Robert Morley

Robert Adolph Wilton Morley CBE (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor with a significant career in Britain and the United States. Frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman, Morley often played supporting roles, winning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1939 for his portrayal of King Louis XVI in Marie Antoinette. Well-recognised for his ungainly bulk, bushy eyebrows, thick lips, and double chin, he was particularly memorable in the role of a pompous windbag. Morley's stage career started with management valuing his appearance for 'substantial gentleman' roles such as a doctor, lawyer, or other professional member of society.

Born in Semley, Wiltshire, Morley made his West End stage debut in 1929 and Broadway debut in 1938. He had a diversified acting career, playing Louis XVI in Marie Antoinette (1938), for which he received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. He also co-wrote several plays. Off screen, Morley was noted for his wit and eloquent conversations. A gourmet enthusiast, he hosted a celebrity cooking show on Cable TV, Celebrity Chefs, during the 1980s. He was honoured as the first King of Moomba by the Melbourne Moomba festival committee and often self-referenced in the humorous poking of life's absurdities.