From Gandhi to B-movies: Sir Ben Kingsley at 75
Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley has played a wide range of characters in his day: From a comic book villain to a war hero to Gandhi. The unusual roles showcase his enormous talent.
Krishna Pandit Bhanji
The actor we know as Ben Kingsley was born as Krishna Pandit Bhanji on December 31, 1943 in Scarborough, England. His mother was an actress with Russian-Jewish roots. His father, a doctor of Indian descent, advised the budding actor to adopt a stage name to increase his chances at auditions, which he did when he was 19. At the same time, he took on his trademark close shave hairdo.
An Oscar für "Gandhi" (1982)
After a series of non-noteworthy appearances on television productions, Kingsley took on the role of the main character in Sir Richard Attenborough's biopic, "Gandhi." The role was an international breakthrough and arguably his greatest success to date. Kingsley took home numerous awards, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the leader of the popular movement.
"Schindler's List" (1993)
A decade later, another historic role brought attention to the actor's multitude of talents. Portraying Itzhak Stern, the bookkeeper for industrialist Oskar Schindler, Kingsley supported Liam Neeson in telling the story of how Schindler was able to save 1,000 Jewish slave laborers from Nazi camps. Stern was said to have created the legendary list of people who were needed for Schindler's services.
The father of diarist "Anne Frank" (2001)
As Otto Frank, Ben Kingsley was tasked with bringing to life the role of a father trying desperately to keep his family alive — and hidden — during the horrors of the Holocaust. Based on an unofficial biography and not on the diaries kept by Anne Frank, Otto's daughter, the miniseries was not authorized by the Frank family. Still, it's a moving portrayal of a family in desperate times.
A comic book villain
At first glance, it might appear the role of Mandarin that Kingsley played in the Iron Man series was less difficult. In "Iron Man 3," Kingsley played Robert Downey Jr.'s nemesis. The character was not based on any historic figure but was said to simply be evil personified. The series based on the Marvel Comics superhero was one of the biggest box office success stories in cinema history.
An opaque presence in "Shutter Island"
... or at least, the character he played in Martin Scorsese's 2010 thriller "Shutter Island" was hard to see through. In the movie, Kingsely is paired up against Leonardo di Caprio (left), who plays a US marshal investigating a murderer who's gone missing from a clinic for the insane.
Who's afraid of the B-movie wolf?
Even a decorated Hollywood star can make awkward choices when it comes to choosing roles. Kingsley was nominated twice times for the Golden Raspberry, an anti-award, such as for his role in the vampire film "BloodRayne" by trash filmmaker Uwe Boll. In "Self/less" (above) his film character wants to live forever and so chooses to have his consciousness transferred into another body: a flop.
Knighted: Sir Kingsley
Whether or not Queen Elizabeth II is a fan of trash flicks is not up for discussion here. But she does seem to be a fan of Kingsley's work, honoring the actor with a knighthood in 2002. He's seen holding his medal here with acting colleague Lynn Redgrave. Rumors swirl about whether or not the good sir allows the use of his "Sir" title.