Childhood & Early Life
Dudley Stuart John Moore was born in Hammersmith, London to John Moore, a railway electrician and Ada Francis, a secretary.
At the age of six, he started playing the piano and became a proficient piano player by the age of 14. He would play at local church weddings.
He studied at the Dagenham County High School and during his time at school, he also received training in music from Peter Cork, with whom he maintained a close relationship.
He later attended the Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied music and simultaneously performed at The Oxford Revue, a comedy group at the Oxford University.
In the early 1960s, he became a part of the cast for the British comedy stage revue, ‘Beyond the Fringe’. It was an immense success and opened at London’s West End and later on New York’s Broadway, re-titled as ‘Good Evening’.
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Career
In 1965, he starred in the immensely popular British BBC TV series, ‘Not Only... But Also’ along with Peter Cook. The series was written by the duo and had surreal and bizarre backdrops. This year, he was also seen in the short film, ‘Flatland’.
In 1966, he appeared in the British comedy film, ‘The Wrong Box’, which was directed by Bryan Forbes.
In 1969, he played the role of ‘Lt. Kit Barrington’ in the comedy film, ‘Monte Carlo or Bust!’ which was released in the U.S. by the name of ‘Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies’.
In 1969, he also came out with his jazz album, titled, ‘The Dudley Moore Trio’, which was released in U.K., Australia and the U.S.A. The tracks in the album include, ‘Fanfare’, ‘Folk song’ and ‘Pop and circumstance’.
In 1972, he played the role of ‘Dormouse’ in the British musical film titled, ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland’. The film was an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s novel of the same title.
In 1978, he played the role of ‘Doctor Watson’ in the British comedy-spoof, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. The same year, he also appeared in the mystery- thriller film, ‘Foul Play’.
In 1979, he starred in the romantic comedy film, ‘10’, directed by Blake Edwards. It was an immensely successful film and elevated him to stardom.
In 1980, he was seen in the TV comedy-variety series, ‘The Muppet Show’, which was produced by puppeteer, Jim Henson. That year, he also appeared in the poorly received, Biblical-spoof, ‘Wholly Moses!’
In 1981, he starred in the Academy Award winning comedy film ‘Arthur’, in which he played the role of ’Arthur Bach’, the drunken New York City millionaire.
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In 1984, he delivered a Golden Globe winning performance in the comedy film, ‘Micki + Maude’, directed by Blake Edwards. In the film, he played the role of ‘Rob Salinger’, a hard working TV reporter.
In 1987, he starred in the comedy film, ‘Like Father Like Son’, directed by Rod Daniel. The film received mixed reviews from film critics - the plot was centred on the father and son whose bodies get switched.
In 1990, he played the role of ‘Emory Leeson’ in the comedy film, ‘Crazy People’, directed by Tony Bill. The film failed to make a mark and was a major box office failure.
In 1994, he played the role of ‘Dudley Walker’ in the American sitcom, ‘Daddy's Girls’ that was broadcast on the CBS network. The series received negative reviews from critics.
In 1998, he lent his voice in the American DVD film, ‘The Mighty Kong’, which was an adaptation of the King Kong story. This was the last film Moore worked in before his death.
Awards & Achievements
In 1974, he received the Grammy Award in the category, ‘Best Spoken Word recording with Peter Cook’ for ‘Good Evening’.
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In 1982, he received the Golden Globe Award in the category, ‘Best Motion Picture Actor - Comedy/Musical’ for the film, ‘Arthur’.
In 1985, he bagged the Golden Globe Award in the category, ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical’ for the film ‘Micki + Maude’.
Personal Life & Legacy
He was born with club feet, for which he had to receive extensive treatment.
He married four times and all of his marriages ended in divorce. His partners were Suzy Kendall, Tuesday Weld, Brogan Lane and Nicole Rothschild.
He underwent heart bypass surgery and suffered from terminal degenerative brain disorder.
He died at the age of 66, due to pneumonia in Plainfield, New Jersey.
