Richard Burton.

Richard Walter Jenkins

Richard Burton — Actor

Born 10 Nov 1925 Pontrhydyfen, United Kingdom

Died 5 Aug 1984 Céligny, Switzerland

Citizenship United Kingdom

Would Be 100 yr If Living

17 min read

Reading time

3,251

Words

Feb 26, 2026

Published

114

Film credits

2

Books

7

Awards

TL;DR

Richard Burton earned seven Oscar nominations without a single win, a record he shared with Peter O’Toole. He is best remembered for his tumultuous marriages to Elizabeth Taylor and for roles in Cleopatra 1963, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966, and Becket 1964. Born in 1925 in a Welsh mining town, he rose from poverty to become a commanding presence on stage and screen, delivering a record-breaking 137-performance run of Hamlet on Broadway in 1964.

Identity & family.

KIN · 10

Names, aliases, and relatives of Richard Burton — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Richard Walter Jenkins

Nicknames Rich, Dick

PARENTS: Edith Mawd Thomas
SPOUSES: Sally Burton Susan Hunt Elizabeth Taylor Sybil Williams
CHILDREN: Jessica Burton Kate Burton Liza Todd Maria Burton
SIBLINGS: Graham Jenkins

At a glance.

STATS

Richard Burton by the numbers — life, work, and family.

58 Years lived

114 Film credits

2 Books

7 Awards

4 Marriages

4 Children

Who was Richard Burton?

BIOGRAPHY

Richard Burton — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

At age 17, Richard Walter Jenkins was taken under the wing of his schoolmaster, Philip Burton, who groomed him for success academically and as an actor. Jenkins legally adopted Burton’s surname as a tribute. The twelfth of thirteen children, he was born in 1925 in Pontrhydyfen, Wales, into a Welsh-speaking family. His mother died when he was two, and his father later abandoned the family, leaving him to be raised by his elder sister Cecilia. An avid reader, he once said, Home is where the books are. He received a scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, where he studied acting briefly before serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Career

Burton made his film debut in Woman of Dolwyn 1949, followed by routine British movies. His breakout in Hollywood came with My Cousin Rachel 1952 and The Robe 1953. He showcased a sensational performance in Look Back in Anger 1959, part of the British New Wave. In 1963, he played Marc Antony opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the hugely expensive Cleopatra, which ignited their infamous romance. They starred together in eleven films, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966, for which Taylor won an Oscar. Burton also delivered performances in Becket 1964, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold 1965, Where Eagles Dare 1968, and Anne of the Thousand Days 1969. Later career highlights included Equus 1977, earning another Oscar nomination, and his final role as O’Brien in the 1984 adaptation of 1984.

Personal life

Burton married Sybil Williams in 1949, with whom he had two daughters: Kate born 1957 and Jessica born 1961, who was profoundly autistic. During this marriage, he had affairs with several actresses, including Claire Bloom and Lana Turner. He divorced Sybil in 1963 and married Elizabeth Taylor in 1964, divorcing in 1974, then remarrying her in 1975, divorcing again in 1976. Between the marriages, he was engaged to Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. His third wife was Susan Hunt 1976-1982, and his fourth was Sally Burton 1983 until his death. He adopted Elizabeth Taylor’s daughter Maria from a previous marriage, raising her as his own.

Legacy

Richard Burton’s legacy is defined by his extraordinary voice, his Shakespearean stage work, and his seven Oscar nominations without a win, a record he once shared with Peter O’Toole. His 1964 Broadway production of Hamlet ran for 137 performances, the longest in history, breaking John Gielgud’s record. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013, placed next to Elizabeth Taylor’s star. He is remembered for his intense, often self-destructive dedication to his craft, his turbulent romance with Taylor, and his enduring impact on film and theater. His generosity, such as paying off a widow’s mortgage during the filming of Wagner 1983, is part of his storied persona.

Filmography.

FILMS · 114

Browse the complete filmography of Richard Burton — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

Great Performances

1971
TV

Here's Lucy

1968
TV

Tony Awards

1956
TV

Bambi

1948
TV

Dinah!

