Sir John Gielgud was one of his generation's leading actors, who won an Academy Award. In this collection we hear - in his own words - about his family and childhood, deciding to be an actor and his first confident performance. He discusses understudying Noël Coward and failing as Romeo, playing Hamlet for the first time and working with other actors. He also talks about bringing Shakespeare back to the West End, directing plays himself, film vs theatre acting, making mistakes and writing his autobiographies. Interviews include: BBC radio archive interview (first broadcast 1 January 1941) Great Acting, BBC TV (first broadcast 12 February 1966); Parkinson, BBC 1 (first broadcast 7 October 1972); An Actor In His Time, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 15 October 1978); Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 30 January 1980); Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 16 May 1981); Sir John Gielgud Looks Back, BBC World Service (first broadcast 19 February 1995). Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd