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Richard Attenborough

Richard Attenborough

Actor, director and producer · Died August 24, 2014, aged 90 · Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

2 Oscars · 3 Golden Globes · 5 BAFTA Awards · 2 other major award bodies

Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, Kt, CBE (August 29, 1923 – August 24, 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and politician. He was the President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Attenborough joined the Royal Air Force during World War II and served in the film unit. He went on several bombing raids over Europe and filmed action from the rear gunner's position. As a film director and producer, Attenborough won two Academy Awards for Gandhi in 1983. He also won four BAFTA Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his roles in Brighton Rock, The Great Escape, 10 Rillington Place, Miracle on 34th Street (1994) and Jurassic Park. He was the older brother of David Attenborough, a naturalist and broadcaster, and John Attenborough, an executive at Alfa Romeo. He was married to actress Sheila Sim from 1945 until his death.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 29, 1923
Died
August 24, 2014 (aged 90)
From
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Works as
Actor, director and producer
Titles
53 on MovieCove · 92 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 21% in 30 days

What are Richard Attenborough's films like?

Across their 54 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Bonds
19%
Self
14%
Society
14%
Power
11%
Survival
8%
Ideas
8%
Justice12 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 53 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 21 · Serious 11 · Dark 21

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 34 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 13 · Charged 27 · Intense 13

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 25 · Shifting 22 · Whiplash 6

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 33 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 32 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 20 · Engaged 28 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 19 · Affecting 20 · Heavy 14

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 44 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

24 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 7 of 24 analyzed roles.

Mentor
7 of 24
Shadow
6 of 24
Hero
3 of 24
Trickster
3 of 24
Ally
3 of 24
Threshold guardian
1 of 24
Herald
1 of 24
Show the 24 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
28
Warm
17
Melancholic
22
Contemplative
17
Dread
9
Other
50

How their films linger

Bittersweet20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 12 with a twist

  • Happy16
  • Bittersweet30
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Richard Attenborough's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 53 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Richard Attenborough's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

92 credits, 53 with a MovieCove page; 42 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Spielberg(2017)

    as Hammond

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • I Am Steve McQueen(2014)

    as Bartlett 'Big X' (in 'The Great Escape')

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Outbreak 1939: When War Broke Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Closing the Ring(2007)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • British Film Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Within the Way Without (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as (voice)

  • Puckoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Writer/Director

  • Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · as Magog

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • The Children Who Cheated the Nazis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Narrator

  • The Railway Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as The Old Gentleman

  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat(1999)

    as Jacob

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Grey Owl(1999)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Elizabeth(1998)

    as Sir William Cecil

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Lost World: Jurassic Park(1997)

    as John Hammond

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Hamlet(1996)

    as English Ambassador

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • In Love and War(1996)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • E=MC² (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as The Visitor

  • Miracle on 34th Street(1994)

    as Kris Kringle

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Shadowlands(1993)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Jurassic Park(1993)

    as Hammond

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Chaplin(1992)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Cry Freedom(1987)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Mother Teresa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • A Chorus Line(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Friday People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Gandhi(1982)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Human Factor(1979)

    as Colonel John Daintry

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Magic(1978)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Chess Players (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as General Outram

  • A Bridge Too Far(1977)

    Director · as Lunatic with Glasses (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Conduct Unbecoming(1975)

    as Major Lionel E. Roach

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Rosebud(1975)

    as Edward Sloat

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Brannigan(1975)

    as Cmdr. Charles Swann

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Ten Little Indians(1974)

    as Judge Arthur Cannon

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Young Winston(1972)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • 10 Rillington Place(1971)

    as John Christie

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • A Severed Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Palmer Anderson

  • Loot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Inspector Truscott

  • The Last Grenade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as General Charles Whiteley

  • Don't Make Me Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Actor

  • The Magic Christian(1969)

    as Oxford Coach

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • David Copperfield (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Mr. Tungay

  • Oh! What a Lovely War(1969)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom(1968)

    as Robert Blossom

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Only When I Larf(1968)

    as Silas

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Dolittle(1967)

    as Albert Blossom

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Sand Pebbles(1966)

    as Frenchy Burgoyne

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Flight of the Phoenix(1965)

    as Lew Moran

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Guns at Batasi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Regimental Sgt. Major Lauderdale

