Peter Ustinov /

Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE ( /ˈjuːstɪnɒf/ or /ˈuːstɪnɒf/; Russian: Сэр Пи́тер Алекса́ндр Усти́нов, CBE; 16 April 1921 – 28 March 2004) was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theater and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humorist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter. A noted wit and raconteur, he was, for much of his career, a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits, as well as a respected intellectual and diplomat who, in addition to his various academic posts, served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and President of the World Federalist Movement. Ustinov was the winner of numerous awards over his life, including Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards, as well the recipient of governmental honours from, amongst others, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. He displayed a unique cultural versatility that has frequently earned him the accolade of a Renaissance Man. Miklós Rózsa, composer of the music for Quo Vadis and of numerous concert works dedicated his String Quartet no 1, Op. 22 (1950) to Ustinov.