Sebastian Lewis Shaw British actor, writer Date of Birth: 29.05.1905 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Sebastian Shaw

Sebastian Shaw, whose full name was Sebastian Lewis Shaw, was born in 1905 in Holt, Norfolk, England. He came from a family with a strong artistic background, as his father, Geoffrey Shaw, was a music teacher and his uncle, Martin Shaw, was a composer of church music. Shaw developed an interest in acting while attending Gresham's School and made his stage debut in 1914 in a play called "The Cockyolly Bird" at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He later portrayed Petruchio in a production of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew".

After completing his schooling, Shaw initially pursued painting at the Slade School of Fine Art but soon changed his focus and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. It was during his time there that he studied alongside Charles Laughton, who went on to achieve great success in Hollywood. Shaw's passion for Shakespeare's works developed during his college years.

In the 1920s, Shaw embarked on a successful theater career, appearing in plays such as "The Sign of the Sun" and "The Constant Nymph," directed by some of the country's top directors. He made his Broadway debut in 1929 in Patrick Hamilton's play "Rope's End". Shaw married Margaret Delamere, and they had a daughter named Drusilla.

In 1930, Shaw made his first film appearance in Michael Powell's "Caste". He went on to star in several other films, including "House of Dreams," "Little Miss Nobody," "Taxi to Paradise," "Four Masked Men," and "Adventurers Ltd." By this time, Shaw was earning around £300 per week, which would be equivalent to approximately £15,000 today.

During World War II, Shaw put his acting career on hold and joined the Royal Air Force as a volunteer. In 1946, he portrayed a pilot in the instructional film "Journey Together".

One of Shaw's most famous roles was that of Anakin Skywalker in the 1982 film "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi". Despite only appearing for two minutes and delivering 24 words of dialogue, his portrayal became internationally popular. In the following decades, Shaw continued to act in theater and film, including the comedy "High Season" and the TV series "Casualty" and "Chimera".

In his later years, Shaw became an honorary member of the Garrick Club in London. He passed away on December 23, 1994, in Brighton, East Sussex, from natural causes. His funeral took place on February 15 at St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, also known as the "Actors' Church". Many of Shaw's friends attended the service, with several reading excerpts from his most famous roles.

Throughout his career, Shaw appeared in over 50 films and numerous stage productions. He was also a writer, having released several books and authored a number of plays, including "Take a Life," "The Ship's Bell," and "The Cliff Walk".