Peter Ustinov was a two-time Academy Award-winning film actor, a director, writer, journalist and raconteur. He wrote and directed many acclaimed stage plays and led numerous international theatrical productions. He was born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov on April 16, 1921, in Swiss Cottage, London, England, the son of Nadezhda Leontievna . Outside of his acting and writing professions, Ustinov served as a Goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and president of WFM, a global citizens movement. He was knighted Sir Peter Ustinov in 1990. From 1971 to his death in 2004, Ustinov lived in a château in the village of Bursins, Vaud, Switzerland, He died of heart failure on March 28, 2004, in a clinic in Genolier, Vaud, Switzerland. His funeral service was held at Geneva's historic cathedral of St. Pierre, and he was laid to rest in the village cemetery of Bursins, Switzerland. He was survived by three daughters, Tamara, Pavla, and Andrea, and son, Igor Ustinov. "I am an international citizen conceived in Russia, born in England, working in Hollywood, living in Switzerland, and touring the World" said Peter Ustinov.
His mother was artist Nadia Benois , the niece of Alexandre Benois. Both were designers for the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. Both also worked for the "Russian Seasons" and "Ballets Russes" productions by impresario Sergei Diaghilev.
He was knighted in the 1990 Queens Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.
He was awarded the CBE in the 1975 Queens Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.
The New London Theatre in Drury Lane WC2 first opened on 2nd January 1973 with Peter Ustinov s play "The Unknown Soldier and His Wife"
Was the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF from 1968 until his death in 2004.
During WWII Pvt. Peter Ustinov was batman to Lt. Col. David Niven.
His father was a German subject who came to Soviet Russia on personal business where he met his future wife. Shortly after they were married they decided to leave Russia and settle in Britain. As Ustinov has said, "It is for that very reason that I am addressing you today in English."
First marriage to Isolde Denham, daughter of Reginald Denham and Moyna MacGill. Their daughter is Tamara Ustinov. Isolde was half-sister of Angela Lansbury.
In January 1963, the Mirisch Company sued him for damages after he pulled out of The Pink Panther , which was in production in Rome with his replacement, Peter Sellers.
Peter and Suzanne had 3 children: two daughters, Pavla Ustinov and Andrea Ustinov, and a son Igor Ustinov.
Chancellor of the University of Durham from 1992 until his death in 2004.
Has a song written about him: "The Night I Saved Peter Ustinov" - written and recorded by Lauren Christy.
Was fluent in French, German, English, Italian, Russian and Spanish, and could pass in Turkish and Greek among others.
He was known to proudly say "I have Russian, German, Spanish, Italian, French and Ethiopian blood in my veins."
Funeral service held at Genevas historic Cathedral of St Pierre. He was later buried in the village of Bursins, where he had lived in a Chateau since 1971. (April 2004)
According to Peter Wright, in his book "Spycatcher," Ustinovs father Klop Ustinov had been active in MI5 (British Security Service, Counterespionage) as an agent runner during the Second World War. He also had the distinction of having held commissions in the Russian, German and British armies (presumably at different times).
He was a Humanist Laureate, a member of the International Academy of Humanism.
In 1958, received two Tony Award nominations for "Romanoff and Juliet": as Best Actor and as Best Play Author.
In 1964, he accepted the Oscar for "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" on behalf of Margaret Rutherford , who wasnt present at the awards ceremony
Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1966
Winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Lentulus Batiatus in Spartacus , Ustinov stands as the only actor to win an Oscar for a Stanley Kubrick film. In fact, Peter Sellers is the only other actor to receive so much as a nomination.
Both his father and uncle were officers in the German army and fought Britain in WWI.
Made a comedy record in the late 1950s, "Mock Mozart" and "Phoney Folk Lore". He had been performing these as party pieces. Overdubbing allowed Ustinov to sing multiple parts. His producer was George Martin , future producer of The Beatles. (Martin later described Ustinov as "Britains answer to Orson Welles.")
Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1986.
