Oliver Reed

Robert Oliver Reed (13th February1938- 2nd May 1999) was born in Wimbledon England. But after bouncing from job to job, it didn't take this high school dropout long to create his niche as a heavy in the film industry. His most famous relative was his uncle, director Sir Carol Reed - who offered him little assistance in the film business. In fact, Reed (the younger) had to persuade Reed (the elder) to cast him as Bill Sykes in the award-winning musical Oliver! in 1968. Despite assumptions of nepotism, it was Reed's own rough good-looks and dangerous machismo that made him a sought-after actor, especially in England where other leading men paled against Reed's dark screen presence. Indeed, it's hard to believe that his uncle was hesitant to hire him since he was perfect for the part and had already established himself as an actor.