View source for Frank Finlay

{{Short description|English actor (1926–2016)}}
{{for multi|the Irish cricketer and British Army officer|Frank Finlay (cricketer)|the New Zealand politician|Frank Findlay}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               =
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}}
| image              = File:Chiave3.jpg
| imagesize          =
| birth_name         = Francis Finlay
| caption            = Finlay in ''[[The Key (1983 film)|The Key]]'' (1983)
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1926|8|6|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Farnworth]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2016|1|30|1926|8|6|df=yes}}
| death_place        = [[Weybridge]], Surrey, England
| occupation         = Actor
| yearsactive        = 1958–2009
| spouse             = {{marriage|Doreen Shepherd|1954|2005|reason=died}}
| children           = 3
| website            = [http://www.frankfinlay.net/ Official website]
}}
'''Francis Finlay''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (6 August 1926 – 30 January 2016) was an English actor. He earned an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Academy Award]] nomination for his performance as [[Iago]] in ''[[Othello (1965 British film)|Othello]]'' (1965).<ref name=BBCnews/> His first leading television role came in 1971 in ''[[Casanova (1971 TV serial)|Casanova]]''.<ref name=BBCnews>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35455932 BBC News, "Actor Frank Finlay dies aged 89", 31 January 2016]. Accessed 1 February 2016.</ref> This led to appearances<ref name="1978 Christmas Show">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlcgwp1sQw4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/Vlcgwp1sQw4 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|website=[[YouTube]] |title=Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show 1978 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> on ''[[The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series)|The Morecambe and Wise Show]]''.<ref>Gary Morecambe, ''Eric Morecambe: Life's Not Hollywood It's Cricklewood''. BBC Books, 2004, p. 210.</ref> Finlay starred alongside famous Italian actress [[Stefania Sandrelli]] in [[Tinto Brass]]' ''[[The Key (1983 film)|The Key]]'', the most successful Italian film of the 1983–1984 season. He also appeared in the drama ''[[Bouquet of Barbed Wire]]''.<ref name=Telegraph>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7980317/I-never-set-out-to-shock-Andrea-Newman.html ''Daily Telegraph''.]</ref> A four-time [[BAFTA]] nominee, Finlay won one for his television performances in 1974.

==Early life==
Finlay was born in [[Farnworth]], [[Lancashire]], the son of Josiah Finlay and Margaret Finlay.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/69/Frank-Finlay.html |title=Frank Finlay profile |website=Filmreference.com |access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref> He was educated at St Gregory the Great School, but left at 14 to train as a butcher at Toppings, gaining a [[City and Guilds]] Diploma in the trade.<ref name="Bolton News">{{Cite web |url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/14245391.Family_pays_tribute_to__loving_grandfather__and__damn_fine_actor__Frank_Finlay/ |title=Family pays tribute to 'loving grandfather' and 'damn fine actor' Frank Finlay |website=The Bolton News}}</ref>

==Stage career==
Finlay made his first stage appearances at the local Farnworth Little Theatre, in plays that included Peter Blackmore's ''Miranda'' in 1951.<ref name=BBCnews/><ref name="Bolton News"/> The current Little Theatre president, also in the cast of that ''Miranda'' production, remembers him as a perfectionist in his craft. He also played in [[repertory]], initially in Scotland, before winning a scholarship to [[RADA]] in London.<ref name="Bolton News"/><ref name=BBCnews/>