1974
TV

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948
TV

Film '72

1971
TV

Spécial Cinéma

1974
Movie

Cleopatra

1963
TV

Entertainment Tonight

1981
Movie

Where Eagles Dare

1968
Movie

The Longest Day

1962
TV

Talking Pictures

2013
Movie

Nineteen Eighty-Four

1984

Could not load more credits.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 7

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Richard Burton — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Theatre World Award
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
Golden Globe Awards
Grammy Awards
Special Tony Award
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 2

Richard Burton's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

A Christmas Story

by Richard Burton
Amazon

The Richard Burton Diaries

by Richard Burton

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 19

A wall of memorable lines from Richard Burton — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

When I Played Drunks I Had to Remain Sober Because I Didn’t Know How to Play Them When I Was Drunk.
I’ve Done the Most Awful Rubbish in Order to Have Somewhere to Go in the Morning.
My Father Considered That Anyone Who Went to Chapel and Didn’t Drink Alcohol Was Not to Be Tolerated. I Grew up in That Belief.
I’ve Played the Lot: a Homosexual, a Sadistic Gangster, Kings, Princes, a Saint, the Lot. All That’s Left Is a Carry on Film. My Last Ambition.
I Have to Think Hard to Name an Interesting Man Who Does Not Drink.
I Rather Like My Reputation, Actually, That of a Spoiled Genius from the Welsh Gutter, a Drunk, a Womanizer; It’s Rather an Attractive Image.
You May Be as Vicious About Me as You Please. You Will Only Do Me Justice.
The Only Thing in Life Is Language. Not Love. Not Anything Else.
All I Wanted to Do Was to Live, Pick up a New Jag, and Act at the Old Vic.
All Great Art Comes from People Who Are Either Ugly or Have a Terrible Inferiority Complex. I Know No One Who Is Beautiful and Produces Art.
A Man That Hoards up Riches and Enjoys Them Not, Is Like an Ass That Carries Gold and Eats Thistles.
Richard Burton Is Now My Epitaph, My Cross, My Title, My Image. I Have Achieved a Kind of Diabolical Fame. It Has Nothing to Do with My Talents as an Actor. That Counts for Little Now. I Am the Diabolically Famous Richard Burton.
An Actor Is Something Less Than a Man, While an Actress Is Something More Than a Woman.
Certainly Most Movie Executives Were Making Love to the Starlets. but Then, so Were Most of Us Actors.
God Put Me on This Earth to Raise Sheer Hell.
As the Seventh Son of a Welsh Miner I Knew Hardship First Hand. I Come from the Lower Depths of the Working Class. It’s True That I Now Earn One and a Quarter of a Million Dollars per Picture, and It Sounds Strange to Say That at Heart I Am a Communist, but There Is No Contradiction Because I Don’t Exploit Others.
It Seems Fairly Ridiculous for Someone of Forty Five or Fifty to Be Learning Words Written by Other People, Most of Which Are Bad, to Make a Few Dollars.
One Big Picture Is Worth Ten Small Ones. the Actor Who Is Fortunate Enough to Get Two or Possibly Three Big Subjects a Year Benefits from Their Long Runs. He’s Never Absent Long from Public View.
Actors Go Through Cycles Remarkable, Weird Cycles. There Was One Period from 1956 to 1961 or so When I Couldn’t Do Anything Right. My Voice Went Foul, My Luck Was Bad, I Chose Badly. I Thought I Had Lost What I Had, and I Nearly Retired Right Then and There.

Did you know?

