Lord Larry: A Personal Portrait of Laurence Olivier

Michael Munn’s frank analysis is based on his association with Olivier through formal and informal conversations, in which the great actor spoke candidly to Munn about life, sex, secrets, and Shakespeare. Munn first met Olivier in 1971 and the two became great friends. At the peak of their friendship, Olivier revealed a secret to him which he had told very few, mainly because of his lifelong fear of alienating the American public, but also out of an impulse not to be thought of as a hero, which greatly contradicted his famously incredible ego. This secret has been disclosed by Munn for the first time, as he reveals that Olivier was recruited by Special Operations Executive and MI-5, through film producer Alexander Korda, to promote the cause of Britain’s war against Germany while in the U.S. This never before told story involves such legends as Noel Coward, James Stewart, and Clark Gable. Highly personal and rarely expressed thoughts are revealed, both from Olivier and from the people who knew him best.