There followed several parts in productions at the [[Royal Court Theatre]], such as the [[Arnold Wesker]] trilogy. He became particularly associated with the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]], especially during the years when [[Laurence Olivier]] was director. Playing [[Iago]] opposite Olivier's [[Othello (character)|title character]] in [[John Dexter]]'s 1965 production of ''[[Othello]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |title=Frank Finlay, 89, Is Dead; Was Iago to Olivier's Othello |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/arts/frank-finlay-89-is-dead-was-iago-to-oliviers-othello.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2016-02-06 |access-date=2016-02-11 |issn=0362-4331 |first=Margalit |last=Fox}}</ref> and the [[Othello (1965 British film)|film adaptation]] of that production (also 1965),<ref name=BBCnews/><ref name="Bolton News"/> Finlay's performance left theatre critics unmoved, but he later received high praise for the film version and gained an [[Academy Award]] nomination.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1299665761919 |title=Awards listing |website=Awardsdatabase.oscars.org |access-date=2016-01-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114044304/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1299665761919 |archive-date=14 January 2012}}</ref> The critic [[John Simon (critic)|John Simon]] wrote that the close-ups in the film allowed Finlay to give a more subtle and effective performance than he had done on stage.

At the [[Chichester Festival Theatre]], Finlay played roles ranging from the First Gravedigger in ''[[Hamlet]]'' to [[Josef Frank (politician)|Josef Frank]] in ''[[Weapons of Happiness]]''. He also appeared in ''The Party'', ''Plunder'', ''[[Saint Joan (play)|Saint Joan]]'', ''[[Hobson's Choice (play)|Hobson's Choice]]'', ''[[Amadeus (play)|Amadeus]]'' (as Salieri),<ref name=Herald/> ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (as [[Dogberry]]), ''[[The Dutch Courtesan]]'', ''[[The Crucible]]'', ''[[Mother Courage and Her Children|Mother Courage]]'', and ''[[Juno and the Paycock]]''.

Finlay made appearances on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], in ''[[Epitaph for George Dillon]]'' (1958–1959), and in the National Theatre and Broadway productions of ''[[Filumena]]'' opposite [[Joan Plowright]] in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web |author=The Broadway League |url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=40517 |title=Frank Finlay profile |website=IBDB.com |access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref> Between November 1988 and April 1989, Finlay toured Australia, performing in [[Jeffrey Archer]]'s ''Beyond Reasonable Doubt'' at theatres in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://frankfinlay.net/Theatre/Beyond_Reasonable_Doubt.html |title=Beyond Reasonable Doubt |website=FrankFinlay.Net |access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref>

==Screen==
{{one source|section|date=January 2016}}

One of his earliest television roles was in the family space adventure serial ''[[Target Luna]]'' (1960), as journalist Conway Henderson. Finlay's first major television success was as [[Jean Valjean]] in the BBC's 1967 ten-part adaptation of [[Victor Hugo]]'s ''[[Les Misérables]]''. He played the title role of [[Dennis Potter]]'s [[BBC Two|BBC 2]] series ''[[Casanova (1971 TV serial)|Casanova]]'' (1971).<ref name=BBCnews/> Following this, he portrayed [[Adolf Hitler]] in ''[[The Death of Adolf Hitler (ITV Sunday Night Theatre)|The Death of Adolf Hitler]]'' (1973) for [[London Weekend Television]].<ref name=Herald/>

Finlay was one of the stars of [[Martin Ritt]]'s highly acclaimed 1970 feature ''[[The Molly Maguires (film)|The Molly Maguires]]''. He portrayed [[Richard Roundtree]]'s nemesis, Amafi, in the film ''[[Shaft in Africa]]'' (1973), before playing [[Porthos]] for director [[Richard Lester]] in ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (also 1973),<ref name=BBCnews/> ''[[The Four Musketeers (1974 film)|The Four Musketeers]]'' (1975) and ''[[The Return of the Musketeers]]'' (1989).<ref name=BBCnews/> He appeared in several additional films, including ''[[The Wild Geese]]'' (1978)<ref name=BBCnews/> and ''[[The Key (1983 film)|The Key]]'' by [[Tinto Brass]].