FACTS · 49

Little-known facts about Richard Burton — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

On a flight from Mexico to California, he met a young man interested in acting and encouraged him to pursue it full time, that man was Kevin Costner.
He was known for extraordinary generosity; during filming of Wagner 1983 he paid off a widow’s mortgage after learning of her plight, even though he had never spoken to her.
Shortly after finishing 1984 1984, he died; his health was terrible during filming due to years of alcoholism and heavy smoking, and he required a neck brace during rehearsals.
Famous for his high intelligence and extensive reading, he taught English poetry at Oxford University for a term in the early 1970s.
The twelfth of thirteen children, he insisted that his way out of poverty was due to books, not acting.
He was a drinking partner of Richard Harris and Peter O’Toole until O’Toole stopped drinking after surgery in 1976.
His movie contracts included a clause excusing him from work on St. David’s Day, March 1st, the patron saint of Wales.
He once engaged in a contest with Robert F. Kennedy, quoting Shakespeare’s sonnets; both were word-perfect, and Burton won by reciting one backwards.
Frustrated by delays during Cleopatra 1963, he begged Darryl F. Zanuck for a role in The Longest Day 1962, receiving a cameo as an RAF pilot; Roddy McDowall did the same.
When Burton died, The Times headline read Richard Burton dies at 58: Career madly thrown away, which offended his family; it was a paraphrase of a statement by John Gielgud.
He was forced to drop out of the Los Angeles run of Camelot in 1981 due to crippling back pain; his spinal column was coated in crystallized alcohol, requiring a delicate operation that could have left him paralyzed.
In 1969, he bought Elizabeth Taylor a 69-carat diamond from Cartier for $1,069,000, later known as the Burton-Taylor Diamond; Taylor auctioned it in 1979 for nearly $3 million to fund a hospital.
He was engaged to Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia between his two marriages to Elizabeth Taylor; she is the mother of Catherine Oxenberg, whom he later coached in acting.
By chance, he met actor Bernard Lee in a pub in 1972 and gave him a $6,000 check to clear his debts, after Lee had lost his wife, been mugged, and struggled with drinking.
While starring in Camelot 1961, he told his co-star Julie Andrews she was the only leading lady he hadn’t slept with.
He was a close friend of Humphrey Bogart.
Spoke Cymraeg Welsh as his mother tongue.
His 1974 attack on Winston Churchill was likely influenced by his then-fiancée Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, who blamed Churchill for her country’s post-WWII fate; the engagement was soon broken.
During filming of 1984 1984, he suffered neck pain and wore a neck brace; heavy makeup made him look older, and he minimized his famous voice for the role of O’Brien.
He had smoked since age eight, reaching five packs a day by middle age.
He once shared the record with Peter O’Toole for most Oscar acting nominations without a win 7; O’Toole broke the record in 2007.
His younger brother Graham Jenkins arranged for him to narrate the 1981 Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana for BBC Radio; he made only one mistake during the five-hour broadcast.
He took his stage surname from his schoolmaster Philip Burton, who groomed him for success; Burton considered him his adopted father and later quipped, ‘He didn’t adopt me! I adopted him!
Two daughters from his first marriage: actress Kate Burton born 1957 and Jessica born 1961, who was profoundly autistic and institutionalized.
His mother died when he was two; he was raised by his older sister Cis, in the same Port Talbot neighborhood where Anthony Hopkins later lived.
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 1, 2013, next to Elizabeth Taylor’s star.
He adopted Elizabeth Taylor’s adopted daughter Maria born 1961, renaming her Maria Burton.
Marlon Brando became friendly with Elizabeth Taylor while filming Reflections in a Golden Eye 1967; Brando picked up her NYFCC award and later socialized with the Burtons, leading to rumors of a fistfight over Taylor, though Burton’s diaries don’t mention it.
Suffered from acute insomnia.
During WWII, he studied at Exeter College, Oxford as a Royal Air Force cadet, joining the Oxford University Dramatic Society; he did not return after the war but later taught poetry there.
Once claimed he would rather have played rugby for Wales than Hamlet on stage.
He always wore built-up shoes in films and real life.
He died just before filming Wild Geese II 1985; the film was dedicated to his memory, and his character was written out as having died.
He was awarded CBE in 1970 for services to drama, collected on his 45th birthday with his sister Cis and Elizabeth Taylor.
He had an excellent memory until age 50; later struggled to learn lines for Equus on Broadway in 1976 after a twelve-year stage absence.
He declined Laurence Olivier’s offer to take over the National Theatre, feeling the board had treated Olivier badly.
Around 1970, he and Sean Connery both planned film versions of Macbeth, but both were abandoned when Roman Polanski’s version went into production.
Where Eagles Dare 1968 was his last major box office hit; The Wild Geese 1978 was successful in Europe but flopped in North America.
His divorce from third wife Susan Hunt in 1982 cost him $1 million and a house in Puerto Vallarta.
In 1959, he turned down a $350,000 offer to play Christ in King of Kings 1961 due to a palm-reading prophecy that he would die at 33; he took the year off to avoid tempting fate.
He found filming the Here’s Lucy 1968 episode tedious; Lucy Ball directed him to shout for comedy, which he disliked.
He, Ray Milland, Anthony Hopkins, and Catherine Zeta-Jones were all born within a 10-mile radius in southwestern Wales.
He and Elizabeth Taylor starred together in 11 films, including Cleopatra 1963, The V.I.P.s 1963, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966.
According to his biography And God Created Burton, he was a notorious womanizer with affairs during both marriages.
His 1964 Broadway Hamlet ran for 137 performances, the longest in history, breaking John Gielgud’s record and directed by Gielgud.
He turned down the role of Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons 1966, which went to Paul Scofield, who won an Oscar.
In a 1977 interview, he recalled introducing himself to Lee Marvin at a party, not remembering they had made a film together The Klansman, 1974.
He recorded his sessions for Jeff Wayne’s musical The War of the Worlds in two afternoon sessions in New York between filmmaking.
He planned to stage Richard III and King Lear based on his step-father’s ideas, but died before pursuing them.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 37

