Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Actor_in_a_Supporting_Role
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The Oliviers were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
Quick Facts Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Awarded for ...
| Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| Location |  England |
| Presented by | Society of London Theatre |
| First awarded | 1977 |
| Currently held by | Will Close for Dear England (2024) |
| Website | officiallondontheatre |
Close
This award was first given in 1977, then was replaced in 1985 by the commingled actor/actress Best Performance in a Supporting Role, which replaced the 1977 to 1984 pair of Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role awards. From 1991 to 2012, the general supporting category vacillated at random between the commingled singular award (presented for 12 different seasons) and the pair of awards (presented for the other 11 seasons); the commingled award was last given in 2012, and the split pair of Best Actor and Best Actress awards have been presented every year since.
1970s
More information Year, Actor ...
| Year | Actor | Play | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | |||
| Nigel Hawthorne | Privates on Parade | Major Giles Flack | |
| Michael Pennington | Romeo and Juliet | Mercutio | |
| Paul Rogers | The Madras House | Henry Huxtable | |
| Patrick Ryecart | Candida | Eugene Marchbanks | |
| 1978 | |||
| Robert Eddison | Twelfth Night | Andrew Aguecheek / Feste | |
| Michael Bryant | The Double Dealer | Sir Paul Plyant | |
| Julian Glover | Coriolanus | Aufidius | |
| Robert Stephens | Brand | Mayor | |
| 1979 | |||
| Patrick Stewart | Antony and Cleopatra | Enobarbus | |
| Michael Bryant | Undiscovered Country | Dr. von Aigner | |
| Stephen Greif | Death of a Salesman | Biff | |
| David Suchet | Once in a Lifetime | Herman Glogauer |
Close
1980s
More information Year, Actor ...
| Year | Actor | Play | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | |||
| David Threlfall | Nicholas Nickleby | Angry Gentleman / Smike | |
| Simon Callow | Amadeus | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | |
| Edward Petherbridge | Nicholas Nickleby | Newman Noggs | |
| John Rogan | Juno and the Paycock | Joxer Daly | |
| 1981 | |||
| Joe Melia | Good | Maurice | |
| Tony Church | Hamlet | Polonius | |
| Norman Rodway | Shadow of a Gunman | Seuman Shields | |
| Tom Wilkinson | Hamlet | Horatio | |
| 1982 | |||
| David Healy | Guys and Dolls | Nicely Nicely Johnson | |
| Geoffrey Hutchings | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Bottom | |
| Stephen Moore | All's Well That Ends Well | Parolles | |
| Paul Rogers | The Importance of Being Earnest | Rev. Canon Chasuble | |
| 1983 | |||
| Alan Devlin | A Moon for the Misbegotten | Phil Hogan | |
| Ian McDiarmid | Tales from Hollywood | Bertolt Brecht | |
| Mark Rylance | Arden of Faversham | Michael | |
| Antony Sher | King Lear | Fool | |
| 1984 | |||
| Edward Petherbridge | Strange Interlude | Charles Marsden | |
| Ramolao Makhene | "Master Harold"...and the Boys | Sam | |
| Richard O'Callaghan | Twelfth Night | Feste | |
| Timothy Spall | Saint Joan | Charles, the Dauphin |
Close
1990s
More information Year, Actor ...
Close
2000s
More information Year, Actor ...
| Year | Actor | Play | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | |||
| Roger Allam | Money | Henry Graves | |
| Michael Bryant | Summerfolk | Semyon Dvoetochie | |
| Ron Cook | Juno and the Paycock | Joxer Daly | |
| Michael Williams | The Forest | Arkadiy Schastlivtsev | |
| 2001 | |||
| Ben Daniels | All My Sons | Chris Keller | |
| Chiwetel Ejiofor | Blue/Orange | Christopher | |
| Douglas Hodge | The Caretaker | Aston | |
| Jason Watkins | A Servant to Two Masters | Truffaldino | |
| 2002 | |||
| Toby Jones | The Play What I Wrote | Arthur | |
| Desmond Barrit | Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 | Sir John Falstaff | |
| Ned Beatty | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Big Daddy | |
| Adam Godley | Mouth to Mouth | Gompertz | |
| Malcolm Sinclair | Privates on Parade | Major Giles Flack |
Close
2010s
More information Year, Actor ...
Close
2020s
More information Year, Actor ...
Close
- Due to late March 2020[1] to late July 2021[2] closing of London theatre productions during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the 2022 awards recognise productions that launched anytime from February 2020 to February 2022[3]
- Johnson, The Rt Hon Boris, MP (2020-03-23). Prime Minister's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 23 March 2020 [transcript] (Speech). Prime Minister's Televised Speech to the United Kingdom. www.gov.uk. London, UK. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction — you must stay at home.
{{cite speech}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - McPhee, Ryan (2021-06-14). "U.K. Postpones Reopening Roadmap; West End Theatres Will No Longer Reopen in Full in June". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
Step 4 of the roadmap will allow productions to play without capacity restrictions. June 21 was the goal; now, the government is eyeing July 19.
- Thomas, Sophie (2022-03-08). "Everything you need to know about the Olivier Awards". londontheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
Any new production that opened between 19 Feb. 2020 to 22 Feb. 2022 are eligible for categories in the 2022 Olivier Awards. With two years worth of shows set for honours in one year's ceremony, the 2022 Olivier Awards will prove tougher competition than before.
- London Theatre Guide (2008). "The Laurence Olivier Awards: Full List of Winners, 1976-2008" (.PDF). 1976-2008. The Society of London Theatre. p. 20. Retrieved 2008-08-30.