Finlay starred as the father in the once-controversial ''[[Bouquet of Barbed Wire]]'' (1976), and its sequel ''Another Bouquet'' (1977), and he was reunited with his ''Bouquet of Barbed Wire'' co-star, [[Susan Penhaligon]], when he played [[Abraham Van Helsing|Professor Van Helsing]] in the BBC's ''[[Count Dracula (1977 film)|Count Dracula]]'' (also 1977), with [[Louis Jourdan]]. He appeared in two [[Sherlock Holmes]] films as [[Lestrade]], solving the [[Jack the Ripper]] murders (''[[A Study in Terror]]'', 1965, and ''[[Murder by Decree]]'', 1979). He also played a role as the primary antagonist in an adaptation of "The Golden Pince-Nez" of the [[Granada Television]] series of ''Sherlock Holmes'' starring [[Jeremy Brett]], in which his son Daniel played a minor role as well. Finlay appeared on American television in ''[[A Christmas Carol (1984 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1984) playing [[Jacob Marley|Marley's Ghost]] opposite [[George C. Scott]]'s [[Ebenezer Scrooge]]. He also guest-starred as a farcical witch-smeller in an episode of ''[[The Black Adder]]'' ("[[Witchsmeller Pursuivant]]", 1983), opposite [[Rowan Atkinson]].<ref name=BBCnews/>

In 1994 he played Howard Franklin in fourth-series [[Heartbeat (British TV series)|''Heartbeat'']] episode "Lost and Found". Finlay played [[Sancho Panza]] opposite [[Rex Harrison]]'s [[Don Quixote]] in the 1973 British [[made-for-television]] film ''The Adventures of Don Quixote'',<ref>{{Cite web |author=Josephdreams|url=http://frankfinlay.net/Television/Don_Quixote.html |title=Frank Finlay website |publisher=Frank Finlay |access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref> for which he won a [[BAFTA]] award.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/television/nominations/?year=1973 |title=BAFTA Television Awards |website=Bafta.org |date=31 July 2014 |access-date=31 January 2016}}</ref> He won another BAFTA award that year for his performance as [[Voltaire]] in the [[BBC]] TV production of ''[[Candide]]''.<ref name=Herald/>

Finlay played the role of [[Judge|Justice]] [[Peter Mahon (judge)|Peter Mahon]] in the award-winning New Zealand television serial ''[[Erebus: The Aftermath]]'' (1988). In the [[Roman Polanski]] film ''[[The Pianist (2002 film)|The Pianist]]'' (2002), he took on the part of [[Adrien Brody]]'s father.<ref name=BBCnews/><ref name="Bolton News"/> He starred alongside [[Pete Postlethwaite]] and [[Geraldine James]] in the BBC drama series ''[[The Sins]]'' in 2000, playing the funeral director "Uncle" Irwin Green. He appeared in the TV series ''[[Life Begins (TV series)|Life Begins]]'' (2004–2006)<ref name=BBCnews/> and as [[Jane Tennison]]'s father in the last two stories of ''[[Prime Suspect (UK TV series)|Prime Suspect]]'' (2006 and 2007). In 2007, he guest-starred in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' audio adventure ''[[100 (audio drama)|100]]''. Finlay appeared in November 2008 in the eleventh episode of the BBC drama series ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'', as "[[List of Merlin characters#Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns|Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns]]".<ref name=BBCnews/>

==Personal life and honours==
Finlay met his future wife Doreen Shepherd when both belonged to Farnworth Little Theatre. They had three children,<ref name="Bolton News"/> lived in [[Shepperton]], [[Middlesex]]. She died in 2005 aged 79.<ref name="Bolton News"/> As a [[Roman Catholic]],<ref>{{Cite news |author=Deborah Ross |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-frank-finlay-getting-over-the-barbed-wire-1146625.html |title=Interview: Frank Finlay: Getting to over the barbed wire |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=24 February 1998 |access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref> Finlay became a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild (now the [[Catholic Association of Performing Arts]]). Finlay was made a Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]] in the New Year's Honours of 1984<ref name=BBCnews/><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=49583 |date=30 December 1983 |supp=y |page=8}}</ref> and an honorary doctor of the [[University of Bolton]] in 2009.<ref name="Bolton News"/>

