3. Laurence Olivier and William Shakespeare (Director-Actor/Writer, 4 collaborations)
Now we're talking. Branagh owes quite a bit to the Master thespian for being the first to attempt the epic and poetic Shakespeare on film. He took to both directing and performing in Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III while only taking the title role in Othello. Winning his only Academy Award for his turn as Hamlet, he also received an honorary statue for bringing Henry V to the silver screen. With the voice, the looks and the presence, he was the first to elevate the material from the stage to a wider audience in cineplexes. Although some would argue that his stage-work greatly over-shadowed his films of the same subject, his contributions in treating the bard's work faithfully shouldn't be belittled or looked over. It would be out of the question...