Sir Stanley Baker (28 February 1928 - 28 June 1976) was a
Welsh actor and film producer. Beginning his career in gritty British social realist and
Film Noir dramas in the
The '50s, his career quite soon expanded internationally, including his career-defining role in 1964's
Zulu. Although he generally played rugged, often working-class characters, he was rated very highly as an actor, often being placed as one of the best of a generation of British stars that also included
Sean Connery,
Richard Burton,
Michael Caine, and
Patrick McGoohan. He also went into production work, starting with
Zulu.
Tragically, however, Baker, a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer at the age of just 48, preventing him from achieving as iconic a career as some of his contemporaries.
Films in which Baker appeared include:
