The world lost one of the most riveting and spellbinding on-screen and off-screen characters when Oliver Reed died while filming for ‘Gladiator.’ Since then, his four-decade-long body of work appears to have been largely forgotten or ignored. He was Britain’s most well-paid and internationally recognized film star at the height of his career, and he was always surrounded by a massive female fan club. His career, however, came to a halt, and he soon became renowned for his off-screen antics more than his earlier cinematic achievements, leading to a decline in screen presence. Whether he was brawling with the Cardinal’s guards in ‘The Three Musketeers’ or playing Captain Billy Bones in ‘Treasure Island,’ Reed was always determined to give everything his all and remained upbeat about his wallowing acting career. His vivid and eventful life, though now largely forgotten, is one of tremendous dedication and brilliance, and while he was never able to truly make a ‘comeback,’ he is still recognized for his hulking presence. His films ‘The Trap,’ ‘Oliver!,’ ‘Lion of the Desert,’ and ‘Tommy Castaway,’ earned him a permanent place in Hollywood’s annals.
Childhood and Adolescence
Oliver Reed was born in Wimbledon, London, parents Peter and Marcia Reed as Robert Oliver Reed. He is thought to be a descendant of Russia’s Tsar, ‘Peter the Great,’ though this has never been proven.
He went to Surrey’s Ewell Castle School and afterwards joined the Royal Army Medical Corps before beginning his acting career in the late 1950s.
Career of Oliver Reed
Without any professional training, he began his career in 1959 with the British children’s programme ‘The Golden Spur.’
In 1961, he won his first major role in the film ‘The Curse of the Werewolf,’ in which he played a young guy who transforms into a hairy beast during the full moon.
The next year, he acted alongside Christopher Lee in ‘Pirates of the Blood River,’ and with Peter Cushing in ‘Captain Clegg.’
He rose to prominence in 1963 as the lecherous gang leader in the film ‘The Damned.’
In 1965, he was cast as a supporting role in the film ‘The Brigand of Kandahar,’ and in 1966, he was cast in the action-adventure picture ‘The Trap.’ His most notable performance in the 1960s was in the iconic musical adaption of ‘Oliver!,’ in which he played the villainous Bill Sykes.
He spent his first ten years as an actor in supporting roles, but he quickly began to sign more projects in which he was placed as the lead. In 1969, he starred as an assassin in the black comedy ‘The Assassin Bureau.’
He soared to international popularity in 1969 with his homoerotic wrestling scene with Alan Bates in the film ‘Women in Love,’ which was not only controversial, but also one of the first films to depict male nudity in such a bold way.
He went on to play a variety of different and tough characters in films such as ‘The Hunting Party,’ ‘The Three Musketeers,’ and ‘The Devils,’ which helped him gain international recognition in the film industry, but the fame was short-lived.
Around this time, he teamed up with three other British actors, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, and Peter O’Toole, for excessive drinking, vandalism, and public brawls with bystanders. This had an effect on his career, which went downhill from there.
After a few flops, he went on to star in a succession of bad horror movies like ‘Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype,’ ‘The String II,’ ‘Venom,’ and ‘Spasms.’
He went on to sign disastrous films including ‘Fanny Hill’ in 1983 and ‘Two of a Kind,’ a failed screwball comedy released the same year.
Later, in 1985, he played Martin Pinzon in the two-part miniseries ‘Christopher Columbus.’
He starred in the erotic thriller ‘Castaway’ in 1986, in which he played a middle-aged guy on a desolate island who receives a response from a dull, uninspiring desk worker.
He went on to work as a supporting actor in a number of other films, including ‘Gor,’ ‘Prisoner of Honor,’ and ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.’
In the 1990s, he began to recover from the addictions that had blighted his career, and he made his film debut in 1993 with ‘Return to Lonesome Dove.’ He was then cast alongside Oliver Pratt and Jerry Lewis in the well-received ‘Funny Bones.’
He starred in the historical thriller ‘Marco Polo’ and the comedy ‘Parting Shots’ in 1999. He also featured in ‘Gladiator,’ which turned out to be his final picture, but he died before it could be completed. He plays a harsh former Gladiator who develops Russell Crowe into a champion gladiator in the film.
Major Projects of Oliver Reed
In Richard Lester’s cinematic adaptation of Alexander Dumas’ classic, ‘The Three Musketeers,’ Reed played the musketeer ‘Athos.’ His portrayal is regarded as one of the’most memorable characters of all time,’ and he has won international acclaim for his outstanding performance. In the sequel, ‘The Four Musketeers,’ he was recast as Athos, and he was again cast in the adaption, ‘The Return of the Musketeers.’
Achievements & Awards
British exhibitors rated him seventh on their list of “most popular stars at the box office.”
He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Film ‘Gladiator’ and the ‘Screen Actors Guild Award’ after his death. The ‘Academy Award for Best Picture’ went to ‘Gladiator,’ which was dedicated to the actor.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1960, he married Kate Byrne, with whom he had one son, but the pair separated in 1969.
He then married classical dancer Jacquie Daryl and had a daughter with her.
He married Josephine Burge in 1985, and the couple remained married until his death in 1999.
While filming for ‘Gladiator,’ he died of a heart attack. He was 61 years old at the time, and several scenes in ‘Gladiator’ had to be completed using CGI. Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland, is where he is buried.
Estimated Net Worth
Oliver is one of the wealthiest and most well-known actors in Hollywood. Oliver Reed’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
This well-known British actor was gravely injured while filming ‘The Three Musketeers’ when he was stabbed in the throat during a windmill duel scene.
Contrary to common opinion, this well-known English actor, well known for his role in ‘The Three Musketeers,’ began his career as a nightclub bouncer.