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Sir Alec Guinness Passes Away at Age 86
Alec Guinness, whose acting career ran from Shakespeare to Star Wars, has died at a hospital in England. He was 86 years old. His professional life spanned more than 60 years on stage and screen. His credits are a catalog of versatility.
Star Wars, in which he played Jedi
Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, made him famous all over again, and he claimed he hated his role
and didn't like to be called 'Obi-Wan'. He was modest to the point he threw away his
own fan mail. Guinness despised Star Wars fame and he campaigned to get the Jedi Knight
killed off. The checks made him a millionaire, though.
His 1977 role as Obi-Wan Kenobi introduced him to a new generation of
filmgoers and made him financially secure. "I might never have been heard of again if
it hadn't been for Star Wars," he said. George Lucas made this statement from
Australia:
"I was sad to hear that Alec Guinness passed away today. He was one of the most talented and respected actors of his generation and brought an amazing range and versatility to his work. When I was casting the part of Obi-Wan Kenobi for Star Wars, I was looking for an actor who brought a certain authority to the role. Someone who was powerful yet gentle and that came across in Alec as a person and as an actor. The world has lost a great artist."
We will all sorely miss our original teacher of the Force! Rest in peace Alec.
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