Born in Salford, Greater Manchester, England; trained at RADA, London. Dynamic stage and film star who first made his mark on the London stage inBilly Liar (1960) and in film as a dissatisfied working-class lothario in Karel Reisz's classic of the British Free Cinema movement, SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (1960). After quitting the starring role in David Lean's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, to avoid being tied to a longterm film contract, Finney cemented his film stardom as the rakish, startlingly handsome hero of Tony Richardson's lavish, bawdy TOM JONES (1963). Selective of his film roles, Finney's first love seems to be the stage, where he has won acclaim in John Osborne's Luther (1961), Peter Nichols's A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1968) and numerous Shakespearean and contemporary plays as both an actor and director. In 1965, with actor Michael Medwin, he founded Memorial Enterprises Productions, which was responsible for several outstanding features including his own directorial debut, CHARLIE BUBBLES (1968). He holds the distinction of being the only person in history to ever call Audrey Hepburn "bitch" [in TWO FOR THE ROAD (1967)], even if it was just his line.

Beginning in the 1970s, Finney eschewed romantic roles in favor of juicier character leads, camouflaging his ruddy good looks under wigs, putty noses and other highly theatrical makeup and his rich voice under a variety of accents. Memorable turns include Hercule Poirot in MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974), Daddy Warbucks in ANNIE (1982), a peevish actor-manager in THE DRESSER (1983) and a lovestruck Irish mob boss in the Coen Brothers' MILLER'S CROSSING (1990). In a rare contemporary role, Finney gave an explosive, sexually-charged performance as the estranged husband in Alan Parker's harrowing SHOOT THE MOON (1982). In addition to appearing frequently in television series and made-for-TV movies, Finney's later screen credits include THE PLAYBOYS (1992), RICH ON LOVE (1993), THE BROWNING VERSION and A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (both 1994), THE RUN OF THE COUNTRY (1995), WASHINGTON SQUARE (1997), BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS and SIMPATICO (both 1999), ERIN BROCKOVICH and TRAFFIC (both 2000), HEMINGWAY, THE HUNTER OF DEATH and DELIVERING MILO (both 2001), BIG FISH (2003), OCEAN'S TWELVE (2004), A GOOD YEAR and AMAZING GRACE (both 2006), and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (2007). His first wife (1957-1961) was actress Jane Wenham. He was married to his second wife, actress Anouk Aimée, from 1970 to 1978. He doesn't have an agent or a manager.  Nominated for Actor 1963: TOM JONES  Nominated for Actor 1974: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS  Nominated for Actor 1983: THE DRESSER  Nominated for Actor 1984: UNDER THE VOLCANO  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 2000: ERIN BROCKOVICH 5 nominations