PETER USTINOV (1921-2004) Oscar-winner Peter Ustinov died, aged 82, in Switzerland, Sunday, March 28, 2004. Ustinov, who won two Oscars for roles in Spartacus and Topkapi; he of heart failure. Also a prolific writer, Ustinov began his acting career at the age of 17 and sold his first screenplay (for The True Glory) at 24. At age 30, he earned his first Oscar nomination for his turn as Nero in Quo Vadis?, effectively establishing himself as one of the screen's most versatile supporting actors. Though known to most moviegoers as a portly British character actor, Ustinov was a multi-talented entertainer who also wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the acclaimed 1962 film Billy Budd, wrote innumerable novels and plays (including Romanoff and Juliet), and traveled extensively as a humanitarian, raconteur and humorist. Ustinov's biographer, John Miller, once remarked that the actor, who was knighted in 1990, "had enough careers for about six other men." Though confined to a wheelchair later in his life, Ustinov continued to raise money for UNICEF and most recently appeared in the film Luther. Other notable roles include his turns as Agatha Christie detective Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun and Appointment with Death as well as films Lorenzo's Oil, Logan's Run, Hot Millions (for which he also received a Screenplay Oscar nomination), The Sundowners and The Egyptian...

Peter Ustinov 1921 - 2004

Actor, Writer, Director, Humanitarian Peter Ustinov Dies at 82

I was first exposed to Peter Ustinov, at a very young age -- during his heyday as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot in films like Evil Under the Sun (1982) and Death on the Nile (1978). He would go on to play the detective in three TV Movies and one more feature film: Thirteen at Dinner (1985) (TV), Murder in Three Acts (1986) (TV), Dead Man's Folly (1986) (TV), and Appointment with Death (1988).

"Beliefs are what divide people. Doubt unites them." -- Peter Ustinov.

After that his best known films include: Lorenzo's Oil (1992), Stiff Upper Lips (1998), The Bachelor (1999), and Luther (2003).

Ustinov won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars, for Spartacus (1960) and Topkapi (1964). He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Quo Vadis? in 1951 and for Best Original Screenplay (with Eli Wallach) for 1968's Hot Millions.

"The habit of religion is oppressive, an easy way out of thought." -- Ustinov.

As actor, his first film appearance was as a priest in One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942). Other films include: The Immortal Battalion (1944), The Magic Box (1951), The Egyptian (1954), as the Prince of Wales in Beau Brummell (1954), with Bogart in Michael Curtiz's We're No Angels (1955), the Circus Master in Lola Montès (1955), The Sundowners (1960), Romanoff and Juliet (1961) (which Ustinov also wrote, produced and directed), as the ineffectual, but decent Captain Edwin Fairfax Vere in Billy Budd (again, also writing, producing and directing), uncredited as Prince Otto of Bavaria in Lady L (1965), as Ambassador Pineda in Graham Greene's The Comedians (1967), Blackbeard in Blackbeard's Ghost (1968), Gen. Maximilian Rodrigues de Santos in Viva Max! (1970), doing the voices of Prince John and King Richard in Disney's pleasant animated hit Robin Hood (1973), Hnup Wan in One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) (a reference to Ustinov's first film, 33 years before), The Old Man in Logan's Run (1976), Herod the Great in the 1977 mini-series Jesus of Nazareth, The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), The Purple Taxi (1977), Ashanti (1979), Charlie Chan in Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981), and in one of the many cameos in The Great Muppet Caper (1981). In the 50s and 60s Ustinov was an occasional guest on What's My Line?

At a UNICEF function; Ustinov is flanked by Ursula Andress (right) and Roger Moore (left).

Ustinov had one child, Tamara Ustinov, with his first of three wives, Isolde Denham (1940 - 1945; divorced). Isolde was half-sister of Angela Lansbury. Ustinov's second wife, Suzanne Cloutier (1954 - 1971; divorced) gave him three children: two daughters, Pavla Ustinov and Andrea Ustinov, and a son, Igor Ustinov. Ustinov married Helene du Lau d' Allemans in 1972, and remained married to her until his death.

"A diplomat these days is nothing but a head waiter who's allowed to sit down occasionally." -- Ustinov.

Peter was awarded the CBE (Companion of the Order of the British Empire) in 1975; and knighted Sir Peter Ustinov in 1990. He had been the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1971.

The entertainer was one-quarter Ethiopian on his mother's side; had a song written about him ("The Night I Saved Peter Ustinov," written and recorded by Lauren Christy); and was fluent in French, German, English, Italian, Russian and Spanish and could pass in Turkish and Greek among others.

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