his first film role was an uncredited brief appearance as an italian wigmaker in "pygmalion" (1938) – subsequent film roles included parts in alfred hitchcock's "the wrong man", michael powell and emeric pressburger's "the battle of the river plate" (both 1956), "ice cold in alex" (1958), "tarzan's greatest adventure" (1959), "the guns of navarone" (1961), "h.m.s. defiant", david lean's "lawrence of arabia" (both 1962) and "the fall of the roman empire" (1964). he was nominated for an academy award for best supporting actor for his role as cardinal wolsey in "anne of the thousand days" (1969).