Sir Arthur John Gielgud (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000), was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With
Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. A member of the
Terry family theatrical dynasty, he gained his first paid acting work as a junior member of his cousin
Phyllis Neilson-Terry's company in 1922. After studying at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art he worked in
repertory theatre and in the
West End before establishing himself at the
Old Vic as an exponent of
Shakespeare in 1929–31.