Ustinov, Sir Peter (Alexander) (y

s`tənôf), 1921–2004, English writer, director, and actor, b. London. A witty, charming, and cosmopolitan man, he debuted on the London stage at 18 and subsequently moved easily between English, French, and American film and theater. He wrote more than two dozen plays, among them Romanoff and Juliet (1956; film, 1960), The Unknown Soldier and His Wife (1967), and Who's Who in Hell (1974). His works of fiction include volumes of short stories, e.g., Add a Dash of Pity (1959), and such novels as The Loser (1960) and Krumnagel (1971). Ustinov appeared in a variety of films, including Quo Vadis (1951), Spartacus (1960; Academy Award), Billy Budd (1961), and Lady L (1966), the latter two of which he scripted and directed as well. His other films include Topkapi (1964; Academy Award) and Lorenzo's Oil (1992), and he also acted in his own plays. Beginning with Death on the Nile (1978), he played Agatha Christie Christie, Dame Agatha, 1890–1976, English detective story writer, b. Torquay, Devon, as Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller. Christie's second husband was the archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan , and she gained much material for her later novels during his excavations in
..... Click the link for more information. 's detective Hercule Poirot in a number of theatrical and television films. Ustinov was the winner of three television Emmy awards and one Grammy for his recorded narration of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. He was knighted in 1990.

Bibliography

See his autobiography, Dear Me (1977); studies by T. Thomas (1971) and V. L. Stewart (1988).

Ustinov, Sir Peter (Alexander)

(born April 16, 1921, London, Eng.—died March 28, 2004, Genolier, Switz.) British actor, director, author, and playwright. He made his professional stage debut at age 17, in which he displayed his talents for vocal mimicry and age affectation, and landed his first major screen role in The Goose Steps Out (1942). His film appearances include Lola Montès (1955), Spartacus (1960, Academy Award), Topkapi (1964, Academy Award), and a recurring role as Hercule Poirot in movies based on Agatha Christie's mysteries, beginning with Death on the Nile (1978). He both starred in and directed Billy Budd (1962), among other films. Lady L (1965), with Sophia Loren and Paul Newman, was probably his best-received directorial effort. He wrote successful plays such as The Love of Four Colonels (1951) and Romanoff and Juliet (1956) and won Emmy Awards for his television performances in The Life of Samuel Johnson (1957), Barefoot in Athens (1966), and A Storm in Summer (1970). Ustinov also wrote several novels and the autobiographical works Dear Me (1977), Ustinov at Large (1993), and Ustinov Still at Large (1994). Noted for his humanitarian efforts, he served as ambassador at large for UNICEF from 1969 until his death. Ustinov was knighted in 1990.