British actor (1938–1999)

Oliver_Reed_1968_recropped.jpg
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed, Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, and Jack Wild in Oliver! (1968)
Oliver Twist
kate millett and oliver reed appearing on %22after dark%22 26 january 1991
Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor, known for his upper-middle class, masculine image and his heavy-drinking, "hellraiser" lifestyle. His screen career spanned over 40 … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Born Robert Oliver Reed
(1938-02-13)13 February 1938
Wimbledon, Surrey, England
Died 2 May 1999(1999-05-02) (aged 61)
Valletta, Malta
Burial place Bruhenny Graveyard, Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland
Factsheet
Born Robert Oliver Reed
(1938-02-13)13 February 1938
Wimbledon, Surrey, England
Died 2 May 1999(1999-05-02) (aged 61)
Valletta, Malta
Burial place Bruhenny Graveyard, Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Oliver_Reed
Oliver Reed - Wikipedia
1 day ago - His final role was the elderly slave dealer Proximo in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000), in which he played alongside Richard Harris, an actor whom Reed admired greatly both on and off the screen. The film was released after his death with some footage filmed with a double, digitally mixed with outtake footage.
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All That's Interesting
allthatsinteresting.com › oliver-reed-death
The Death Of Oliver Reed, The English Actor Who Collapsed During A Drinking Contest While Filming 'Gladiator'
February 13, 2025 - The death of Oliver Reed in a pub in Valletta, Malta on May 2, 1999 while filming "Gladiator" resulted from the English actor's struggle with alcoholism.
Discussions

TIL actor Oliver Reed died during a break from shooting Gladiator after winning a drinking match with British sailors. He "drank eight pints of German lager, a dozen shots of rum, half a bottle of whiskey and a few shots of Hennessy" and beat five young sailors at arm wrestling before collapsing.
Doesn’t sound like he actually won the drinking match. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/todayilearned
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November 5, 2019
Oliver Reed died of a heart attack on May 2, 1999 on the set of Gladiator.
"YOU knew Oliver Reed?!" "I didn't say I knew him! I said he drunkenly arm wrestled me, ONCE! More on reddit.com
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March 13, 2025
Actor Oliver Reed died of a heart attack at the age of 61, after downing three bottles of Captain Morgan Jamaica Rum, eight bottles of German beer and several doubles of Famous Grouse whiskey, and beating five Royal Navy sailors at arm-wrestling.
According to wikipedia that happened many years before his death. More on reddit.com
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September 10, 2012
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The Guardian
theguardian.com › uk › 1999 › may › 03 › colinblackstock
Oliver Reed dies after last drink | UK news | The Guardian
May 3, 1999 - Oliver Reed, the actor who was as well known for his rowdy drinking antics as he was for his performances on stage and screen, died yesterday after being taken ill in a bar in Valletta, Malta, police said last night.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/todayilearned › til actor oliver reed died during a break from shooting gladiator after winning a drinking match with british sailors. he "drank eight pints of german lager, a dozen shots of rum, half a bottle of whiskey and a few shots of hennessy" and beat five young sailors at arm wrestling before collapsing.
r/todayilearned on Reddit: TIL actor Oliver Reed died during a break from shooting Gladiator after winning a drinking match with British sailors. He "drank eight pints of German lager, a dozen shots of rum, half a bottle of whiskey and a few shots of Hennessy" and beat five young sailors at arm wrestling before collapsing.
November 5, 2019 - He may have been sober, but judging by his death, he was very much still an alcoholic. Recovery is all about accountability - you can try to pressure a sober person to drink - but they have the tools to say no and the choice always rests with them and no one else. Continue this thread Continue this thread Continue this thread ... My Grandad (was a heavy drinker) used to drink with him on occasion at their local when Oliver Reed used visit his hometown in South (pronounced Saaaf by the locals) London and he referred to him as 'The Beast' mainly due to his horrendous temper when drunk!
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The Independent
the-independent.com › culture › film › news
Ridley Scott says Oliver Reed ‘dropped down dead’ after challenging sailors to drinking match while filming Gladiator | The Independent | The Independent
May 5, 2020 - He probably had a couple of pints and said, ‘I don’t feel good,’ laid on the carpet and died.” · Reed, a notorious drinker for much of his life, had made a number of promises to Scott prior to filming, including that he would not drink during production.
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Best Life
bestlifeonline.com › home › entertainment › oliver reed died at a pub filming "gladiator"
Oliver Reed "Dropped Down Dead" at a Pub During "Gladiator" Filming, Ridley Scott Says — Best Life
March 4, 2024 - After promising he wouldn't use alcohol while filming "Gladiator," Oliver Reed drank himself to death at a pub, the director said.
