Sir Alan Bates (1934-2003) was one of the most important British actors of his generation, emerging in the 1950s as a key figure in the “Angry Young Men” movement. He achieved success in the theater in 1956 with John Osborne's Look Back in Anger, a role that defined his image as a sensitive and tormented intellectual. His film career was equally illustrious, ranging from complex roles in films such as A Kind of Loving (1962) to iconic performances such as the shy English writer Basil in Zorba the Greek (1964), alongside Anthony Quinn. He was acclaimed for his daring performance in Women in Love (1969), for which he received an Oscar nomination, and continued to work tirelessly in film, theater, and television. Among his last memorable roles was that of butler Jennings in Robert Altman's Gosford Park (2001). Knighted in 2003, Bates is remembered for his ability to embody complex and deeply human characters.