Editing David Niven (section)

{{Short description|English actor, memoirist and novelist (1910–1983)}}
{{for|the air marshal|David Niven (RAF officer)}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}

{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = 
| name               = David Niven
| image              = David Niven 04.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = Niven in 1973
| birth_name         = James David Graham Niven
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1910|3|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Victoria, London]], England
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1983|7|29|1910|3|1|df=yes}}
| death_place        = [[Château-d'Œx]], Switzerland
| resting_place      = Château-d'Œx Cemetery
| education          = {{plainlist|
*[[Heatherdown Preparatory School]]
*[[Stowe School]]
}}
| alma_mater         = [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
*Actor
*soldier
*memoirist
*novelist
}}
| years_active       = 1932–1983
| notable_works      = [[David Niven on screen, stage, radio, record and in print|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
*{{marriage|Primula Susan Rollo|1940|1946|end=d}}
*{{marriage|[[Hjördis Genberg]]|1948}}
}}
| children           = 4, including [[David Niven Jr.|David Jr.]]
| module             = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance         = United Kingdom
| branch             = [[British Army]]
| serviceyears       = {{plainlist|
*1930–1933
*1940–1945
}}
| servicenumber      = 44959
| unit               = {{plainlist|
*[[Highland Light Infantry]]
*[[Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)]]
}}
| rank               = [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant colonel]]
| battles            = [[Second World War]]
| awards             = {{MilAward Desc|LOM|25px}}
}}
}}

'''James David Graham Niven''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|ɪ|v|ən}}; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983<ref>{{cite ODNB |title=Niven, (James) David Graham (1910–1983), actor and author |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101031503 |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/31503 |access-date=8 April 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Obituaries |work=[[The Times]] |date=30 July 1983}}</ref>) was an English actor, soldier, [[Storytelling|raconteur]], memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair [[leading man]] in [[Classic Hollywood cinema|Classic Hollywood films]]. His accolades include an [[Academy Award]] and two [[Golden Globe Awards]] in addition to nominations for a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]] and two [[Emmy Awards]]. 

Born in central London to an upper-middle-class family, Niven attended [[Heatherdown Preparatory School]] and [[Stowe School]] before gaining a place at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]. After Sandhurst, he was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] in the [[Highland Light Infantry]]. Upon developing an interest in acting, he found a role as an extra in the British film [[There Goes the Bride (1932 film)|''There Goes the Bride'']] (1932). Bored with the peacetime army, he resigned his commission in 1933, relocated to New York, then travelled to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]. There, he hired an agent and had several small parts in films through 1935, including a non-speaking role in [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]'s ''[[Mutiny on the Bounty (1935 film)|Mutiny on the Bounty]]'' (1935). This helped him gain a contract with [[Samuel Goldwyn]].

Parts, initially small, in major motion pictures followed, including ''[[Dodsworth (film)|Dodsworth]]'' (1936), ''[[The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936 film)|The Charge of the Light Brigade]]'' (1936), and ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 film)|The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' (1937). By 1938, he was starring as a leading man in films such as ''[[Wuthering Heights (1939 film)|Wuthering Heights]]'' (1939). Upon the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], Niven returned to Britain and rejoined the army, being recommissioned as a [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]]. In 1942, he co-starred in the morale-building film about the development of the renowned [[Supermarine Spitfire]] fighter plane, ''[[The First of the Few]]'' (1942).

Niven went on to receive the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for his role in ''[[Separate Tables (film)|Separate Tables]]'' (1958). His other notable films during this time period include ''[[A Matter of Life and Death (film)|A Matter of Life and Death]]'' (1946), ''[[The Bishop's Wife]]'' (1947), ''[[Enchantment (1948 film)|Enchantment]]'' (1948), ''[[The Elusive Pimpernel (1950 film)|The Elusive Pimpernel]]'' (1950), ''[[The Moon Is Blue (film)|The Moon Is Blue]]'' (1953), ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' (1956), ''[[My Man Godfrey (1957 film)|My Man Godfrey]]'' (1957), ''[[The Guns of Navarone (film)|The Guns of Navarone]]'' (1961), ''[[Murder by Death]]'' (1976), and ''[[Death on the Nile (1978 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' (1978). He also earned acclaim and notoriety playing Sir Charles Lytton in ''[[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|The Pink Panther]]'' (1963) and [[James Bond (literary character)|James Bond]] in ''[[Casino Royale (1967 film)|Casino Royale]]'' (1967).