Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 â€" 10 March
1986) was a Welsh actor and film director who held both British and
American citizenship. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he
is best remembered for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of an
alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend (1945) and also
for such roles as a sophisticated leading man opposite John Wayne's
corrupt character in Reap the Wild Wind (1942), the murder-plotting
husband in Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (1954), and Oliver
Barrett III in Love Story (1970).Before becoming an actor, Milland
served in the Household Cavalry of the British Army, becoming a
proficient marksman, horseman, and aeroplane pilot. He left the army
to pursue a career in acting and appeared as an extra in several
British productions before getting his first major role in The Flying
Scotsman (1929). This led to a nine-month contract with MGM, and he
moved to the United States, where he worked as a stock actor. After
being released by MGM, he was picked up by Paramount, which used
Milland in a range of lesser speaking parts, usually as an English
character. He was lent to Universal for the Deanna Durbin musical
Three Smart Girls (1936), and its success had Milland given a lead
role in The Jungle Princess (also 1936) alongside new starlet Dorothy
Lamour. The film was a big success and catapulted both to stardom.
Milland remained with Paramount for almost 20 years.Milland appeared
in many other notable films, including Billy Wilder's The Major and
the Minor (1942), The Uninvited (1944), Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear
(1944), The Big Clock (1948), and The Thief (1952), for the last of
which he was nominated for his second Golden Globe. After leaving
Paramount, he began directing and moved into television acting. Once
Paramount Pictures' highest-paid actor, Milland co-starred alongside
many of the most popular actresses of the time, including Gene
Tierney, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers,
Jane Wyman, Loretta Young, and Veronica Lake.
1986) was a Welsh actor and film director who held both British and
American citizenship. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he
is best remembered for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of an
alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend (1945) and also
for such roles as a sophisticated leading man opposite John Wayne's
corrupt character in Reap the Wild Wind (1942), the murder-plotting
husband in Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (1954), and Oliver
Barrett III in Love Story (1970).Before becoming an actor, Milland
served in the Household Cavalry of the British Army, becoming a
proficient marksman, horseman, and aeroplane pilot. He left the army
to pursue a career in acting and appeared as an extra in several
British productions before getting his first major role in The Flying
Scotsman (1929). This led to a nine-month contract with MGM, and he
moved to the United States, where he worked as a stock actor. After
being released by MGM, he was picked up by Paramount, which used
Milland in a range of lesser speaking parts, usually as an English
character. He was lent to Universal for the Deanna Durbin musical
Three Smart Girls (1936), and its success had Milland given a lead
role in The Jungle Princess (also 1936) alongside new starlet Dorothy
Lamour. The film was a big success and catapulted both to stardom.
Milland remained with Paramount for almost 20 years.Milland appeared
in many other notable films, including Billy Wilder's The Major and
the Minor (1942), The Uninvited (1944), Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear
(1944), The Big Clock (1948), and The Thief (1952), for the last of
which he was nominated for his second Golden Globe. After leaving
Paramount, he began directing and moved into television acting. Once
Paramount Pictures' highest-paid actor, Milland co-starred alongside
many of the most popular actresses of the time, including Gene
Tierney, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers,
Jane Wyman, Loretta Young, and Veronica Lake.
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