Peter Ustinov

Sir Peter Ustinov (1921–2004) was a British actor, writer, director, playwright, and humanitarian of Russian descent, renowned for winning two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in Spartacus (1960) and Topkapi (1964), and for portraying Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie adaptations. He began his career on stage at age 17, wrote successful plays like Romanoff and Juliet, authored over 30 books including novels and autobiographies, and founded the Ustinov Foundation in 1999 to promote peace and equal opportunities. A multilingual cosmopolite fluent in several languages, he was knighted in 1990 and served as chancellor of Durham University.