Trivia

The book "Alec Guinness: The Authorised Biography" (2003) reprints several letters that Guinness wrote to his longtime friend and correspondent Anne Kaufman Schneider in which he expressed his displeasure with and dubiousness about the quality of Star Wars (1977) as it was in production. Before filming started, he wrote: "I have been offered a movie (20th Century Fox) which I may accept, if they come up with proper money. London and North Africa, starting in mid-March. Science fiction--which gives me pause--but is to be directed by Paul [sic] Lucas who did American Graffiti, which makes me feel I should. Big part. Fairy-tale rubbish but could be interesting perhaps." Then after filming started, he wrote to Kaufman again to complain about the dialogue and describe his co-stars: "new rubbish dialogue reaches me every other day on wadges of pink paper--and none of it makes my character clear or even bearable. I just think, thankfully, of the lovely bread, which will help me keep going until next April. I must off to studio and work with a dwarf (very sweet--and he has to wash in a bidet) and your fellow countrymen Mark Hamill and Tennyson (that can't be right) Ford. Ellison (?--No!)--well, a rangy, languid young man who is probably intelligent and amusing. But oh God, God, they make me feel ninety--and treat me as if I was 106. Oh, [the actor's name is] Harrison Ford--ever heard of him?".

George Lucas said Guinness was very patient and helpful to him during the filming of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), even to the point of getting the other actors to work more seriously.

He was the only person to receive a best acting nomination in any of the Star Wars movies.

In his last book of memoirs, "A Positively Final Appearance", he expressed a devotion to the television series The Simpsons (1989).

In his autobiographical volumes, Guinness wrote about an incident at the Old Vic when, in the company of National Theater (which originally played at the Old Vic) artistic director Laurence Olivier in the basement of the theater, he asked where a certain tunnel went. Olivier did not really know but confidently decided to take the tunnel as it must come out somewhere nearby, it being part of the Old Vic. In reality, the tunnel went under the Thames, and they were rescued after several hours of fruitless navigation of the dark, damp corridor. Guinness remarked that Olivier's willingness to plunge into the dark and unknown was characteristic of the type of person (and actor) he was. As for himself as an actor, Guinness lamented at times that he did not take enough chances.

While filming The Swan (1956) in Hollywood, he met James Dean, just days before the young actor's death. He later recalled predicting that Dean would die in a car crash: When he saw Dean's newly-bought Porsche, he advised him to "Get rid of that car, or you will be dead in a week!". Unfortunately, Guinness' warning was right.

Guinness had a 2.25% interest in the revenue from Star Wars (1977), which would be the highest grossing movie at the time (and second only to Gone with the Wind (1939) when adjusted for inflation). Guinness had agreed to a 2% interest to make the film, but he reported that just before release during a telephone conversation George Lucas had offered an additional 0.5% because of how supportive and helpful Guinness had been (with dialogue, other actors, etc.). After the release and stunning results at the box office, Guinness asked to confirm the additional 0.5% in writing, but was told it was (reduced to) 0.25%, although it is not clear who had decided this. This was revealed by Guinness in the 1977 interview with BBC's Michael Parkinson on the series "Talking Pictures". It was in general supported by many public comments by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher all speaking highly of Guinness' professionalism and impact on the set. Apparently, Guinness did not quibble the 1977 worldwide revenue for Star Wars of $400 million making Guinness' 2.25% probably around $9m for that year alone, with additional revenue well into 1979. In comparison, that exceeds other British actor high-water marks for Sean Connery and Roger Moore in the 1970s playing James Bond ($1m salary $3-5m depending on revenue interests per film e.g. 5-12%).

The root of the actor's unhappy nature was said to have been caused by not knowing who his real father was. For the first several years of his life, Sir Alec claimed that he had no idea what his real name was.

Upon notification that he was to achieve a lifetime achievement Oscar, he was not keen but expressed thanks. He informed the Academy that there was no way he would even consider flying to California to pick up this award. Academy President Fay Kanin asked Dustin Hoffman who was doing promotional work from Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) in London, to meet with Guinness and persuade him to attend. As both men had very similar attitudes to their past work, Guinness warmed up to the idea and agreed to attend.

According to playwright Neil Simon, Sir Alec was reading the screenplay for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) while on set filming Murder by Death (1976) and commented that Star Wars may be a "good one".

Alhough knighted, he did not like being referred to as Sir Alec Guinness.

When discovering Sir Ian McKellen was gay, Sir Alec Guinness strongly advised him not to go public about McKellen's sexuality.

He reportedly answered one Star Wars fan's boast that he had seen the first movie over a hundred times, with a nod and the words "Promise me you will never watch it again." The boy was stunned, but his mother thanked Guinness.

Alec Guinness took great pains to avoid who he really was, through the background from which he hailed. His working-class roots and difficult childhood were the sources of his deep unhappy nature.

