Perhaps the greatest actor of the 20th century, Baron Laurence Olivier was acclaimed for his stage and film work in a career that began at age 18. A success in London, on Broadway, and in Hollywood, Laurence Olivier's appearances in films such as Wuthering Heights (1939) placed him for all time in the pantheon of acting immortals. He directed and appeared in many film versions of Shakespeare's works, including Henry V (1945), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1956). Olivier was knighted in 1947 and was made a life peer in 1970. He continued film and television work until his death.