Laurence Olivier already has a statue, a spot in Poets’ Corner, and a theatre auditorium named in his honour. Now add to that an official Blue Plaque.
On 10 June 2026, said plaque was unveiled at Olivier’s childhood home at 22 Lupus Street, Pimlico. It was here that Olivier lived between the ages of 6 and 11, his father serving as curate at the nearby St Saviour’s Church.
The young Olivier was already flaunting his thespian chops. After the actor Sybil Thorndike saw him in a school production, she gushed to Laurence’s dad: “But this is an actor. Absolutely an actor. Born to it.”
At 22 Lupus Street itself, the budding actor is said to have transformed a wooden box and a set of blue curtains into a stage, performing songs, dances and dramatic scenes for hours at a time. He would go on to sell out stages across London and the globe. Shakespeare was a speciality, although he also appeared in Hollywood films throughout his career, including Rebecca, Sleuth and Marathon Man.
Said English Heritage Senior Historian Howard Spencer: “What makes Lupus Street so special is that it is where it all began for Olivier, as an imaginative London child first discovering a love of performance. The plaque celebrates the formative home where one of Britain’s greatest cultural figures first found his voice as an actor.”
Another great actor, Sir Ian McKellen, was there to unveil the plaque. In his lifetime Laurence Olivier’s achievements, on stage and on screen, were unique and legendary,” said McKellen. “He was a Hollywood star, the first Director of the National Theatre of Great Britain, producer, director, as well as actor.”
Last year, a Blue Plaque was erected at the former Mayfair home of Audrey Hepburn.
