Trivia

Only one day before his death of a heart attack, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) on U.S. network television NBC, entertaining the host and the audience with tales of his youth, his "psychic" grandmother and, eerily, a joke about dying from a heart attack. Carson closed his program the next evening with some words about Finch's passing.

Was discovered by Laurence Olivier in 1948 when Olivier and his theatrical company, which included his wife Vivien Leigh, were conducting a tour of Australia, Olivier signed the young Aussie to a personal contract and Finch became part of Olivier's theatrical company, traveling back to London with his new employer. He then proceeded to cuckold his mentor and employer by bedding Olivier's wife. Olivier was personally humiliated but ever the trouper, he kept the talented Finch under contract. Finch, who had been born in London, flourished as an actor after the career break given him by Olivier. Finch and Leigh carried on a long affair, and since Leigh was bipolar, with her manic-depression frequently manifesting itself in nymphomania, some have speculated that Olivier subconsciously may have been grateful for Finch for occupying Leigh's hours, keeping her out of trouble, and Olivier from embarrassment.

Suffered his fatal heart attack in the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on January 14, 1977.

Holds the distinction of being the first and is the only person to win a posthumous Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

His performance as "Howard Beale" in Network (1976) is ranked #52 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Was the product of an affair between Alicia Ingle-Finch and Wentworth Edward Dallas "Jock" Campbell, a Scottish Military officer. His mother was, at the time, married to George Ingle-Finch, an Australian born mountaineer. Finch didn't meet his mother until he was 33, and his natural father until he was 45.

His uncredited appearance in First Men in the Moon (1964) came about when he was visiting the set and the actor for the scene didn't turn up.

Suffered from fear of flying.

Peter Finch's widow, Jamaican-born Eletha Finch, accepted his Oscar posthumously at the Academy Awards ceremony.

Entombed at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, California -- Cathedral Mausoleum, Corridor A, Crypt 1224 (Across From Rudolph Valentino).

He was not director John Schlesinger first choice for his masterpiece, Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971). Oscar-nominee Alan Bates had been signed by the director to play the part of "Dr. Daniel Hirsh", a youngish homosexual doctor, but eventually became unavailable due to another commitment that ran behind schedule. Ian Bannen replaced him but, according to the late screenwriter, Penelope Gilliatt, in her introduction to the published screenplay, Bannen never felt comfortable with the part. Gilliatt speculated that he was flustered by the fact that he would have to kiss male actor, Murray Head, who played his gay lover while also engaging in a sexual affair with a woman. Schlesinger fired Bannen, replacing him with Finch, with whom he'd worked with on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967). Finch received the first of his two Best Actor Academy Award nominations for the role. Many observers believe Gene Hackman won over Finch because of the gay kiss. Finch did win the BAFTA and National Society of Film Critics Awards prizes for Best Actor for the role.

Father, with Yolande Turner, of their son Charles Finch.

Three decades before the controversy over Brokeback Mountain (2005) failing to win the Best Picture Academy Award over Crash (2004), there was a similar controversy involving Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), one of the first openly and unapologetically gay-themed motion pictures, and the macho police-thriller The French Connection (1971). Many at the time thought The French Connection (1971) was not a worthy winner, and that its victory came at the expense of A Clockwork Orange (1971), a highly controversial movie that was recognized as a masterpiece while simultaneously condemned for its depiction of "ultra-violence." It was the Best Actor Award, however, that was evocative of the Brokeback Mountain (2005) controversy. As one of the three stars of Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), Finch won the first of his two Best Actor Academy Award nominations for playing a gay doctor involved in a love triangle with a bisexual man and a straight woman. Finch inherited the role from Alan Bates, who wanted to do it, but couldn't due to his being held up filming The Go-Between (1971); and after replacement, actor Ian Bannen was fired at the beginning of shooting for balking over a simulated sex sequence. This film brought Finch the best reviews of his film career up to that point. It has been revealed that "officially," Bannen was sacked due to his stated concern that portraying a homosexual engaged in the first screen kiss between two men might damage or destroy his career. Finch unhesitatingly threw himself into the role, kissed co-star Murray Head, and received an Oscar nomination for his performance. Many observers believe that Finch lost the Oscar to eventual winner Gene Hackman because of the gay kiss. For playing the role brilliantly, Finch won the BAFTA and National Society of Film Critics Awards prizes for Best Actor, though Hackman won the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle Award and beat Finch out for the Golden Globe.

Born Frederick George Peter Ingle-Finch in London, he spent much of his childhood in France, India, and finally in his parents' native Australia. He grew up in Sydney, New South Wales, where he began his career as an actor.

On August 15, 2018, he was honored with a day of his film work during the TCM Summer Under The Stars.

Finch's first on-screen performance was in The Magic Shoes (1935), a 1935 Australian short film directed by Claude Fleming. The short was an adaptation of the Cinderella fairy-tale, and also starred Helen Hughes, the daughter of the Australian Prime Minister Morris Hughes. As the creators of the short were unsuccessful in finding a distributor for "The Magic Shoes," it never received a commercial release. It eventually faded into obscurity, and it is now officially classified as lost by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (which cites the film as one of its most-wanted).

In 2006, a roll of nitrate film, containing 33 production stills from the lost short, was discovered, an extraordinary find, in that photos of Helen Hughes had, up until that point, been extremely rare. As it stands, the photos are likely the only physical record that the film ever existed.

Besides the aforementioned photographs, no other material from the film has surfaced, and no known copies of the film itself remain. Still, the National Film and Sound Archive remain optimistic that someone out there may be in possession of a copy, not yet having realized its immense rarity.

His 'father' George Ingle-Finch was a member of the Leigh Mallory Everest expedition of 1922.

Holds the record for most Bafta best film actor wins having won five in total.

He was the natural son of Major Jock Campbell, a Highlander in the Black Watch and Alicia Ingle-Finch, during her marriage to the notable mountaineer George Ingle-Finch. George was the son of an eminent lawyer from New South Wales, Australia.

Had a brief spell as a reporter on the Sydney Sun.

His first film in Britain was Train of Events (1949).

In 1956, he won a Best Actor BAFTA for his performance in A Town Like Alice (1956) and won on another three times including for Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) which also earned him an Oscar nomination.

Is portrayed by Jerome Ehlers in Darlings of the Gods (1989).

He made his film singing debut in the film Lost Horizon (1973).

Made his West End stage debut in 'Daphne Laureola' with Edith Evans.

Won a BAFTA for Best British Actor for A Town Like Alice (1956) and a Moscow Film Festival Award for The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960).

He directed a 25 minute short film 'The Day' which was released in 1960.

After a brief spell as a reporter in Australia he appeared on stage and on radio and in some films including 'Eureka Stockade'.

A memorial service was held for him at St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden on 8th March 1977.

His role in Train of Events was dubbed with a strong German accent.

Has written a book of love poems and does some painting.

Does quite a bit of painting.

He wrote a book of ironical love poems.

When Yolande Turner they lived tn a £42,000 house in London's Mill Hill area.