Private Facts About Dirk Bogarde, The Most Secretive Actor
Dirk Bogarde played countless roles on and off screen—but he kept just as many secrets, including one with the power to destroy his life.
1. He Lived Many Lives
Dirk Bogarde was a WWII hero, a heartthrob, a controversy, an advocate for unpopular causes, a writer, and so much more. Above all, the Brit was a mystery. Few stars could reinvent themselves quite like Bogarde—or keep as many secrets. No one had shared so much, yet shared so little at the same time.
2. He Was A Struggling Actor
In 1921, Bogarde was born into an upper middle-class, but unhappy family. His parents even once sent him away to live with his strict aunt and uncle. But nothing could squash the acting bug. Bogarde took whatever backstage and uncredited roles he could get his hands on.
He once declared, “I knew that nothing would deflect me from my path as an Actor. And nothing did”. But WWII tried its best.
3. His Career Was Interrupted
When WWII broke out, Bogarde was: 18, a civilian, and scraping by at one of the few London theaters still open. This couldn’t last. The worse the conflict got, the more quickly his time as a civilian ran out.
But not before he ran into Anthony Forwood. Though the older British actor offered to represent him after WWII, they eventually fell out of touch.
However, their story was destined to be one for the ages. But more on that later.
4. He Served His Country
It was time: Bogarde’s country needed him more than the stage did. The 22-year-old felt many things about joining the army, but optimism wasn’t one of them. His work as an intelligence officer took him all over Europe and Asia. This was a non-combat role, so he didn’t directly take lives, pull triggers, or detonate explosives. But Bogarde had to make equally painful decisions.