==Death==
Finlay died on 30 January 2016 at his home in [[Weybridge]], [[Surrey]], aged 89, from heart failure.<ref name=BBCnews/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://frankfinlay.net/index.html |title=Frank Finlay |last=Josephdreams |website=frankfinlay.net}}</ref><ref name=Independent>{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/frank-finlay-dead-british-oscar-nominated-actor-who-played-opposite-olivier-dies-aged-89-a6844566.html |title=Frank Finlay dead: British Oscar-nominated actor who played opposite Olivier dies aged 89 |work=The Independent|access-date=31 January 2016 |date=30 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35455932 |title=Actor Frank Finlay dies aged 89 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=31 January 2016 |date=30 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=Herald>{{Cite web |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14243192.Obituary__Frank_Finlay/ |title=Obituary: Frank Finlay |website=HeraldScotland |language=en |access-date=2017-08-01}}</ref>

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Awards
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
| rowspan="3" |1966
|[[Academy Awards]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| rowspan="4" |[[Othello (1965 British film)|''Othello'']]
|{{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-10-04 |title=The 38th Academy Awards {{!}} 1966 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1966 |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.oscars.org |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Golden Globe Awards]]
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
|{{nom}}
|
|-
|[[San Sebastián International Film Festival]]
|[[Silver Shell for Best Actor]]
|{{won}}
|
|-
|1967
|[[British Academy Film Awards]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles|Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles]]
|{{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Promising Newcomer To Leading Film Roles |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/most-promising-newcomer-to-leading-film-roles |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|1972
| rowspan="2" |[[British Academy Television Awards]]
| rowspan="2" |[[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|[[Casanova (1971 TV serial)|''Casanova'']]
|{{nom}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Actor |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/actor-television |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|1974
|[[Play of the Month|''Play of the Month: The Adventure of Don Quixote'']] / ''Candide'' / [[ITV Sunday Night Theatre|''ITV Sunday Night Theatre:'']] [[The Death of Adolf Hitler (ITV Sunday Night Theatre)|''The Death of Adolf Hitler'']]
|{{won}}
|-
|1976
|[[Laurence Olivier Awards]]
|[[Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a New Play|Actor of the Year in a New Play]]
|''When It Comes Down'' / ''Weapons of Decree''
|{{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivier Winners 1976 |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1976/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|-
|1983
|[[British Academy Film Awards]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
|[[The Return of the Soldier (film)|''The Return of the Soldier'']]
|{{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Supporting Actor |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/supporting-actor |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>
|}

