The following year, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his part in George Cukor's Wild Is the Wind.
He starred in the film The Savage Innocents (1959) as Inuk, an Eskimo who finds himself caught between two clashing cultures.
He teamed with Kirk Douglas once again in the western Last Train from Gun Hill (1959).

He appeared on Broadway to great acclaim in Becket, as King Henry II to Laurence Olivier's Thomas Becket in 1960.
His performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for best leading actor and Becket received the award for best play.
An erroneous story arose in later years that during the run Quinn and Olivier switched roles and Quinn played Becket to Olivier's King.
In fact, Quinn left the production for a film, never having played Becket, and director Peter Glenville suggested a road tour with Olivier as Henry.
Olivier happily agreed and Arthur Kennedy took on the role of Becket for the tour and brief return to Broadway.

As the decade ended, Quinn allowed his age to show and began his transformation into a major character actor.
His physique filled out, his hair grayed, and his once smooth, swarthy face weathered and became more rugged.
He played a Greek resistance fighter in The Guns of Navarone (1961), an aging boxer in Requiem for a Heavyweight, and the Bedouin shaikh Auda abu Tayi in Lawrence of Arabia (both 1962).
Lawrence of Arabia would go on to win the Oscar and Golden Globe for best picture, and Quinn received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor alongside co-star Peter O'Toole.
He also played the title role in the 1961 film Barabbas, based on a novel by Pär Lagerkvist.
In 1962, he returned to Broadway, playing the role of Caesario Grimaldi in the Tony Award nominated Tchin-Tchin.

The success of Zorba the Greek in 1964 resulted in another Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Other films included The 25th Hour, The Magus, La Bataille de San Sebastian and The Shoes of the Fisherman.
In 1969, he starred in The Secret of Santa Vittoria with Anna Magnani; each was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
The following year, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his part in George Cukor's Wild Is the Wind. He starred in the film The Savage Innocents (1959) as Inuk, an Eskimo who finds himself caught between two clashing cultures. He teamed with Kirk Douglas once again in the western Last Train from Gun Hill (1959).
He appeared on Broadway to great acclaim in Becket, as King Henry II to Laurence Olivier's Thomas Becket in 1960. His performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for best leading actor and Becket received the award for best play. An erroneous story arose in later years that during the run Quinn and Olivier switched roles and Quinn played Becket to Olivier's King. In fact, Quinn left the production for a film, never having played Becket, and director Peter Glenville suggested a road tour with Olivier as Henry. Olivier happily agreed and Arthur Kennedy took on the role of Becket for the tour and brief return to Broadway.
As the decade ended, Quinn allowed his age to show and began his transformation into a major character actor. His physique filled out, his hair grayed, and his once smooth, swarthy face weathered and became more rugged. He played a Greek resistance fighter in The Guns of Navarone (1961), an aging boxer in Requiem for a Heavyweight, and the Bedouin shaikh Auda abu Tayi in Lawrence of Arabia (both 1962). Lawrence of Arabia would go on to win the Oscar and Golden Globe for best picture, and Quinn received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor alongside co-star Peter O'Toole. He also played the title role in the 1961 film Barabbas, based on a novel by Pär Lagerkvist. In 1962, he returned to Broadway, playing the role of Caesario Grimaldi in the Tony Award nominated Tchin-Tchin.
The success of Zorba the Greek in 1964 resulted in another Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Other films included The 25th Hour, The Magus, La Bataille de San Sebastian and The Shoes of the Fisherman. In 1969, he starred in The Secret of Santa Vittoria with Anna Magnani; each was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Anthony Quinn