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Biography
Early life
Kingsley was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire. His father, Harji Bhanji, was a Kenya-born medical doctor of Indian (Gujarati Hindu) descent, and his mother, Anna Lyna Mary, was a fashion model and actress; one of his maternal grandparents was a Jewish immigrant from Russia. Young "Kingsley" began his acting career on the stage at Manchester Grammar School alongside Robert Powell, but made a transition to film roles early on. It was at this point that he changed his name, fearing a foreign name would hamper his career.
Film career
Kingsley's first film role was a supporting turn in Fear is the Key (1972). Kingsley continued starring in bit roles in both film and television (including a bit part on the soap opera Coronation Street). He found fame only years later, starring as Mahatma Gandhi in the Academy Award-winning film Gandhi in 1982. Kingsley was critically acclaimed and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.
Kingsley has avoided stereotyping and has been cast in a variety of roles. His credits include the films Turtle Diary, Maurice, Pascali's Island, Without a Clue (as Dr. Watson opposite Michael Caine's Sherlock Holmes), Bugsy (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), Sneakers, Dave, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Schindler's List, Death and the Maiden, Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story, Sexy Beast (for which he received another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and House of Sand and Fog (Oscar nomination for Best Actor). He has won a Crystal Globe award for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2001.
In 1997, he provided voice acting for the video game Ceremony of Innocence.
Knighthood
Kingsley was awarded a knighthood in the 2001 New Years Honours list. He is famous for being one of the few actors to insist his title be used. Knighted theatre director Jonathan Miller has said that, while he does not like to be called by his title, "Ben Kingsley insists on being called 'Sir Ben,' but that's because he's a little twerp", Producer David Puttnam has stated that he thinks that Kingsley is "Barmy" after seeing Kingsley billed as "Sir Ben Kingsley" during publicity for his upcoming film, Lucky Number Slevin. The billing, however, was due to a mistake on behalf of the film's producers, and in response to criticism, Kingsley has said that he "was shocked when I found out what had happened. No one's ever asked for the title to be used in this way because that's not the way we work in this profession. It's always been and should always be Ben Kingsley". He added that the title is "a nickname and a term of endearment and something I'm very proud of. If I've ever insisted on being called 'Sir' by colleagues on a film set than I am profoundly sorry. I don't remember ever doing that and I tend not to forget...I've always been proud of the title, but I've learnt to be quietly proud".
Kingsley has also commented that his desire to use his title stems from his pride at overcoming a troubled childhood plagued by racism, "I think it's a reflection of how an uncomfortable childhood can lead to high achievement".
Private life
Kingsley has four children: Thomas and Jasmine Bhanji (with actress Angela Morant) and Edmund and Ferdinand Kingsley, both of whom are actors (with theatrical director Alison Sutcliffe). He recently divorced German-born Alexandra Christmann and lives in Spelsbury, England.
Selected filmography
2006 - Lucky Number Slevin - Schlomo
2005 - A Sound of Thunder - Charles Hatton
2005 - BloodRayne - Kagan
2005 - Oliver Twist - Fagin
2004 - Suspect Zero - Benjamin O'Ryan
2004 - Thunderbirds - The Hood
2003 - House of Sand and Fog - Behrani
2002 - Tuck Everlasting - Man in the Yellow Suit
2002 - The Triumph of Love - Hermocrates
2001 - Artificial Intelligence: AI - Specialist - voice, minor role
2001 - Sexy Beast - Don Logan
2001 - Anne Frank: The Whole Story - Otto Frank
2000 - Islam: Empire of Faith - Narrator - voice only
2000 - Rules of Engagement - Ambassador Mourain
2000 - What Planet Are You From? - Graydon
1999 - Alice in Wonderland (TV) - Major Caterpillar
1997 - The Assignment (TV) - Amos
1996 - Twelfth Night: Or What You Will - Feste
1995 - Joseph - Potiphar
1995 - Species - Xavier Fitch
1994 - Death and the Maiden - Dr. Roberto Miranda
1993 - Schindler's List - Itzhak Stern
1993 - Searching for Bobby Fischer - Bruce Pandolfini
1993 - Dave - Vice-President Nance
1992 - Sneakers - Cosmo
1991 - Bugsy - Meyer Lansky
1989 - Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story - Simon Wiesenthal
1988 - Without a Clue - Dr. John Watson
1988 - Pascali's Island - Basil Pascali
1987 - Maurice - Lasker-Jones
1987 - The Secret of the Sahara (miniseries) - Sholomon
1986 - Turtle Diary - William Snow
1985 - Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe - Silas Marner
1983 - Betrayal - Robert
1982 - Gandhi - Gandhi
Preceded by:
Henry Fonda
Best Actor
1982
Succeeded by:
Robert Duvall
Interviews
interview, 9/27/05, Cinema Confidential
interview, 9/22/05, Dark Horizons
interview, 7/28/04, IGN Films
interview, 12/03, About.com
interview, 4/02, About.com
interview, 6/01, PopMatters
interview, 1/02/01, The Guardian UK
interview, 1996, Performance
