"It was a rare honour to play Sir Laurence Olivier, " he told the BBC.

BBC: Oscars: Hugo has 11 nominations, The Artist has 10

The evolution of first stage, and then movie acting, has proceeded to such a point that even a great actor of a couple of generations ago, like Sir Laurence Olivier, appears to us stiff and overly mannered now.

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Now Sir Kenneth Branagh, he joins the ranks of fellow thespians such as Alec Guinness, Patrick Stewart and Laurence Olivier, who he played in last year's My Week With Marilyn.

BBC: Kenneth Branagh