On 31 October 1984 he was waiting in the garden of Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi to interview her for an Irish television documentary when she was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards (Beant Singh, who was killed while trying to escape after his arrest, and Satwant Singh, sentenced to hang in 1988) as she was approaching Ustinov and his film crew.
His father was of one quarter Polish Jewish, one half Russian, one eighth African Ethiopian, and one eighth German, descent, while his mother was of one half Russian, one quarter Italian, one eighth French, and one eighth German, ancestry. Peter was a member of the royal family of Russia and the royal family of Ethiopia. Peters paternal grandfather, Plato Grigorivich von Ustinov, was Russian. Peters paternal grandmother, Magdalena Hall, was born in Magdala, Ethiopia (Magdalenas father, Moritz Hall, born in Krakow, was of Polish Jewish descent, while Magdalenas mother was born in Ethiopia, to a German father, Christoph Eduard Zander, from Kothen, and to a black Ethiopian mother, Woizero Essete Work Meqado de Choa, making Peter of 1/16th Ethiopian descent). Peters maternal grandfather, Leontij Ludovic Benois, was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a prominent artistic family, and was of one quarter French, one quarter German, and one half Italian, ancestry. Peters maternal grandmother, Maria Alexandrovna Sapjhnkoff, was Russian.
He played five different English / British kings: leonine versions of Prince John (the future King John) and his elder brother Richard the Lionheart in Robin Hood , the future King George IV in Beau Brummell , his great-nephew King Edward VII in "Strumpet City" {} and George IVs younger brother and eventual successor King William IV in Victoria & Albert .
Anonymously dubbed several Italian actors on the soundtrack of Beat the Devil .
Auditioned for the role of Detective Fix in the movie Around the World in 80 Days but was rejected. Would later get the part in television remake more than 30 years later.
Directed one Oscar nominated performance: Terence Stamp in Billy Budd .
Rector of the University of Dundee in Scotland from 1968 to 1974.
Along with Hugh Burden , he is one of two actors to appear in both One of Our Aircraft Is Missing and One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing .
He directed his then mother-in-law Moyna MacGill in Private Angelo .
His mother Nadia Benois was the costume designer on two films that he directed: Vice Versa and Private Angelo .
The actor spoke several languages, Russian and Spanish among them, in the latter his vocabulary used to give him an appearance of comic character, very close, speaker and peculiar, much appreciated and similar to the character of that language.
Was a believer in and advocate of one-world government.
Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.
[on critics] They search for ages for the wrong word, which, to give,them credit, they eventually find.
The habit of religion is oppressive, an easy way out of thought.
Beliefs are what divide people. Doubt unites them.
I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always,seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world.
[on the invasion of Iraq in 2003] Terrorism is the war of the poor, and,war is the terrorism of the rich.
World government is not only possible, it is inevitable; and when it,comes, it will appeal to patriotism in its truest, in its only sense,the patriotism of men who love their national heritages so deeply that,they wish to preserve them in safety for the common good.
Life is unfair but remember it is unfair in your favor.
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, it is our duty to furnish it well.
Marriage is like a three-speed gearbox affection, friendship, love. It is not advisable to crash your gears and go right through to love straightaway. You need to ease your way through. The basis of love is respect, and that needs to be learned from affection and friendship.
Love is an act of endless forgiveness a tender look which becomes a habit.
Love is an act of endless forgiveness a tender look which becomes a habit.
Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.
Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth.
Sex is a conversation carried out by other means. If you get on well out of bed half the problems of bed are solved.
A diplomat these days is nothing but a head waiter who is allowed to sit down occasionally.
Laughter would be bereaved if snobbery died.
Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.
Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.
The habit of religion is oppressive, an easy way out of thought.
The point of living and of being an optimist is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come.
Courage is often lack of insight, whereas cowardice in many cases is based on good information.
I am an optimist, unrepentant and militant. After all, in order not to be a fool an optimist must know how sad a place the world can be. It is only the pessimist who finds this out anew every day.
In America, through pressure of conformity, there is freedom of choice, but nothing to choose from. .
