If we delve into the archives of British cinema history, there are three actors who drank it all: Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, and Oliver Reed. The latter cried to the heavens when, as a young actor in the 60s, he had already gained a reputation as persona non grata for being habitually drunk. As expected, he passed away in 1999 at the age of 61 after consuming three bottles of Jamaican rum, eight bottles of German beer, and several double whiskies without having finished filming Gladiator.
Most directors had turned their backs on him because securing the lead role in Oliver (1968) was too expensive for him to work, so he embarked on his own self-destructive spiral. The less he acted, the more he drank. And if he worked, he did the same. This led him to miss the opportunity to be chosen to play James Bond.
However, Ridley Scott, director of Gladiator, wanted to give him a chance to play the supporting role of Antonius Proximo. The artistic and technical teams were surprised because during the first weeks of filming in Malta, Reed's behavior had been impeccable. He was aware that he could not waste the money invested in this mega-production that 25 years ago won the Golden Globe for Best Picture presented by Elizabeth Taylor.
The actor, alongside Russell Crowe, in another scene from the movie.
On the night of May 2, 1999, the actor went to an Irish pub on the island after finishing a marathon filming session. When he entered, some of the locals recognized him and started challenging him to see who could drink the most. Big mistake. Oliver Reed outdid them all by consuming three bottles of Jamaican rum, eight bottles of German beer, and several double whiskies. But his victory was short-lived, as moments later he passed away from a sudden heart attack at the age of 61.
As a tribute to the actor born in Wimbledon (England), the pub owner framed the bill that was never paid and changed the name of the establishment to Ollie's Last Pub.
Ridley Scott had to hire a double and complete some filming scenes using digital techniques. Unfortunately, the actor was nominated for a BAFTA as Best Supporting Actor. Undoubtedly, a sad night for British cinema.
Regarding the personal life of the star of Tommy (1975), it is known that from 1959 to 1969 he was married to Kate Byrne, with whom he had a son named Mark, and that during the filming of Oliver (1969) he had a romance with Jacquie Daryl, a classical dancer who also appeared in the movie, with whom he had a daughter.
In 1985, at the age of 46, he married the young Josephine Burger, 21, whom he had been dating since she was a schoolgirl. Reed commented on his big day that "my marriage has been the summary of five wonderful years, if you think about it, because the press was a bit critical about it; this has shown that some of the cynics were wrong."