Dirk Bogarde

Sir Dirk Bogarde
Publicity portrait, 1964
Born	Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde (1921-03-28)28 March 1921 West Hampstead, London, England
Died	8 May 1999(1999-05-08) (aged 78) Chelsea, London, England
Nationality	English
Occupations	Actor novelist screenwriter
Years active	1939–1990
Partner	Anthony Forwood (1949–1988) (Forwood death)[1]
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Rank	Major
Battles / wars	World War II European theatre Pacific theatre
Website	dirkbogarde.co.uk (Dirk Bogarde Estate)

Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as Doctor in the House (1954) for the Rank Organisation, he later acted in art house films, evolving from "heartthrob to icon of edginess".^[2]

In a second career, he wrote seven best-selling volumes of memoirs, six novels, and a volume of collected journalism, mainly from articles in The Daily Telegraph. Bogarde saw active military duty during World War Two, and over the course of five years reached the rank of major and was awarded seven medals. His poetry has been published in war anthologies, and a grey ink brush drawing, "Tents in Orchard. 1944", is in the collection of the British Museum.^[3]

Having come to prominence in films including The Blue Lamp in the early 1950s, Bogarde starred in the successful Doctor film series (1954–1963). He twice won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, for The Servant (1963) and Darling (1965). His other notable film roles included Victim (1961), Accident (1967), The Damned (1969), Death in Venice (1971), The Night Porter (1974), A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Despair (1978). He was appointed a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1990 and a Knight Bachelor in 1992.