Robert Oliver Reed 13 February 1938 2 May 1999 was an English actor known for his hellraiser lifestyle After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s his notable films include The Trap 1966 playing Bill Sikes in the 1968 Best Picture Oscar winner Oliver a film directed by his uncle Carol Reed Women in Love 1969 Hannibal Brooks 1969 The Devils 1971 portraying Athos in The Three Musketeers 1973 and The Four Musketeers 1974 the lover and stepfather in Tommy 1975 Funny Bones 1995 and Gladiator 2000 For playing Antonius Proximo the old gruff gladiator trainer in Ridley Scotts Gladiator in what was his final film Reed was posthumously nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2000 At the peak of his career in 1971 British exhibitors voted Reed fifth most popular star at the box office The British Film Institute BFI stated that partnerships with Michael Winner and Ken Russell in the mid60s saw Reed become an emblematic Britflick icon but from the mid1970s his alcoholism began affecting his career with the BFI adding Reed had assumed Robert Newtons mantle as Britains thirstiest thespian Description above from the Wikipedia article Oliver Reed licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia
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