Trivia

An all-round track and field athlete, he played rugby for the Navy and, while stationed in the Mediterranean, became undefeated heavyweight boxing champion of both the Army and Navy.

Served as a Commander in the Royal Navy for twenty years before he became an actor.

When cast as dignified figures of authority, Gwillim seems to have merely played himself. Michael Powell described him as "six-feet-two, taciturn, polite, and every inch of him Royal Navy." Powell added that during the filming of Pursuit of the Graf Spee "the other actors had to mind their p's' and and q's'" whenever Gwillim was present. ..."a glance from those grey eyes stiffened their backbones.".

At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was a serving officer in Hong Kong and China. In 1946 he was invalided out of the service with arthritis while a commander, the youngest of that rank at the time of his promotion.

His last stage performance came in 1995 in the play "On Borrowed Time". In it he acted with two of his children, his son-in-law, two grandchildren and their dog.

Joined the Royal Navy at the age of 17.

He appeared in three Best Picture Academy Award winners: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), A Man for All Seasons (1966) and Patton (1970).

Served in World War II.

He was nominated for a 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in "Too Good To Be True" at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Won the Best actor award in 1976 from the New Jersey Drama Critics Association for his role in The Heiress at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey.

He was nominated for a 1975 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for his performance in "The Farm" at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Father, with Olivia Selby, of Jaxon Duff Gwillim.

Attended Central School in London England.

Friends with actors Harry Andrews and Anthony Quayle.

Father, with Peggy Bollard, of Sarah-Jane Gwillim and David Gwillim.