Peter Finch

Peter Finch will best be remembered for his role as Howard Beale and uttering the words "'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" in the 1976 movie Network.




Peter Finch was born Frederick George Peter Ingle-Finch on September 28, 1912 in London, England to George Ingle-Finch, an Australian born mountaineer and Alicia Ingle-Finch. Later it was learned that Peter's biological father was Wentworth Edward Dallas "Jock" Campbell, a Scottish Military officer. The adultery was the cause of his parent's divorce. George gained custody of Peter and he was raised by his grandmother Laura Finch. Peter was raised in France, India and Australia. Peter Finch was 45 years old before met his biological father.

Peter Finch made his film debut in Dad and Dave Come to Town (1938). He made his stage debut in 1939 in Australia and was spotted by Laurence Olivier and Olivier persuaded Finch to return to Britain to perform classic roles on the stage. Peter Finch spent the next 25 years alternating his time between the stage and movies.

Peter Finch's movies include The Power and the Glory (1941), A Son is Born (1946), The Miniver Story (1950), The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953), The Dark Avenger (1955), Robbery Under Arms (1957), The Nun's Story (1959), The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961), The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Greatest Mother of Them All (1969), Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), Lost Horizon (1973) and Network (1976).

Peter Finch received both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for playing a homosexual Jewish doctor in Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971).

Peter Finch won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Actor for the mad prophet of the airwaves Harold Beale in Network (1976).

Peter Finch died January 14, 1977, and received the Oscar posthumously. He and Heath Ledger are the only two people to receive an Academy Award in an acting category, posthumously.

Peter Finch's final appearance was on January 13, 1977, the day before his death. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson entertaining the audience and Carson with tales of his youth and his psychic grandmother.

Peter Finch died January 14, 1977 from a heart attack.