==Filmography==

===Film===
{|class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#B0C4DE;"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
! {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|rowspan=4|1962
|''[[Life for Ruth]]''
|Henry – Teddy's father
|
|
|-
|''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]''
|Private Coke
| rowspan="2" |Uncredited
|
|-
|''[[The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (film)|The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner]]''
| Booking Office clerk
| <ref name=Herald/>
|-
|''[[Private Potter]]''
|Captain Patterson
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1963
|''[[Doctor in Distress (film)|Doctor in Distress]]''
|Corsetiere
|
| <ref name=Herald/>
|-
|''[[The Informers (1963 film)|The Informers]]''
|Leon Sale
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1964
|''[[Hot Enough for June]]''
|British Embassy porter
|Uncredited
|
|-
|''[[The Comedy Man]]''
|Prout
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|1965
|''[[A Study in Terror]]''
|[[Inspector Lestrade]]
|Reprised the role fourteen years later in ''[[Murder by Decree]]''
| <ref name=Herald/>
|-
|''[[The Wild Affair]]''
|Drunk
|
|
|-
|''[[Othello (1965 British film)|Othello]]''
|[[Iago]]
|
| <ref name=BBCnews/>
|-
|rowspan=2|1966
|''[[The Sandwich Man (1966 film)|The Sandwich Man]]''
|Second fish porter
|
|
|-
|''[[The Deadly Bees]]''
|H.W. Manfred
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|1967
|''[[The Jokers]]''
|Harassed man
|
|
|-
|''[[Robbery (1967 film)|Robbery]]''
|Robinson
|
|
|-
|''[[I'll Never Forget What's'isname]]''
|Chaplain
|
|
|-
|''[[The Spare Tyres]]''
|Council foreman
|Short
|
|-
|rowspan=3|1968
|''[[Inspector Clouseau (film)|Inspector Clouseau]]''
|Superintendent Weaver
|
|
|-
|''[[The Shoes of the Fisherman (movie)|The Shoes of the Fisherman]]''
|Igor Bounin
|
|
|-
|''[[Twisted Nerve]]''
|Henry Durnley
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1970
|''[[The Molly Maguires (film)|The Molly Maguires]]''
|Davies
|
|
|-
|''[[Cromwell (film)|Cromwell]]''
|John Carter
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1971
|''[[Assault (film)|Assault]]''
|Det. Chief Supt. Velyan
|
|
|-
|''[[Gumshoe (film)|Gumshoe]]''
|William Ginley
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|1972
|''[[Sitting Target]]''
|Marty Gold
|
|
|-
|''[[Danny Jones (film)|Danny Jones]]''
|Mr. Jones
|
|
|-
|''[[Neither the Sea Nor the Sand]]''
|George Dabernon
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1973
|''[[Shaft in Africa]]''
|Amafi
|
|
|-
|''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]''
|[[Porthos]] / O'Reilly
|
| <ref name=BBCnews/><ref name=Herald/><ref name=Independent/>
|-
|1974
|''[[The Four Musketeers (1974 film)|The Four Musketeers]]''
|Porthos
|Sequel to ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]''
| <ref name=BBCnews/><ref name=Herald/><ref name=Independent/>
|-
| 1978
|''[[The Wild Geese]]''
|Father Geoghagen
|
| <ref name=BBCnews/>
|-
|rowspan=2|1979
|''[[Murder by Decree]]''
|Inspector Lestrade
|
|
|-
|''{{Interlanguage link multi|Un'ombra nell'ombra|it|3=Un'ombra nell'ombra|lt=Ring of Darkness}}''
|Paul
|aka ''Satan's Wife''
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1982
|''[[The Return of the Soldier (film)|The Return of the Soldier]]''
|William Grey
|
|
|-
|''[[Enigma (1982 film)|Enigma]]''
|Canarsky
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1983
|''[[The Ploughman's Lunch]]''
|Matthew Fox
|
|
|-
|''[[The Key (1983 film)|The Key]]''
|Nino Rolfe
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1985
|''[[1919 (film)|1919]]''
|[[Sigmund Freud]]
|Voice
|
|-
|''[[Lifeforce (film)|Lifeforce]]''
|Dr. Hans Fallada
|
|
|-
|1989
|''[[The Return of the Musketeers]]''
|Porthos
|Final film in the Musketeers trilogy
| <ref name=BBCnews/><ref name=Herald/>
|-
|1990
|''[[King of the Wind (film)|King of the Wind]]''
|Edward Coke
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1992
|''[[Cthulhu Mansion]]''
|Chandu
|
|
|-
|''[[Stalin (1992 film)|Stalin]]''
|Sergei Alliluyev
|TV movie
|
|-
|1993
|''[[Sparrow (1993 film)|Sparrow]]''
|Father Nunzio
|
|
|-
|1995
|''[[Gospa]]''
|Monsignor
|
|
|-
|1996
|''[[Tiré à part]]''
|John Rathbone
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|1997
|''[[For My Baby]]''
|Rudi Wittfogel
|
|
|-
|''[[So This Is Romance?]]''
|Mike's dad
|
|
|-
|''The Road to Glory''
|Yudah Lieb Gold
|
|
|-
|''Put K Slave''
|
|
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Stiff Upper Lips]]''
|Hudson Junior
|
|
|-
|1999
|''[[Dreaming of Joseph Lees]]''
|Father
|
|
|-
|2000
|''[[Ghosthunter (short film)|Ghosthunter]]''
|Charlie Fielding
|Short
|
|-
|2001
|''[[The Martins (film)|The Martins]]''
|Mr. Heath
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|2002
|''[[The Pianist (2002 film)|The Pianist]]''
|Samuel Szpilman
|
| <ref name=BBCnews/><ref name="Bolton News"/><ref name=Herald/>
|-
|''[[Silent Cry (film)|Silent Cry]]''
|Dr. Robert Barrum
|
|
|-
| 2003
|''[[The Statement (film)|The Statement]]''
|Commissaire Vionnet
|
|
|-
| 2004
|''[[Lighthouse Hill (film)|Lighthouse Hill]]''
|Alfred
|
|
|-
|2007
|''[[The Waiting Room (2007 film)|The Waiting Room]]''
|Roger
|
|
|}

