David Niven's Real Name: James David Graham Niven

Quick answer: The actor was known professionally as David Niven. Britannica, Encyclopedia.com, and a 1983 Los Angeles Times obituary all record the name James David Graham Niven and the birth date March 1, 1910. Britannica places the birth in London, England. Encyclopedia.com and the Times place it in Kirriemuir, Scotland; Encyclopedia.com notes that some sources say London. All three record his death on July 29, 1983, in Château-d'Oex, Switzerland, with small spelling differences.

Real name and early life

Britannica lists him as also known as James David Graham Niven, born March 1, 1910, in London, England, and says he attended Sandhurst Military Academy. Encyclopedia.com independently records James David Graham Niven, born 1 March 1910 in Kirriemuir, Scotland, noting that some sources say London, and says he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from 1927 to 1929. The Times independently places the same birth in Kirriemuir, Scotland, and says he later ended up at Sandhurst.

Career highlights

Britannica says his first major roles were in Dawn Patrol (1938) and Wuthering Heights (1939), and that he won an Academy Award for Separate Tables (1958). The Times independently lists The Dawn Patrol (1938) and Wuthering Heights (1939) among early films, and says he won an Academy Award as best actor for Separate Tables, in which he portrayed a retired British officer. Encyclopedia.com also records a Best Actor Academy Award for Separate Tables in 1958. All three also name Around the World in 80 Days and The Pink Panther. Britannica and the Times also name The Guns of Navarone (1961). All three record the autobiographical books The Moon's a Balloon and Bring on the Empty Horses. Britannica dates those books to 1971 and 1975, names a novel, Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly (1981), and says his last film was The Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).

Death

Britannica says he died on July 29, 1983, in Château-d'Oex, Switzerland, and that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease. Encyclopedia.com independently says he died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in Chateau-d'Oex, Switzerland, on 29 July 1983. A Los Angeles Times obituary dated July 30, 1983, says he died Friday in his mountain chalet in Chateau D'Oex, Switzerland, at age 73, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up David Niven or James David Graham Niven are looking for the same actor.