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Richard Burton.

When was Richard Burton born?

Richard Burton was born on November 10, 1925. He was born in Pontrhydyfen, a small village in Wales, UK.
Where was Richard Burton born?

He was born in Pontrhydyfen, Wales, UK. This is a small mining village in South Wales.
When did Richard Burton die?

Richard Burton died on August 5, 1984. He was 58 years old at the time of his death.
How old was Richard Burton when he died?

He was 58 years old when he died in 1984. He died just before he was due to begin filming Wild Geese II.
Where did Richard Burton die?

He died in Céligny, Geneva, Switzerland. He had made his home there for many years.
What was Richard Burton's cause of death?

He died from a cerebral hemorrhage. His health had been weakened by years of heavy drinking and smoking.
What was Richard Burton's real name?

His birth name was Richard Walter Jenkins. He changed his surname to Burton after his schoolmaster and mentor, Philip Burton.
What was Richard Burton's height?

Richard Burton was 5 feet 10 inches tall, or 1.77 meters. He often wore built-up shoes in films and real life.
Did Richard Burton have any nicknames?

Yes, he was sometimes called Rich or Dick. But he is universally known by his stage name, Richard Burton.
What was Richard Burton's occupation?

He was an actor, producer, and director. He is best remembered for his film and stage acting.
What nationality was Richard Burton?

He was British, specifically Welsh. He spoke Welsh as his native language and was proud of his heritage.
Who were Richard Burton's parents?

His mother was Edith Maud Thomas, a coal miner’s daughter, and his father was Richard Walter Jenkins Sr., a coal miner. His mother died when he was two, and his father later abandoned the family.
Did Richard Burton have siblings?

Yes, he had twelve siblings. He was the twelfth of thirteen children. One of his brothers, Graham Jenkins, worked for the BBC.
Who was Richard Burton married to?

He was married four times: to Sybil Williams 1949-1963, Elizabeth Taylor 1964-1974 and again 1975-1976, Susan Hunt 1976-1982, and Sally Burton 1983-1984. He also had an engagement to Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia.
How many children did Richard Burton have?

He had four children: daughters Kate Burton with Sybil, Jessica Burton with Sybil, profoundly autistic, Liza Todd Elizabeth Taylor’s daughter whom he helped raise, and Maria Burton adopted by Taylor and later by Burton.
Where did Richard Burton go to school?

