David Niven

David Niven was born March 1, 1910 in London England. He was originally named James David Graham Niven and his nickname was Niv. He attended Sandhurst Military Academy and served in Malta with the Highland Light Infantry. When WWII broke out he joined the rifle brigade. While fighting in the war, Niven did film two movies: Spitfire in 1942 and The Way Ahead in 1944. He returned to Hollywood after the war and was made a legionnaire of the Order of Merit.
Niven was always charming in public and in the characters he played. He had a dry English wit and often dressed "to the nine." He always had a thin moustache and slick hair. He never talked about his WWII days. When helping a friend out by searching for the grave of their son, he found 27000 other graves. He always said, I have 27000 reasons why I don't talk about the War.
Niven played Bond in Casino Royale in 1967 and The Prisoner of Zenda in 1937. He made Stairway to Heaven in 1946 with Raymond Massey. Niven is best known for his role as Peter Carter in A Matter of Life and Death, Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and as Sir Charles Lytton in The Pink Panther. In 1958 he starred in Separate Tables and won an Academy Award for this picture.
Niven was the second most popular British actor in the 1945 polls. He played in The Bishop's Wife in 1947, Enchantment in 1948, The Elusive Pimpernel in 1950, The Toast of New Orleans in 1950 and Happy Ever After in 1954. In 1959 Niven hosted his own TV drama Series, The David Niven Show and he next appeared in at least 30 films. Some of his best known films are the Guns of Navarone in 1961, Murder by Death in 1976, Death on the Nile in 1978 and The Sea Wolves in 1980. His last film experience was The Curse of the Pink Panther. He was in ill health during these filming and his voice had to be dubbed over.
Niven wrote Round the Rugged Rocks, The Moon's a Balloon, Bring on the Empty Horses and Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly. He was married to Primula Rollo from 1940 until 1946 when Primula died. She left two children. He married Hjordis Genbert in 1948 and they were married until his death from Lou Gehrig's disease on July 29, 1983. They also had two children.