Peter Finch
“He raged that he was mad as hell and won the Oscar he never lived to accept.”
In 1976 Peter Finch played Howard Beale, the unhinged television anchorman who bellows 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' in Network. The performance was the towering peak of his career, but he died of a heart attack in January 1977 while promoting the film. Two months later he became the first actor ever to win an Academy Award posthumously.
From Australia to the West End
Born in London but raised partly in Australia, Finch built his early reputation on Australian radio and stage. A 1949 encounter with Laurence Olivier brought him to Britain, where he became a leading man of stage and screen.
A Versatile Leading Man
Across two decades he played soldiers, politicians, and the persecuted Oscar Wilde, collecting a record five Best Actor BAFTAs. His tender turn in Sunday Bloody Sunday broke new ground in its frank depiction of a gay relationship.
The Final Triumph
Cast as deranged newsman Howard Beale in Network, Finch delivered one of cinema's most quoted monologues. He died suddenly weeks before the Oscars, where he made history as the first posthumous acting winner.
Career Timeline
- 1916Born in South Kensington, London
- 1936Begins acting career in Australia
- 1949Encouraged by Laurence Olivier to work in Britain
- 1956Wins BAFTA for A Town Like Alice
- 1960Plays Oscar Wilde in The Trials of Oscar Wilde
- 1961Wins BAFTA for No Love for Johnnie
- 1971Stars in Sunday Bloody Sunday
- 1976Plays Howard Beale in Network
- 1977Dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles
- 1977Wins Best Actor Oscar posthumously
Biggest Hits
- He was the first actor to win an Academy Award after his death; his widow Eletha accepted it onstage.
- He spent his early career in Australia and was mentored toward the British stage by Laurence Olivier.
The Moment You Remember
As anchorman Howard Beale he urges viewers from their chairs to throw open their windows and shout that they are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. The cry rang out beyond the film, and the performance won him a posthumous Academy Award.
Portrait: Trailer screenshot (I Thank a Fool, 1962) · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons