Frank Finlay

A prolific stage performer, Frank Finlay came to international prominence repeating his stage role as a particularly villainous Iago to Laurence Olivier's "Othello" in the 1965 film version, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. A character actor, Finlay generally played provincials or police inspectors and frequently appeared in period films. He began his stage career in 1951, working in repertory theater, before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He appeared with the Guilford Repertory Company in 1957 and made his London stage debut as a gaoler in "The Queen and the Welshman." The following year, Finlay made his Broadway debut in "Epitaph for George Dillon." He continued to appear on the London stage into the 80s. Frank Finlay died of heart failure following a long illness on January 30, 2016. He was 89.