Ray Milland

Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh and American actor who rose from light comedy roles to dramatic acclaim, most famously for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's *The Lost Weekend* (1945). That performance earned him the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, a Golden Globe, and the Academy Award for Best Actor—making him the first Welsh-born actor to receive such honors. Born in Neath, Wales, to a steel mill superintendent and his wife, Milland attended local schools and spent a short time at sea before studying at King's College school in Cardiff. He passed the entrance exam for University College Cardiff but did not attend. Before acting, he served in the Royal Horse Guards of the Household Cavalry, becoming an expert marksman who won the British Army Championship in both pistol and rifle shooting. After meeting an actress who questioned his commitment to the army, he bought himself out in 1928 to pursue acting. His first film appearance was as an uncredited extra in *Piccadilly* (1929), and his marksmanship led to extra work on *The Informer* (1929). His first major role came in *The Flying Scotsman* (1929), after which he adopted the stage name Milland, derived from the "mill lands" area of Neath. A nine-month contract with MGM brought him to Hollywood in 1930, where he worked as a stock actor. After MGM, Paramount signed him, using him in lesser speaking parts, often as an English character. He was lent to Universal for *Three Smart Girls* (1936), and its success led to his starring role in *The Jungle Princess* (1936) alongside Dorothy Lamour, which raised both to stardom. Milland remained with Paramount for nearly 20 years, becoming their highest-paid actor. His notable films include *Easy Living* (1937), *Beau Geste* (1939), *The Major and the Minor* (1942), *Reap the Wild Wind* (1942), *The Uninvited* (1944), *Ministry of Fear* (1944), *The Big Clock* (1948), *The Thief* (1952)—for which he earned a second Golden Globe nomination—and later, Alfred Hitchcock's *Dial M for Murder* (1954) and *Love Story* (1970). After leaving Paramount, he began directing and moved into television.