Born in London, England. Made his London stage debut at 18. In 1902 an American tour brought him great success and he stayed for 20 years, to appear in many Broadway productions and films. He was particularly popular for his stage portrayals of such historical figures as Voltaire, Richelieu, Disraeli, and Alexander Hamilton, a specialty he was later to transfer to the screen. In 1921 he made his first film appearance in THE DEVIL, an adaptation of the Molnár play, in which he had appeared on Broadway in 1906. That same year he repeated another Broadway success in a silent film version of DISRAELI. A sound version of the same film brought him an Academy Award for 1929-30. Other film credits include THE MILLIONAIRE and ALEXANDER HAMILTON (both 1931), THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD (1932), VOLTAIRE (1933), THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD and THE IRON DUKE (both 1934), CARDINAL RICHELIEU, THE TUNNEL and THE GUV'NOR (all 1935), HIS LORDSHIP and EAST MEETS WEST (both 1936) and DOCTOR SYN (1937). He authored two autobiographies, Up the Years From Bloomsbury (1927) and My Ten Years at the Studios (1940). His wife Florence (Montgomery) Arliss (1871-1950), appeared with him in several films. He retired from the screen in 1937 when she lost her sight. Their son was director Leslie Arliss (1901-1987). * Actor 1929-30: DISRAELI   (co-nomination with THE GREEN GODDESS) 1 nomination, 1 Award