Sir Alec Guiness dies

One of Britain's most famous screen actors, Sir Alec Guinness, has died at the age of eighty-six.

Sir Alec made his name in classical roles at the Old Vic theatre in London, but in a career which spannned nearly seventy years, he scored triumph after triumph in comedy, tragedy and farce.

His performances spanned the widest possible range of roles -- from some of the earliest screen adaptions of the novels of Charles Dickens to the blockbuster Star Wars films.

He was constantly in demand during the nineteen-fifties, sixties and seventies, and worked frequently with the acclaimed British director, the late Sir David Lean, who directed him in Lawrence of Arabia.

Sir Alec won an Oscar for his performance as the fanatical British colonel in another classic of the big screen, The Bridge on the River Kwai.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service