===Television===
{|class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#B0C4DE;"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
! {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| 1970
|''[[Play For Today]]''
|Andrew Firth
|Episode: "The Lie" (written by [[Ingmar Bergman]])
| <ref>{{citation|title=The Lie|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065982/|date=29 October 1970|via=IMDb}}</ref>
|-
| 1971
|''[[Casanova (1971 TV serial)|Casanova]]''
|[[Giacomo Casanova|Casanova]]
|Main role
|<ref name=BBCnews/>
|-
| 1973
|''[[ITV Sunday Night Theatre]]''
|[[Adolf Hitler]]
|Episode: "[[The Death of Adolf Hitler (ITV Sunday Night Theatre)|The Death of Adolf Hitler]]"
| <ref name=Herald/>
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Bouquet of Barbed Wire]]''
| Peter Manson
| TV mini-series
| <ref name=Telegraph/><ref name=Herald/><ref name=Independent/>
|-
|1977
|''[[Count Dracula (1977)|Count Dracula]]''
|Abraham Van Helsing
|TV movie
| <ref name=Herald/>
|-
| 1983
|''[[The Black Adder]]''
|The [[Witchsmeller Pursuivant]]
|Episode: "[[Witchsmeller Pursuivant]]"
| <ref name=BBCnews/><ref name=Herald/>
|-
|rowspan=2|1984
|''[[Sakharov (film)|Sakharov]]''
|Kravtsov
| rowspan="3" |TV movie
|
|-
|''[[A Christmas Carol (1984 film)|A Christmas Carol]]''
|[[Jacob Marley|Jacob Marley's Ghost]]
| <ref name=Herald/>
|-
|1987
|''[[Casanova (1987 film)|Casanova]]''
|Razetta
| <ref name=Independent/>
|-
|1988
|''[[Erebus: The Aftermath]]''
|Justice Peter Mahon
|TV Mini-Series
|
|-
|1998–1999
|''[[How Do You Want Me?]]''
|Astley Yardley
|10 episodes
|
|-
|2000
|''[[The Sins]]''
|'Uncle' Irwin Green
|BBC drama series
|
|-
|rowspan=2|2003
|''[[Eroica (2003 film)|Eroica]]''
|[[Joseph Haydn]]
| rowspan="2" |TV movie
|
|-
|''[[The Lost Prince]]''
|H.H. Asquith
|
|-
| 2004
|''[[Life Begins (TV series)|Life Begins]]''
|Eric
|ITV Series
|
|-
|2008
|''[[Merlin (2008 TV series)|Merlin]]''
|[[List of Merlin characters#Anhora|Anhora]]
|Episode: "The Labyrinth of Gedref"
| <ref name=BBCnews/>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.frankfinlay.net/}}
* {{IMDb name|0277975}}
* {{IBDB name|40517}}
* Obituary at the ''Bolton News'' [1 February 2016] [http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/14245391.Family_pays_tribute_to__loving_grandfather__and__damn_fine_actor__Frank_Finlay/ Retrieved 7 February 2016.]

{{British Academy Television Award for Best Actor 1960–1979}}
{{Silver Shell for Best Actor}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finlay, Frank}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:Actors from Farnworth]]
[[Category:People from Shepperton]]
[[Category:Trustees of the British Museum]]
[[Category:Male actors from Lancashire]]
[[Category:Male actors from Surrey]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Actors from the Borough of Spelthorne]]