Claude Rains
Claude Rains (November 10, 1889 - May 30, 1967) was an English actor.
Rains was born in London. Gassed during World War I, he was almost blind in one eye for the rest of his life.
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, founder of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, recognized Rains' acting talent and paid for the elocution lessons he needed to succeed as an actor. Later Rains taught at the institution, working with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, among others.
Rains' first Hollywood role was the title character in James Whale's The Invisible Man. It was his distinctive voice which had won him the role; he did not appear until the very end.
In 1939, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Following The Invisible Man, Universal Studios tried to turn him into another horror film actor, but he broke free with his Academy Award nominated role in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and followed that up in probably his most famous role, that of French police Captain Louis Renault in Casablanca.
In 1951 Rains won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Darkness at Noon.
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6400 Hollywood Blvd.
Claude Rains died in Laconia, New Hampshire and is interred in the Red Hill Cemetery, Moultonborough, New Hampshire.
Academy Award nominations
- 1947 Nominated Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Notorious
- 1945 Nominated Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Mr. Skeffington
- 1944 Nominated Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Casablanca
- 1940 Nominated Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Filmography
- Build Thy House (1920) as Clarkis
- The Invisible Man (1933) as The Invisible One
- The Clairvoyant (1934) as Maximus
- Crime Without Passion (1934) as Lee Gentry
- The Last Outpost (1935) as John Stevenson
- The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934) as Paul Verin
- Hearts Divided (1936) as Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte
- Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) as John Jasper
- Anthony Adverse (1936) as Marquis Don Luis
- Stolen Holiday (1937) as Stefan Orloff
- The Prince and the Pauper (1937) as Earl of Hertford
- They Won't Forget (1937) as Dist. Atty. Andrew J. 'Andy' Griffin
- White Banners (1938) as Paul Ward
- Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) as Colonel Christopher 'Chris' Ferris
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) as Prince John
- Four Daughters (1938) as Adam Lemp
- They Made Me a Criminal (1939) as Det. Monty Phelan
- Juarez (1939) as Emperor Louis Napoleon III
- Sons of Liberty (1939) as Haym Salomon
- Daughters Courageous (1939) as Jim Masters
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) as Sen. Joseph Harrison Paine
- Four Wives (1939) as Adam Lemp
- Saturday's Children (1940) as Mr. Henry Halevy
- The Sea Hawk (1940) as Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
- Lady with Red Hair (1940) as David Belasco
- Four Mothers (1941) as Adam Lemp
- Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) as Mr. Jordan
- The Wolf Man (1941) as Sir John Talbot
- Kings Row (1942) as Dr. Alexander Q. Tower
- Moontide (1942) as Nutsy
- Now, Voyager (1942) as Dr. Jaquith
- Casablanca (1942) as Capt. Renault
- Forever and a Day (1943) as Ambrose Pomfret
- Phantom of the Opera (1943) as Erique Claudin
- Passage to Marseille (1944) as Captain Freycinet
- Mr. Skeffington (1944) as Job Skeffington
- Strange Holiday (1945) as John Stevenson
- This Love of Ours (1945) as Joseph Targel
- Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) as Julius Caesar
- Notorious (1946) as Alexander 'Alex' Sebastian
- Angel on My Shoulder (1946) as Nick
- Deception (1946) as Alexander Hollenius
- The Unsuspected (1947) as Victor Grandison
- The Passionate Friends (1949) as Howard Justin
- Rope of Sand (1949) as Arthur 'Fred' Martingale
- Song of Surrender (1949) as Elisha Hunt
- The White Tower (1950) as Paul DeLambre
- Where Danger Lives (1950) as Frederick Lannington
- Sealed Cargo (1951) as Captain Skalder
- The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By (1953) as Kees Popinga
- Lisbon (1956) as Aristides Mavros
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957) (TV) as Mayor of Hamelin
- This Earth Is Mine (1959) as Philippe Rambeau
- Shangri-La (1960) (TV) as High Lama
- The Lost World (1960) as Professor George Edward Challenger
- Il Pianeta degli uomini spenti (1961) as Professor Benson
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962) as Mr. Dryden
- Twilight of Honor (1963) as Art Harper
- The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) as King Herod