Stayed in touch on occasion with "Star Wars" co-stars Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.

Not long before he passed away, Sir Alec Guinness gave clear instructions for his diaries to be destroyed.

Despite popular belief, he never uttered the line "May the force be with you" in any of the Star Wars films (the closest he came was "the force will be with you"). That line was uttered by other characters (namely Harrison Ford's Han Solo) in the original trilogy. However, Ewan McGregor as the younger version of Guinness' character, did utter the line in two of the prequels.

He preferred working on stage to appearing in films. He also preferred appearing in newer plays rather than the classics, so that his performance would not be compared to how previous actors had played the role.

Harrison Ford said that Guinness helped him find an apartment to stay at when he arrived in England to film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).

As an actor, Alec Guinness didn't believe in the idea of making sequels.

A heavy smoker for most of his life, he finally managed to give up the habit in his last years.

His wife of 62 years, Merula Salaman, passed away on October 17, 2000, just two months after her husband. The were both age 86.

One of his last jobs was providing the voice (his first and only voice-over) for a cartoon character on a British television ad campaign by the Inland Revenue advising the public about the new tax return forms which were to be introduced. He said in his diary of the recording (made on March 30, 1995) "I did it feebly".

During his early days as a theatre actor, Guinness would cringe with embarrassment at the sight of his mother paying him a visit and requesting money from him. She was usually drunk on these occasions.

Many of his films, including some of his early films, were studied by Ewan McGregor in preparation for his role as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) to ensure accuracy in everything from his accent to the pacing of his words.

In certain prints of The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), a film in which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, his last name is misspelled "Guiness".

Although Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins each had top billings in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), they only shared one scene together in each film. Both coincidentally near the ending of each film. Both films also won Best Picture Oscars.

Describing himself as "a social thief", Guinness was referring to his days as a young man when he began to adapt himself into someone resembling that of the so-called upper classes. Once, when asked what his best performance was, he said it had been during his service with the Royal Navy, "pretending to be an officer and a gentleman".

After making their one and only film together, Sir Alec Guinness stayed in touch with Grace Kelly until her death on September 14, 1982.

Is one of the biggest idols of fellow actor Mark Hamill.

Was reluctant to reprise his role of Obi-Wan Kenobi for cameo appearances in Star Wars Episodes V and VI. He claimed the only reason he agreed to appear was as a favor to George Lucas.

In World War II, he was in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as a seaman before being promoted to Sub-lieutenant then Temporary Lieutenant commanding a landing craft on the invasion of Sicily and later delivering supplies to the Yugoslavian partisans.

He rigidly protected his own privacy and rarely granted interviews. Even when he did, Alec Guinness ensured beforehand that nothing was revealed about himself.

Close colleagues have described Alec Guinness as being "a fundamentally unhappy man" and was often plagued by his own inner demons through his life.

He went bald on top, and according to his Time magazine cover story of April 21, 1958, he was embarrassed by it but chose not to wear a hairpiece in private life. He told the Time writer that he had shaved the top of his head as a young man in his first professional acting engagement, playing a coolie. It never grew back properly after that, he lamented.

The immortal comedian Stan Laurel was a huge idol of Sir Alec Guinness.

When in Hollywood making The Swan (1956), he was an honored guest at a party hosted by the immortal John Wayne.

He was one of the last surviving members of a great generation of British actors, which included Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson.

At a young age, Guinness received acting lessons from Martita Hunt, who dismissed him after two lessons, telling him he would never be an actor although lessons were resumed at a later date.

His son had polio as a boy but fully recovered from the condition.

His mother was Agnes Cuffe, his father believed to be Andrew Geddes, a Scottish banker, who paid for his education at Fettes College, a public school (in the British sense of a private school).

Was always remarked upon for his sheer professionalism and preparation.

In the last year of his life, Sir Alec had been receiving hospital treatment for failing eyesight on account of glaucoma, and he had been diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer in January 2000. By the time his liver cancer was discovered in July 2000, it was at an extremely advanced stage, making surgery impossible.

Although he played Christopher Plummer's father in Anthony Mann's The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Guinness was only 15 years his senior in real life and his performance was widely praised.

Had elocution lessons as a child.

He was a Grammy Award nominee in 1964, in the Spoken Word category, for the album "Alec Guinness: A Personal Choice" (RCA Victor Red Seal: 1964), on which he read a selection of his favorite poems.

He has appeared in five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant": The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

Had fairly high hopes about working opposite Hollywood legend Bette Davis in The Scapegoat (1959). However when that time came, Alec Guinness admitted to feeling disappointed and ended up disliking Davis.

Ewan McGregor was not the only actor in the Star Wars prequels to study his performances. The voice for the character Watto was modeled after Guinness' performance as Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948).

The qualities he claimed to most admire in an actor were "simplicity, purity, clarity of line".