Find elsewhere
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ELMUNDOAMERICA
mundoamerica.com › inicio › celebrity
The tragic death of Oliver Reed after a night of drinking in a pub during the filming of Gladiator | Celebrity news
May 17, 2025 - 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.
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IMDb
imdb.com › name › nm0001657 › trivia
Oliver Reed - Trivia - IMDb
Some obituaries mentioned the ... Toward the end of filming, he indulged in one final drinking marathon and died from a heart attack. A 1963 bar fight caused facial cuts requiring 36 stitches....
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Factinate
factinate.com › home › people › wild facts about oliver reed, british cinema’s bad boy
Cinema Bad Boy Oliver Reed Earned His Bad Reputation
May 26, 2025 - As a result of his death during the middle of Gladiator filming, Reed’s remaining scenes in the movie had to be completed using a body double and computer-generated imagery, or CGI.
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IMDb
imdb.com › name › nm0001657 › bio
Oliver Reed - Biography - IMDb
Some obituaries mentioned the ... Toward the end of filming, he indulged in one final drinking marathon and died from a heart attack. A 1963 bar fight caused facial cuts requiring 36 stitches....
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Quora
quora.com › How-did-the-actor-Oliver-Reed-die
How did the actor Oliver Reed die? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): He died from a heart attack on May 2, 1999 during the filming of the movie Gladiator in Malta. Before he died he had been in a drinking match with several British sailors who were on shore.
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NYTimes
nytimes.com › 1999 › 05 › 03 › arts › oliver-reed-diverse-actor-for-film-and-tv-dies-at-61.html
Oliver Reed, Diverse Actor For Film and TV, Dies at 61 - The New York Times
May 3, 1999 - Agence France-Press reported that Mr. Reed fell ill in a bar in Valetta, Malta, accompanied by his wife, Josephine, and friends. The cause of death for Mr. Reed, who was pronounced dead before he reached the hospital, was not immediately known and an autopsy is scheduled for early this week.
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Dangerous Minds
dangerousminds.net › home › comments › ‘i died in a bar of a heart attack’: oliver reed predicts his own death in a tv interview from 1994
‘I died in a bar of a heart attack’: Oliver Reed predicts his own death in a TV interview from 1994
March 10, 2016 - Reed died in a bar in Valletta, Malta during the filming of Ridley Scott’s movie Gladiator on May 2nd, 1999. Though he died in a bar drinking is true, the myths of that fateful day have clouded one small fact about Reed during his final screen role.
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LADbible
ladbible.com › entertainment › celebrity
Tragic death of actor Oliver Reed who challenged sailors to drinking match halfway through filming movie
May 5, 2024 - Reed died a tragic death. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) Scott told Variety back in 2020: “One Sunday morning, he dropped down dead on the floor of a pub. He probably had a couple of pints and said, ‘I don’t feel good,’ laid on the carpet and died. “David Hemmings (Cassius) promised to look after him and said to me [upon his death], ‘I’m really sorry, old boy’,” Scott remembered.
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Remind Magazine
remindmagazine.com › article › 22285 › oliver-reed-death-alcohol-gladiator-1999
Do You Remember Oliver Reed's Shocking Death While ...
November 22, 2024 - According to Gladiator screenwriter David Franzoni, what happened was this: “He’s in this bar in Valletta and this British Destroyer is anchored in the bay and the crew comes in. He challenges the crew to some sort of drinking debauch. He drinks some, passes out and dies.” According to a friend who spoke to the Irish Times anonymously shortly after Reed’s death, “He had been drinking on the floor when he felt sick.
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EL PAÍS English
english.elpais.com › el país english › culture › ‘when he’s sober, he’s boring as hell’: 25 years without oliver reed, the star who televised his long decline
‘When he’s sober, he’s boring as hell’: 25 years without Oliver Reed, the star who televised his long decline | Culture | EL PAÍS English
May 5, 2024 - David Hemmings, the protagonist of Blow-Up (1966), tried to avoid them when he took Reed to the bar of his hotel. He ended up passing out after his umpteenth drink… and when he woke up, he found himself hanging from a sixth floor window. When he looked up, he saw Reed holding his ankles, roaring with laughter. Oliver Reed, circa 1971.
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TikTok
tiktok.com › discover › how-did-oliver-reed-died
How Did Oliver Reed Died
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