Sir Laurence Olivier at a press conference, 26 April, 1955

Sir Laurence Olivier at a press conference, 26 April, 1955. A photograph of British actor Laurence Olivier (1907-1989), taken by K Lauder for the Daily Herald newspaper. Olivier stands at a table, holding open a large book. The occasion is a press conference for Richard III (1955), a film in which he both starred and directed. Sir Laurence Olivier is considered by many to be the greatest English actor of the twentieth century. A star of screen and stage, including the films Henry V (1944) and Hamlet (1948), Olivier was knighted in 1947. When he died, Olivier's body was buried in Westminster Abbey in recognition of his cultural services to the nation. This photograph has been selected from the Daily Herald Archive, a collection of over three million photographs. The archive holds work of international, national and local importance by both staff and agency photographers. ©SSPL/NMeM/Daily Herald Archive