One of British theater’s most distinguished and hardest-working actors, Tom Courtenay rose from humble beginnings to garner awards and accolades in nearly every facet of his profession. After studying at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the late 1950s, Courtenay rose to fame amidst the British New Wave, deftly portraying classic angry young men in “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” (1962) and “Billy Liar” (1963). Courtenay was poised for international stardom following his Oscar-nominated turn in the epic “Doctor Zhivago” (1965), but instead he made a casual withdrawal from
