1. Sir Alec Guinness
Character & Films: Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original trilogy. Obviously.
Before Star Wars: Where do you start? Alec Guinness remains one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, and his career is filled with fascinating characters. Professor Marcus in
The Ladykillers, Fagin in
Oliver Twist, an entire family of aristocrats in
Kind Hearts and Coronets - there was no end to the man's talents. He worked with the great David Lean on six occasions, winning an Oscar for his Colonel Nicholson in
The Bridge on the River Kwai. He also had a successful stage career, treading the boards with both John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier.
After Star Wars: Guinness played George Smiley in the TV versions of
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and its sequel
Smiley's People. He worked with Lean once more on
A Passage to India before winding down in the 1990s. He died in 2000 aged 86.
Did He Deserve Better?: Yes. Guinness became so resentful of people only knowing him for
Star Wars that he eventually stopped opening fan mail that was sent to him. Considering his rich body of work before
Star Wars and his excellent TV work afterwards, it's a crying shame that so many still only see him as "that old fossil".
Look No Further: The entire D'Ascoyne family in
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). Eight great performances in one of Britain's darkest comedies. ---
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