The British theater and film actor celebrated his international breakthrough with the “Oscar”-winning role of the freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi in the film “Gandhi” from 1982. He later appeared in other roles of historical figures, including mimicking Lenin or the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. During these years, Sir Ben Kingsley advanced to become one of the most outstanding character actors in contemporary film thanks to his uniquely intense playing power. He draws neurotic to insane personalities just as convincingly as the sensitive humanist. With films like “Sneakers”, “Schindler’s List” or “Good Vibrations” Kingsley played a key role in international film successes. He received three Oscar nominations for his contributions to Bugsy, House of Sand and Fog, and Sexy Beast.
Ben Kingsley, real name Krishna Bhanji, was born the son of an Indian doctor and a Russian-Jewish actress on December 31, 1943 in Yorkshire, England.
Kingsley grew up in Lancashire. The father drank and the relationship with his parents was marked by conflicts. According to his own statements, he spent “a childhood without love”. After graduating from Manchester Grammar School, he went on to study medicine as a laboratory technician for a pharmaceutical company. Shortly thereafter, however, he joined an amateur theater and henceforth called himself Ben Kingsley. He traveled across the country and eventually made it onto the stages of London. He made his stage debut in 1966 in the play “A smashing day”. After an audition with the “Beatles” manager Brian Epstein, Kingsley would have gotten a recording contract, but had to turn it down because he received an offer from the Royal Shakespeare Company at the same time. From 1970 to 1980 he preferred to become a member of the most famous theater company in the world.
Kingsley played roles in “Hamlet”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and many other classic plays. Praised by the critics, the breakthrough didn’t materialize at first. In 1972, Kingsley had a supporting role in his film debut in Fear is the Key. For the next few years he was seen continuously in smaller roles on the television screen. It was only in the lead role in the cinema success “Gandhi”, which portrays the life of the Indian, non-violent leader, that he suddenly became an international star. Kingsley had prepared meticulously for his role in the 3-hour epic and reaped the rewards in the form of the “BAFTA” award and the “Oscar” for the best leading role. Kingsley was later seen in other roles of historical figures, including Lenin and the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal.
His performance in the portrait film “Bugsy” about the gangster Meyer Lansky was recognized with an “Oscar” nomination for best supporting actor. Although an integral part of the film industry’s star sky, Ben Kingsley insisted on continuing to act in theatre. He chose his film roles carefully and concentrated on unusual subjects. He was seen in “Oceanic Feelings”, “Maurice” or “Death and the Maiden” alongside Sigourney Weaver. Another milestone in his career was the portrayal of the Jewish bookmaker “Itzhak Stern” in Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece “Schindler’s List”. For this he received the “British Film Award” as “Best Actor” and was showered with praise and recognition worldwide. Other films in the 1990s were “The Bible: Joseph”, “Species”, “The Assignment” and “The Elf Garden”.
Meanwhile, Ben Kingsley made a name for himself in European film and was a founding member of the European Film Academy. In 1998 he became jury president of the Berlin International Film Festival. He appeared as Ambassador Mourain in the 2000 drama “Rules – Seconds of Decision”. Kingsley was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000 and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001. In 2002 he was in front of the camera for “Tuck Everlasting”. His leading role in “House of Sand and Fog” brought him an “Oscar” nomination for best actor in 2004. Kingsley’s voice helped him in numerous narration roles in the film, including the original versions of “Liberation”, “A Force More Powerful” and “AI – Artificial Intelligence”. Ben Kingsley received another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Sexy Beast in 2001.
In October 2003, Sir Ben Kingsley married the German Alexandra Christmann, who brought a daughter named Lois into the relationship. They divorced in November 2005. In August 2007, Kingsley married his fourth marriage, Brazilian actress and waitress Daniela Barbosa De Carneiro. In 2010 he shone as Dr. John Cawley in Martin Scorsese’s psychological thriller Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2010 he was also in front of the camera for the productions “Teen Patti”, “1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets” and “Prince of Persia”. In the same year he also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (6931 Hollywood Blvd.). In 2013 he was involved in the Marvel production “Iron Man 3”. As part of the BAFTAs (2013), Kingsley was honored with the “Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Filmed Entertainment”.
In the film “Security”, an American-Bulgarian action film by Alain Desrochers, he embodied the role of Charlie alongside Antonio Banderas. In 2019 he starred in the thriller “The Red Sea Diving Resort”.
Filmography
1972 Fear Is the Key
1982: Gandhi
1983: Betrayal
1985: Oceanic Feelings (Turtle Diary)
1985: Harem
1987: Maurice
1988 Pascali’s Island
1988: Genius and Snout (Without a Clue)
1988: The Testimony
1988: The Train (Lenin: The Train; Quel treno per Pietrogrado)
1990: My Dear Rose (The Children)
1990: The Fifth Monkey
1991: Bugsy
1992: Sneakers – The Silent Ones (Sneakers)
1993: Dave
1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer
1993 Schindler’s List
1994 Death and the Maiden
1995: Species
1996: What You Want (Twelfth Night)
1997 The Assignment
1999: The Confession
1999: Alice in Wonderland
2000: Rules of Engagement
2000: Good Vibrations – sex from the other planet
2000: Sexy Beasts
2001: A.I. – Artificial Intelligence (AI)
2002 Tuck Everlasting
2003 House of Sand and Fog
2004: Suspect Zero
2005: Oliver Twist
2005: A Sound of Thunder
2005: BloodRayne
2006: Lucky Number Slevin
2007: The Last Legion
2007: You Kill Me
2008: The Wackiness
2008: Elegy or the art of loving
2008: War, Inc.
2008: The Love Guru
2008: Transsiberian
2008: Fifty Dead Men Walking
2010: Teen Patti
2010: 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets
2010: Shutter Island
2010 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
TV productions
1966-67: Coronation Street
1973: A Misfortune
1973: Hard Labour
1974: Antony and Cleopatra
1975: The Brotherhood
1976: Dickens of London
1982: Kean
1982: The Merry Wives of Windsor
1984: Oxbridge Blues
1984: The Lady with the Camellias (Camille)
1985: Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe
1989 Murderes Among Us
1991: The War That Never Ends
1995: The Bible – Joseph (Joseph)
1995: The Bible – Moses (Moses)
1997 Weapons of Mass Distraction
1998: The Tale of Sweeney Todd
1998 Crime and Punishment
1999: Alice in Wonderland
2001: Anne Frank
2005: Mrs. Harris – murder in the best circles
2006: The Sopranos
What is Ben Kingsley known for?
Ben Kingsley, original name Krishna Bhanji, (born December 31, 1943, Scarborough, Yorkshire, England), British actor recognized for playing a wide range of roles, including that of the title character in Gandhi (1982), for which he won an Academy Award for best actor.
Why did Sir Ben Kingsley get knighted?
He was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2002 New Year Honours for services to the British film industry. The award was announced on 31 December 2001, which happened to be Kingsley’s 58th birthday.
Where is the actor Ben Kingsley from?
Snainton is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2011 UK Census, Snainton parish had a population of 754, a decrease on the 2001 UK Census figure of 891.
What football team does Ben Kingsley support?
Kingsley’s support of Liverpool in Shang-Chi isn’t the first time it was mentioned in the MCU. When confronting Slattery in Iron Man 3, the character is seen animatedly watching a Liverpool game on television – Liverpool vs Chelsea, to be precise, and celebrating a goal.
