← Back

Anthony Newley

Anthony Newley

Born: 1931-09-24 • London, England, UK

Anthony Newley was born in Hackney, London, England, to Frances Grace Newley and George Kirby, a shipping clerk. He was attracted to acting, after seeing an ad for a child actor in a Fleet Street window. He attended the Italia Conti Stage School from the age of 14 and, two years later, played the Artful Dodger in David Lean's film, Oliver Twist (1948). Newley was called up to the Army for his National Service and, by the late 1950s, had a hit song Idol on Parade (1959), while in the movie of the same name. He married his first wife, Tiller Girl Ann Lynn in 1956 but it was a rocky marriage and they divorced in 1963. He was in the pop charts seven times in 1960, twice at Number One with "Why?" and "Do You Mind?" written by Lionel Bart. In 1961, he collaborated with Leslie Bricusse on the hit stage show, Stop the World: I Want to Get Off (1966). After long runs in London and on Broadway, it was made into a film, starring Millicent Martin, with the hit song "What Kind of Fool Am I?".

Filmography
This Is Joan Collins poster
This Is Joan Collins
2022 • archive footage
David Bowie & The Story of Ziggy Stardust poster
David Bowie & The Story of Ziggy Stardust
2012 • Self (archive footage)
Blondes: Diana Dors poster
Blondes: Diana Dors
1999 • self
Boris and Natasha poster
Boris and Natasha
1992 • Sal Manelli
Polly: Comin' Home! poster
Polly: Comin' Home!
1990 • Dabney Mayhew
Coins in the Fountain poster
Coins in the Fountain
1990 • Alfred Bancroft
Dors: The Other Diana poster
Dors: The Other Diana
1990
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie poster
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie
1987 • Captain Manzini
Stagecoach poster
Stagecoach
1986 • Trevor Peacock
Outrage! poster
Outrage!
1986 • Victor Coles
Blade in Hong Kong poster
Blade in Hong Kong
1985 • Tommy T
Malibu poster
Malibu
1983 • Wilson Mahoney
Linda in Wonderland poster
Linda in Wonderland
1980 • Himself
The Beatles Forever poster
The Beatles Forever
1977 • Self
No Image
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
1977
The Old Curiosity Shop poster
The Old Curiosity Shop
1975 • Daniel Quilp
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time poster
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
1975 • Sweeney
Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? poster
Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?
1969 • Heironymous Merkin
Sweet November poster
Sweet November
1968 • Charlie Blake
Doctor Dolittle poster
Doctor Dolittle
1967 • Matthew Mugg
Lucy in London poster
Lucy in London
1966 • Anthony Armstrong Fitz-Faversham
The Small World of Sammy Lee poster
The Small World of Sammy Lee
1963 • Sammy 'Lee' Leeman
In the Nick poster
In the Nick
1960 • Dr Newcombe
Jazz Boat poster
Jazz Boat
1960 • Bert Harris
No Image
Let's Get Married
1960 • Dickie Bird
Killers of Kilimanjaro poster
Killers of Kilimanjaro
1959 • Hooky Hook
The Heart of a Man poster
The Heart of a Man
1959 • Johnnie
The Bandit Of Zhobe poster
The Bandit Of Zhobe
1959 • Cpl. Stokes
Idol on Parade poster
Idol on Parade
1959 • Jeep Jackson
The Lady is a Square poster
The Lady is a Square
1959 • Freddy
The Man Inside poster
The Man Inside
1958 • Ernesto
Tank Force! poster
Tank Force!
1958 • Private "Tiger" Noakes
High Flight poster
High Flight
1957 • Roger Endicott
How to Murder a Rich Uncle poster
How to Murder a Rich Uncle
1957 • Edward
Fire Down Below poster
Fire Down Below
1957 • Miguel
The Good Companions poster
The Good Companions
1957 • Maurice Milbrau
The Battle of the River Plate poster
The Battle of the River Plate
1956 • Radio Operator, Tairoa, Prisoner on Admiral Graf Spee
X: The Unknown poster
X: The Unknown
1956 • LCpl. 'Spider' Webb
The Last Man to Hang poster
The Last Man to Hang
1956 • Cyril Gaskin
Port Afrique poster
Port Afrique
1956 • Pedro
The Cockleshell Heroes poster
The Cockleshell Heroes
1955 • Marine Clarke
The Blue Peter poster
The Blue Peter
1955 • Fred Starling
Above Us the Waves poster
Above Us the Waves
1955 • Engineer, X2
The Weak and the Wicked poster
The Weak and the Wicked
1954 • Bob Baden
Up to His Neck poster
Up to His Neck
1954 • Tommy
Those People Next Door poster
Those People Next Door
1953 • Bob Twigg
Top of the Form poster
Top of the Form
1953 • Percy
No Image
Jack of What Trade?
1952 • Mike Edwards
Highly Dangerous poster
Highly Dangerous
1950 • Operator (uncredited)
Don't Ever Leave Me poster
Don't Ever Leave Me
1949 • Jimmy Knowles
A Boy, a Girl and a Bike poster
A Boy, a Girl and a Bike
1949 • Charlie Ritchie
Vote for Huggett poster
Vote for Huggett
1949 • Dudley
The Guinea Pig poster
The Guinea Pig
1948 • Miles Minor
Oliver Twist poster
Oliver Twist
1948 • Artful Dodger
Vice Versa poster
Vice Versa
1948 • Dick Bultitude
The Adventures of Dusty Bates poster
The Adventures of Dusty Bates
1947 • Dusty Bates
Henry V poster
Henry V
1944 • Boy in English Camp (uncredited)
No Image
Emmett Kelly Jr.'s Circus
— • The Ringmaster