He studied at Exeter College, Oxford, on a scholarship. He was there briefly as a Royal Air Force cadet during World War II and later returned to teach poetry for a term.
What awards did Richard Burton win?

He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Camelot, a Special Tony Award, multiple Golden Globes and Grammys, and was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire CBE. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
How many Oscar nominations did Richard Burton receive?

He received seven Academy Award nominations without a win, a record he once shared with Peter O’Toole. His nominated performances include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Equus.
What is Richard Burton best known for?

He is best known for his powerful acting voice, his role in Cleopatra 1963, his Broadway record of 137 performances as Hamlet in 1964, and his twice-marriage to Elizabeth Taylor.
Did Richard Burton ever win an Oscar?

No, despite seven nominations, he never won an Oscar. He lost for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Becket, among others.
How many films did Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor make together?

They made 11 films together, including Cleopatra 1963, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966, and The Taming of the Shrew 1967.
What was Richard Burton's role in 'Cleopatra'?

He played Mark Antony, the Roman general, opposite Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra. The film sparked their real-life romance.
What was the 'Burton-Taylor Diamond'?

It was a 69-carat pear-shaped diamond that Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor from Cartier in 1969 for over $1 million. Taylor later auctioned it for nearly $3 million to fund a hospital.
How did Richard Burton get his stage name?

He took the surname Burton from his schoolmaster and mentor, Philip Burton, who helped him develop as an actor and whom he considered an adoptive father.
Did Richard Burton serve in the military?

He served in the Royal Air Force as a cadet during World War II, studying at Oxford. He was demobilized in 1947 and then pursued acting full time.
What was Richard Burton's stage record?

His 1964 Broadway production of Hamlet ran for 137 performances, the longest run of the play in Broadway history, surpassing John Gielgud’s record.
Who replaced Richard Burton in 'Wild Geese II' after his death?

Edward Fox replaced him in the role of Alex Faulkner. The film was dedicated to Burton’s memory.
Did Richard Burton ever teach at Oxford?

Yes, he taught English poetry at Oxford University for a term in the early 1970s, despite not having completed his own degree there.
What was Richard Burton's final film role?

His final film role was as O’Brien, the inquisitor, in the 1984 adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984, released just after his death.
Why did Richard Burton drop out of 'Camelot' in 1981?

He suffered from crippling back pain caused by a spinal column coated in crystallized alcohol from years of drinking. He underwent a delicate surgery and had to be replaced by Richard Harris as King Arthur.
Was Richard Burton a heavy smoker?

Yes, he started smoking at age eight and reached five packs a day in middle age, which contributed to his health decline.
Did Richard Burton have a good memory?

He had an excellent memory until age 50, but after that he struggled to learn lines, particularly when he returned to stage acting in Equus in 1976 after 12 years away.
What did Richard Burton think of Marlon Brando?

He found Brando intelligent but believed he suffered from becoming too famous too young. He considered Brando a great actor but felt he would have been better in silent films due to his mumbling voice.
Did Richard Burton ever try to make a film of 'Macbeth'?

Yes, around 1970 he wanted to make a film version with Elizabeth Taylor as Lady Macbeth, but the project was abandoned when Roman Polanski’s version went into production.
What was Richard Burton's connection to Kevin Costner?

On a flight from Mexico to California, Burton encouraged a young Kevin Costner to pursue acting, leading Costner to leave his marketing job and become an actor.
How many total awards did Richard Burton win?

According to IMDb, he won 16 awards, including major industry honors, and received 41 nominations overall.
What is Richard Burton's legacy?

He is remembered as one of the finest actors of his generation, with a distinctive voice and a Shakespearean stage presence, but also for his turbulent personal life and his record seven Oscar nominations without a win.

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Audited & updated by

Olivia has 6 years of experience writing biographical profiles and still approaches every subject like it's the first one. She covers everyone from debut musicians to Hall of Fame athletes to novelists most people have never heard of. She finds something worth reading in all of them. Her drafts tend to come in already clean, which her editor appreciates. She says good writing is just good thinking written down. Hard to argue with that.

Published on February 26, 2026

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