study military science before joining the British Army as a second lieutenant. He despised army life and became well-known for his rebellious behavior, which enraged his superiors. He abandoned his career and moved to the United States in pursuit of a better future after growing tired of the military. In the mid-1930s, he moved to Hollywood and quickly established himself as a dependable supporting actor in films like ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ and ‘The Prisoner of Zenda.’ He elected to return home and rejoin the service after World War II broke out, despite being a successful actor at the time. After the war, he continued his acting career and was even more successful than before. In addition to being an actor, he was also the author of four books.
Childhood and Adolescence
James On March 1, 1910, in London, David Graham Niven was born to William Edward Graham Niven and his wife, Henrietta Julia. He had three older brothers and sisters. Both of his grandfathers served in the army, as did his father.
In 1915, his father was killed in World War I. In 1917, his mother remarried Sir Thomas Comyn-Platt. His mother was supposed to have been having an affair with Sir Thomas even before her first husband died. Sir Thomas may have been David Niven’s biological father, according to certain reports.
David grew up to be a mischievous young man who enjoyed pulling pranks. Due to his naughty behavior, he was sent to the prestigious Heatherdown Preparatory School, from where he was expelled.
He then attended Stowe School before enrolling at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He received a commission as a second lieutenant in the British Army after graduating in 1930.
Career of David Niven
The Highland Light Infantry was David Niven’s unit (HLI). He worked for the HLI for more than two years, but he didn’t like it. In 1933, he was promoted to lieutenant, although he had no plans to stay in the military. His rebellious streak was also generating complications in his professional life.
He left the army and traveled around the country in quest of a more intriguing job. In 1934, he finally arrived in Hollywood after brief stays in Bermuda and Cuba.
He suffered a lot at first, but he ultimately found modest acting jobs in movies. In 1935, he was cast in “Mutiny on the Bounty,” and his performance caught the notice of Samuel Goldwyn, an independent film producer who signed him to a contract.
He played in several minor roles in notable films during the next few years, including ‘Rose-Marie’ (1936), ‘Dodsworth’ (1936), ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ (1936), and ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ (1936). (1937).
His reputation as a dependable and excellent supporting actor earned him prominent roles in films such as ‘The Dawn Patrol,’ ‘Three Blind Mice,’ and ‘Wuthering Heights,’ among others (1939). He had already established himself as a successful actor, sharing the screen alongside legends such as Errol Flynn, Loretta Young, and Laurence Olivier.
In 1939, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, and Niven returned to his homeland to serve in World War II. In 1940, he was re-commissioned as a lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade and participated in the Normandy Invasion.
He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel after the end of the war.
After the war, he resumed his acting career, starring in critically acclaimed films such as ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ (1946), ‘The Bishop’s Wife’ (1947), and ‘Enchantment’ (1948).
Throughout the 1950s, his career flourished as well. In 1956, he played Phileas Fogg in producer Michael Todd’s ‘Around the World in 80 Days,’ and in 1958, he earned an Academy Award for his performance as Major Pollock in ‘Separate Tables.’
He appeared in films such as ‘The Guns of Navarone’ (1961), ‘The Pink Panther’ (1963), and ‘Where the Spies Are’ during the 1960s (1965). In the 1967 film ‘Casino Royale,’ he played Sir James Bond 007, a legendary British spy.
He was a very busy person who continued to act well into the 1970s, despite the fact that he was becoming older. ‘Murder by Death’ (1976), ‘Death on the Nile’ (1978), and ‘The Sea Wolves’ were among his later films (1980).
Major Projects of David Niven
In the drama picture ‘Separate Tables,’ which also starred Rita Hayworth and Deborah Kerr, David Niven played Major David Angus Pollock. Audiences and critics alike praised his performance as an army officer accused of sexually abusing several young women.
In the action adventure comedy film ‘Around the World in 80 Days,’ he played Phileas Fogg, a cultured and well-dressed Victorian gentleman. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning five Academy Awards.
Achievements & Awards
For the film ‘The Moon Is Blue,’ he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy in 1953.
For his work as Major Pollock in ‘Separate Tables,’ he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1958.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1940, he met Primula “Primmie” Susan Rollo and married her. In a short period of time, the happily married couple was blessed with two kids. Primmie died in a bizarre accident in 1946, which was a tragedy for the family.
He married Hjördis Paulina Tersmeden, a Swedish fashion model, a few years later. David’s hidden love child with a teenage girl was rumored to be one of the couple’s adopted daughters.
In the early 1980s, David Niven began to have health concerns. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 1981 and died on July 29, 1983, at the age of 73, after suffering for several months.
David Niven Net Worth
David Niven’s net worth and salary: David Niven was an English actor and author who, after inflation, had a net worth of $100 million at the time of his death. David Niven was born in March 1910 in Belgravia, London, England, and died in July 1983. He featured as Alec Fleming on the television series The Rogues from 1964 to 1965, and had over 100 acting credits to his name.