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Poll: Best Shakespearean-Trained British Movie & TV Actor
SetEvery year on April 23rd, Shakespeare Day is celebrated worldwide on the date of his birth. In 2024, William Shakespeare's legacy remains undeniably enduring as we mark the 460th anniversary of his birth.
According to Wikipedia, "William Shakespeare (c. 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist .... His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted."
Today, his body of work is so well-regarded that performing it well is considered one of the best ways to learn the craft of acting. Worldwide, many actors-in-training choose to hone their skills at performing arts schools and theater companies which utilize works of Shakespeare as their primary course of study. Many extol the virtue of such an approach; which both fine-tunes their existing talents and elevates them by developing new skill sets. In celebration of this milestone anniversary, Shakespeare's continuing legacy and the impact that Shakepearean-trained talent has on the quality of modern entertainment:
Which of these select British movie or television actors who are Shakespearean-trained do you think is the best one?
Vote in the companion poll here: Shakespearean-Trained British Movie & TV Actresses
Make Your Choice
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Anthony Hopkins
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Eddie Redmayne
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Laurence Olivier
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Ian McKellen
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Kenneth Branagh
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Alec Guinness
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Peter O'Toole
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Ralph Fiennes
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Ralph Richardson
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Richard Burton
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Benedict Cumberbatch
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Richard Attenborough
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Patrick Stewart
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Albert Finney
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Mark Rylance
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Tom Hiddleston
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Basil Rathbone
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Ben Kingsley
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James McAvoy
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Charles Dance
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Robert Shaw
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Jeremy Irons
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Ewan McGregor
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Hugo Weaving
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Paul Bettany
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Derek Jacobi
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Brian Cox
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Andy Serkis
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Dan Stevens
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Matthew Macfadyen
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Bill Nighy
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Michael Sheen
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Timothy Spall
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Robert Donat
Another British Shakespearean-trained Actor Not ListedRobert Donat (as pictured example)
