Who was Richard Burton and what was his cause of death?
RICHARD Burton will always be remembered as one of Britain’s greatest actors – both on the stage and screen.
The Hollywood star – who’s romance with Elizabeth Taylor dominated the headlines – died in 1984, leaving behind an incredible legacy.
Who was Richard Burton?
Born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr. on November 10, 1925, Richard Burton was a distinguished Welsh actor.
Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, he established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and gave a memorable performance as Hamlet in 1964.
During his life Richard was nominated for an Academy Award seven times, but never won.
Despite this, he is widely regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation.
Richard received numerous other big accolades including a Bafta, Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award.
He received the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of King Arthur in the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot (1960).
Was Richard Burton married?
Richard’s love life was always a hot topic – especially when it came to his second wife, Elizabeth Taylor.
The couple’s turbulent relationship – and the fact that they were married twice and divorced twice – was rarely out of the news.
Their first wedding was at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal in 1964.
Speaking after the ceremony, Elizabeth proclaimed, “I’m so happy you can’t believe it. This marriage will last forever.”
However, the couple divorced in 1974.
They say second time’s a charm, but sadly that wasn’t the case for Richard and Liz as they wed again in 1975 before splitting for good the following year.
Meanwhile, Richard’s first wife was Sybil Williams, who he was married to from 1949 until 1963.
Did Richard Burton have any children?
During his life, Richard welcomed two children into the world with Sybil.
The pair had two daughters, Kate (born 1957) and Jessica Burton (born 1959).
Kate followed in her famous footsteps and is an actress who is best known for playing Ellis Grey in Grey’s Anatomy.
What did Richard Burton star in?
In the mid-1960s, Richard was the top box-office star of his day.
By the late 1960s, he was one of the highest-paid actors in the world, receiving fees of $1M or more (around £8M in this day) plus a share of the gross receipts.
Richard’s most acclaimed roles were:
- My Cousin Rachel (1952)
- The Robe (1953)
- Cleopatra (1963)
- Becket (1964)
- The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
- Equus (1977)
What was Richard Burton’s cause of death?
Richard died from a intracerebral haemorrhage (a type of stroke) on August 5, 1984 at his home in Céligny, Switzerland, at the age of 58.
Although his death was sudden, his health had been declining for several years, and he suffered from constant and severe neck pain.
As early as March 1970, Richard had been warned that his liver was enlarged, and he was diagnosed with cirrhosis and kidney disease in April 1981.