guinness

guinness — biographical name

1. Sir Alec Guinness (1914–2000) was a celebrated British stage and screen actor. H

1.biographical nameB1
Definition

Sir Alec Guinness (1914–2000) was a celebrated British stage and screen actor. He won an Academy Award for his performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai and later became known worldwide for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars films. He also appeared in classic films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Great Expectations.

Example

A film student wrote about Sir Alec Guinness and his award-winning film role.

biographical reference: Sir Alec Guinness + film career

Amelia did not know that Sir Alec Guinness played Obi-Wan Kenobi.

identifying the actor by his famous role

Usage Note

The full honorific 'Sir Alec Guinness' is commonly used in formal references, especially when discussing his filmography or his knighthood. The surname 'Guinness' alone is less common in biographical contexts and may cause confusion with the Irish beer brand of the same name.

Common Mistakes

Guinness was born in London in 1914.
Sir Alec Guinness was born in London in 1914.
In biographical writing about the actor, the full name or the honorific 'Sir' is expected in the first mention.

Synonym discussion

Sense: biographical name/1

Etymology

Irish GaelicEnglish

The surname Guinness comes from the Irish Gaelic name Mac Aonghusa, meaning 'son of Angus'. The actor Sir Alec Guinness shared this surname with the famous Guinness brewing family, though he was not directly related to that branch. He was knighted in 1959 for his services to the arts.