Born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England. The son of a wealthy merchant and having studied architecture at Cambridge, Mason decided he could make more money on the stage than designing buildings, and played with the London's Old Vic and the Gate Company in Dublin. He first appeared onscreen in British "quota quickies" and caused a sensation as a handsome, sadistic aristocrat in the 1943 costume drama, THE MAN IN GREY. After another triumphant appearance in Carol Reed's Irish suspense thriller, ODD MAN OUT (1947), Mason became Britain's biggest star, moving to Hollywood soon after. Although Southern California softened his rougher edges, he found his niche as an urbane matinee idol with a dark side. This persona was exploited to international success in the Cukor-Garland remake of A STAR IS BORN (1954), with Mason playing complex, Barrymore-style monster Norman Maine (a role which Cary Grant had turned down). Though gifted with a distinctive, beautiful speaking voice, and with a range much deeper than that of a conventional leading man, Mason nevertheless had trouble finding the kind of quality roles he deserved. His filmography is generally undistinguished, but contains several gems, including: 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954), as the obsessed Captain Nemo; Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), this time opposite Cary Grant; Kubrick's LOLITA (1962), as Humbert Humbert; the Harold Pinter-scripted THE PUMPKIN EATER (1964); and GEORGY GIRL (1966), as the aging roué in pursuit of Lynn Redgrave. He received another best supporting actor nomination for his role in THE VERDICT (1982). Mason died of a heart attack in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1984.  Nominated for Actor 1954: A STAR IS BORN  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1966: GEORGY GIRL  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1982: THE VERDICT 3 nominations