Laurence Olivier refused to be an actor.
Laurence Olivier . After attending a drama school in London , Olivier learned his craft in a succession of acting jobs during the late 1920s . His television appearances included an adaptation of The Moon and Sixpence ( 1960 ) , Long Day 's Journey into Night ( 1973 ) , Love Among the Ruins ( 1975 ) , Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ( 1976 ) , Brideshead Revisited ( 1981 ) and King Lear ( 1983 ) . Private Lives . After touring the British provinces , the play opened the new Phoenix Theatre in London in 1930 , starring Coward , Gertrude Lawrence , Adrianne Allen and Laurence Olivier .