Sir Alec Guinness , ( born Alec Guinness de Cuffe ; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000 ) was an English actor . After an early career on the stage , Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies , including '' The Ladykillers '' and '' Kind Hearts and Coronets '' in which he played nine different characters . He is known for his six collaborations with David Lean : Herbert Pocket in '' Great Expectations '' ( 1946 ) , Fagin in '' Oliver Twist '' ( 1948 ) , Col. Nicholson in '' The Bridge on the River Kwai '' ( 1957 , for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor ) , Prince Faisal in '' Lawrence of Arabia '' ( 1962 ) , General Yevgraf Zhivago in '' Doctor Zhivago '' ( 1965 ) , and Professor Godbole in '' A Passage to India '' ( 1984 ) . He is also known for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas 's original '' Star Wars '' trilogy ; for the original film , he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 50th Academy Awards
50th Academy Awards
50th Academy Awards
Alec Guinness