Alec Guinness

Sir Alec Guinness, KBE, CH (April 2, 1914–August 5, 2000) was an Oscar winning English actor who became one of the most versatile and best-loved performers of his generation.

The Authorized Biography

A 2003 an authorized biography of Guinness, was written by the author Piers Paul Read. Read was given access to Guinness' many diaries and letters and melds many of his own writings into the biography. He also examines the actor's sexuality, and speculates that he may have had repressed homosexual feelings. Outside of the fact that Guinness had many friends and associates who were homosexual and he had sympathy for homosexuals the author gives no proof that Guinness was homosexual or ever engaged in such activity even before his marriage.

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On page 249 Read calls the story of Guinness being arrested for cottaging (aka soliciting for sex in a public toilet), and giving the false name of Herbert Pocket, as being an unsubstanciated rumor and suggested that Guinness was confused with Sir John Gielgud who really was arrested and gave a false name. Despite the fact that a previous biographer Garry O'Connor searched through police records and clippings no such event fitting those circumstances was discovered.

Related Topics:
Cottaging - Sir John Gielgud

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Read told the Catholic Weekly that suggests the exact nature of Sir Alec's sexuality is not clear, although the book include a number of references to homosexuality when describing friends and the fact that Guinness liked the film La Cage Aux Folles. The book focused primarily on Guinness's devotion to the Roman Catholic faith, something he shared with the author, Mr. Read. http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/04/jan/11/16.html.

Related Topics:
La Cage Aux Folles - Roman Catholic

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The biography also states, on the basis of letters written by his wife, Lady Guinness, that Guinness was an emotionally abusive husband who regularly publicly humiliated both his wife and son. Merula planned to write a book about her relationship with Guinness after his death from cancer, but she herself died only two months later from the same disease, and thus could not begin the project.

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Perhaps her son will finish the task for her, as he must surely have been aware of her intentions and probably shared the same views.

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