Ben Kingsley is an internationally famous and critically acclaimed actor. He has appeared in a wide range of films but tends towards serious dramatic roles. He is most famous for playing the part of Gandhi in the 1982 film, and Itzhak Stern in the Stephen Spielberg film "Schindler's List" (as the person who wrote the list).
Ben Kingsley was born in Scarborough, England on December 31st, 1943. His father was an Indian descended doctor, and his mother was a half Jewish fashion model / actress. He was born with the name "Krishna Bhanji", but changed it to sound more English to avoid difficulty pursuing a film career. While Ben Kingsley began as a stage actor, and would continue to act in plays throughout his career, he decided to focus on film acting from his late twenties. His first film role was in the 1972 movie "Fear Is the Key". For a decade Ben Kingsley appeared primarily in small roles for various movies and television shows, but he became internationally famous for the 1982 biopic film "Gandhi", where he played the titular role of Mahatma Gandhi.
Ben Kingsley's role as Gandhi won him the 1982 Academy Award for Best Actor. Since then he has been recognized as a talented and versatile actor and has never lacked for work, appearing in movies including "Pascali's Island", "Without a Clue", "Bugsy", "Sneakers", "Searching for Bobby Fischer", "Silas Marner" and "House of Sand and Fog". He has repeatedly been nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. His performance in Stephen Spielberg's "Schindler's List" was particularly high profile.
Ben Kingsley has been honored for his life's achievements over the past several years, becoming a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000, and receiving the Crystal Globe Award for his contributions to world cinema in 2001. He has been married several times and has four children. As of 2007 he continues to work actively in film.