The Powerful and the Plain Remember ‘Greatest Showman’

His fellow actors, national leaders and just plain citizens paid tribute Tuesday to the memory of Laurence Olivier, the 82-year-old icon of the stage and screen praised as “perhaps the greatest man in theater ever.”

While theaters from London’s West End to Stratford, birthplace of Shakespeare, turned out their display lights and lowered flags in respect for Olivier, performers in Britain and the United States offered unstinted praise:

Hume Cronyn described Olivier as a rare actor, perhaps “three or four in a lifetime who were touched by the finger of God. He had enormous talent, application, looks. He had it all. He knew how to use it all. And he was immensely daring. There was nothing that Larry could not do.”

Sir John Gielgud, perhaps the only living actor one could argue was Olivier’s equal, said in an interview from the Italian city of Siena: “We became in some ways kind of rivals rather than colleagues, which I was sorry about.

“But I wouldn’t dream of putting myself up as a rival to him in talent or equipment because he had this extraordinary range of classical ability and comedy. He was a great comedian and a very fine tragic actor.”

Rex Harrison recalled Olivier as a “great, great friend with a great, great sense of humor.”

‘Giant Among Actors’

Sir Alec Guinness said he was a “giant among actors.”

Lynn Redgrave recalled her days with the National Theatre of Great Britain in the mid-’60s, when Olivier was its leader: “The audience paid 8,000% of its attention to him. He was the greatest showman on Earth. He was a charismatic leader in addition to being the actor we all knew he was. He didn’t suffer fools gladly. He could be enormously helpful, warm and loving, but he also could be difficult and intimidating.

“I learned so much from his discipline,” Redgrave added. “Here he was, running the company and acting in it at the same time, learning his lines, training his muscles--to do less yourself seemed foolish. He set an extraordinary standard for everyone.”

Dame Judith Anderson remembered working with Olivier for the first time in “Macbeth” in London in 1938. “I asked someone, ‘Who’s that man over there?’ and they said ‘That’s Laurence Olivier.’ I hadn’t recognized him. He was such a master of make-up. He used to look at paintings in the museums and learn from them.

“He was at the peak--the peak --of his profession. After he and Vivien (Leigh) got married in 1940 they stayed in my home in California. They were so beautiful and so in love. It was a perfect match. He was a terrific and tireless worker--a star no matter what he did.”

Actress Coral Browne said she knew Olivier “before he became a star, about 1936. I worked for him at the National Theater. He was a very great actor and a very brave man. The last time I saw him was at his son Richard’s wedding. Richard was getting ready to tape some of his father’s most famous speeches. (Olivier’s widow) Joan (Plowright) and the children made an enormous difference in his life. She gave him a family life with children when he was not the usual age. It was a wonderful comfort and support.”

Condolences From Queen

Queen Elizabeth II sent condolences to the Olivier family at his home in the village of Ashurst, West Sussex, where he died.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher praised his “extraordinary talents” and remembered her favorite Olivier roles in “Hamlet,” “Henry V” and “Richard III.”

Former President Ronald Reagan said that Olivier had delighted millions with unmatched excellence on the stage and screen. “He was an actor of immense talent, precision and a deep and enduring dedication to his craft,” Reagan said.

Pat Fairbairn, a civil servant waiting for a bus in London on Tuesday, said, “Olivier summed up the English theater. He had that lovely, dignified voice. What impressed me was that his professional colleagues always spoke of him with such great respect and admiration.”

Joanne James, a young London actress, told the Associated Press, “I’m sad. He’s been a symbol to everybody, with the energy and dedication he has put into he theater. I’ve grown up with him.”