  • Seance on a Wet Afternoon(1964)

    Producer · as Bill

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Third Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Alfred Price-Gorham

  • The Great Escape(1963)

    as Bartlett 'Big X'

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The L-Shaped Room(1962)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Dock Brief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Herbert Fowle

  • All Night Long(1962)

    as Rod Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Only Two Can Play(1962)

    as Gareth L. Probert

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Whistle Down the Wind(1961)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The League of Gentlemen(1960)

    as Lexy

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Angry Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer · as Tom Curtis

  • SOS Pacific (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Whitey Mullen

  • Jet Storm(1959)

    as Ernest Tilley

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • I'm All Right Jack(1959)

    as Sidney De Vere Cox

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Danger Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Capt. 'Bunter' Phillips

  • Sea of Sand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Brody

  • The Man Upstairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Peter Watson

  • Dunkirk(1958)

    as John Holden

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Scamp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Stephen Leigh

  • Brothers in Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Henry Marshall

  • The Baby and the Battleship(1956)

    as Knocker White

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Private's Progress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Pvt. Percival Henry Cox

  • PT Raiders(1955)

    as George Hoskins

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Eight O'Clock Walk(1954)

    as Thomas Leslie Manning

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Box for One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as The Caller

  • Father's Doing Fine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Dougall

  • Glory at Sea(1952)

    as Dripper Daniels

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Magic Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Jack Carter

  • Hell Is Sold Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Pierre Bonnet

  • Morning Departure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Stoker Snipe

  • Boys in Brown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Jackie Knowles

  • The Lost People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Jan

  • Dulcimer Street(1948)

    as Percy Boon

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Guinea Pig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Jack Read

  • Brighton Rock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Pinkie Brown

  • Dancing with Crime(1947)

    as Ted Peters

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Man Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Francis Andrews

  • School for Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jack Arnold

  • A Matter of Life and Death(1946)

    as An English Pilot

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Journey Together(1945)

    as David Wilton

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The True Glory(1945)

    as Commentator

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Hundred Pound Window (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Tommy Draper

  • Svejk Wrecks Germany (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Railway worker

  • In Which We Serve(1942)

    as Young Stoker

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 90 titles from 1942 to 2009; peak year 1964.

Biggest box office

Jurassic Park (1993)

$1.1B worldwide

Highest rated

Jurassic Park (1993)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneAward win
19422009

Peak 1964 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 12 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting77 of 90: 74 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndDirecting12 of 90: 3 only directing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thProducing12 of 90: 2 only producing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score90th

90 titles, 11 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1940s14 · acting1950s19 · acting1960s19 · 16 acting · 5 crew1970s14 · 12 acting · 3 crew1980s5 · 2 acting · 3 crew1990s11 · 7 acting · 4 crew2000s8 · 7 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 16% of 32 roles
4257626777

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

2 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes, 5 BAFTA Awards and 3 other major awards from 25 major nominations, 1961–1997.

WinNomination
  1. 1997
    • Berlinale award, nominated · Best Film
  2. 1994
    • BAFTA Award, won
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
  3. 1988
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Direction
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • +1 other major body · 2 wins
      • Berlinale award, won ×2
  4. 1986
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
  5. 1983
    • Oscar, won · Best Director
    • Oscar, won · Best Picture
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Direction
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, won · Film
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
  6. 1978
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Direction
  7. 1970
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Direction
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
  8. 1968
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Supporting Actor
Show 4 earlier years
  1. 1967
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Supporting Actor
  2. 1965
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best British Actor
  3. 1963
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best British Actor
  4. 1961
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best British Actor

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Richard Attenborough's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 52; across their 53 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 53

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 53

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 53

Midcredits score across 53 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up27
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 53 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved14
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

The Magic Christian (1969)

54th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Jurassic Park (1993)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 48 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Richard Attenborough's work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore15 titles12–75 · median 54 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles7–53 · median 22 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity18 titles11–54 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs15 titles23–36 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense15 titles12–69 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Richard Attenborough work with?

People who share at least 2 of Richard Attenborough's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bryan Forbes shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles