The prosthetic schnoz that Laurence Olivier donned to play the title role in 1955's Richard III is so famous that it's appeared on lists of "best/worst fake noses in cinema history." Now, the costume nose is headed for the auction block next month, part of a lot of about 350 props, awards, and other items that are being sold by the late actor's estate and his widow, fellow actor Dame Joan Plowright, reports the Guardian.
The prominent prosthetic comes in a box accompanied by a note that indicates Olivier may have received it as an 80th birthday gift from one of the film's makeup artists. "Dear Larry, We have both made 80. Happy Birthday," reads the missive. "Here is the first nose we used in Spain. Remember you would not shoot on the 13th." The costume accessory is expected to fetch nearly $2,000.
"I wanted to look the most evil thing there was," Olivier said of the prosthetic in his mid-'80s book On Acting. Other items in the auction include the crown props he wore during his various Shakespearean performances, as well as the Golden Globe he won for 1948's Hamlet, his personalized leather script-holder, and "rare, personal photographs, fine art, keepsakes, and other significant memorabilia" from him and Plowright, per Julien's Auctions. The December auction will take place online and in Los Angeles, thanks to a partnership between Julien's and the TCM classic-film network. (More Laurence Olivier stories.)
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