Dudley Moore: Oscar-Nominated Comedian, Jazz Pianist and Star of Arthur

Dudley Moore was a celebrated British comedian, actor, composer and jazz pianist best known for his Oscar-nominated performance as the lovable, hard-drinking millionaire in Arthur (1981) and for his comedy partnership with Peter Cook. Born on April 19, 1935, in Charing Cross, London, Moore rose from a modest childhood in Dagenham to an organ scholarship at Magdalen College, Oxford, where his musical talent and quick wit first caught the public’s attention. His boyish charm and gift for both slapstick and music made him one of the most popular entertainers of his generation.

Moore first became famous on stage in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe, then teamed with Peter Cook on the BBC series Not Only... But Also, which won a BAFTA in 1966, and on the cult film Bedazzled (1967). He crossed over to Hollywood with Foul Play (1978) and the hit comedy 10 (1979) before starring in Arthur, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe. He won a second Golden Globe for Micki & Maude (1984), and he continued to perform as a concert pianist throughout his career.

Moore was married four times, to Suzy Kendall, Tuesday Weld, Brogan Lane and Nicole Rothschild, and had two sons. In his final years he was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare degenerative brain disease whose early symptoms were often mistaken for drunkenness. He was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 and died of pneumonia at his home in Plainfield, New Jersey, on March 27, 2002, at age 66. Remembered as a gifted comic and a fine musician, he left behind a body of work that still delights audiences.

Achievements: Won Golden Globe Awards for Arthur (1981) and Micki & Maude (1984), earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for Arthur, co-created Beyond the Fringe and Not Only... But Also with Peter Cook, named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2001.

Birth: April 19, 1935 — Charing Cross, London, England.

Profession: Actor, comedian, composer and jazz pianist.

Interesting Facts: Moore was born with club feet and his left foot stayed permanently twisted, yet he stood just 5 feet 2 inches tall and became a Hollywood leading man. He led the Dudley Moore Trio, a respected jazz group, and also wrote the score for the 1978 film The Hound of the Baskervilles.