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Sir Stanley Baker (February 8 1927 - June 28 1976) was a Welsh actor.
Baker was born in Ferndale, Rhondda Valley, Wales, United Kingdom. He was an actor and film producer who came to prominence in the 1950s although he made his film debut in 1943 as a teenager in the film 'Undercover'. His adult film career began with 'All Over the Moon' (1949).
He was usually cast as a villain, tough, gritty and fiery - qualities that he played admirably. In private life, he was a close friend and drinking companion of another Welsh actor, Richard Burton. However he was not always a villain and did have a few more endearing roles. Perhaps one of his most memorable roles was as John Chard in 'Zulu' alongside Michael Caine.
He formed his own production company in the 1960s and produced films that included 'Robbery' (1968) and 'The Italian Job' (1969). Along with his production and film career Stanley Baker also appeared on the small screen including the dramas 'The Changeling' (1974), 'Robinson Crusoe' (1974), and also in a BBC adaptation of "How Green Was My Valley" (1975).
Stanley Baker came from rugged Welsh mining stock in the Rhondda Valley, but moved to London with his parents in the mid-1930s. In 1976 he was granted a knighthood, although he never lived to officially receive the honour. His busy life was cut short that same year, when he died from cancer at the age of forty-eight. He passed away in Màlaga, Spain.
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