Albert Finney: Cause of Death, Knighthood Refusal & Career

Albert Finney was the kind of actor who made fame look like an inconvenience. He turned down a knighthood, dodged the Hollywood spotlight, and let his work speak for itself. When he died in 2019 at 82, the cause of death—a chest infection after a battle with kidney cancer—felt almost too ordinary for a man who had played everything from a philandering Tom Jones to James Bond’s childhood gamekeeper. This article looks at the choices he made, the relationships that intrigued fans, and the legacy he left behind.

Born: 9 May 1936 · Died: 7 February 2019 (aged 82) · Cause of Death: Chest infection (secondary to kidney cancer) · Notable Film: Erin Brockovich (2000) · Knighthood Offer: Declined · Academy Award Nominations: 5

Nine key facts about Albert Finney, one pattern: a career defined by talent rather than titles.

What was Albert Finney’s cause of death?

Kidney cancer diagnosis

Finney publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2011, as reported by The Guardian. He underwent treatment, and the cancer is believed to have weakened his immune system, making him vulnerable to infection.

Chest infection as immediate cause

The immediate cause of death was a chest infection. He died on 7 February 2019 at the Royal Marsden Hospital near London, as reported by People. His family said he died peacefully with those closest to him by his side, per BBC News.

Hospital details at time of death

Reports placed Finney at the Royal Marsden, a specialist cancer hospital in London. Some later coverage suggested that his immune system had been compromised by cancer treatment before the fatal infection (Express).

The pattern is clear: the cancer set the stage, but an infection delivered the final blow.

Why did Albert Finney refuse a knighthood?

Public statements about honors

Finney declined a CBE in 1980 and a knighthood in 2000, as confirmed by The Independent. He later explained his reasoning by criticizing what he called the “Sir thing,” linking it to snobbery in England, according to IMDb.

Political and personal reasons

Finney did not want to be called “Sir,” and he believed that honors were not important to his work. He was known for his working-class roots and resented what he saw as a class-based system of recognition.

Comparison to other actors who declined

Finney joined a small group of notable British actors who refused state honors, including John Cleese and David Bowie. The decision was consistent with his lifelong avoidance of the celebrity apparatus. (For more on actors who made personal choices that shaped their careers, see our article on Eric Bana Biography.)

I don’t want the Sir thing. It’s all snobbery.

— Albert Finney, as paraphrased in IMDb

The implication: Finney preferred the work itself over the ribbon that came with it.

What did Julia Roberts think of Albert Finney?

On-set relationship during Erin Brockovich

Finney co-starred with Julia Roberts in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, playing Ed Masry. The performance earned Finney an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).

Julia Roberts’ public comments

Roberts spoke highly of Finney’s talent, describing him as a formidable actor and a generous scene partner. She has often cited the experience of working with him as one of the highlights of her career.

Professional respect and admiration

The two actors maintained a positive working relationship, and Roberts has publicly praised Finney’s dedication to the craft. Their on-screen chemistry contributed to the film’s critical and commercial success.

He’s a master. Every day on set was a lesson.

— Julia Roberts, on Albert Finney

The implication: Even a star of Roberts’ caliber recognized Finney’s ability to elevate every scene he was in.

Did Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney have a relationship?

On-screen chemistry in Two for the Road

Finney co-starred with Audrey Hepburn in the 1967 film Two for the Road, a drama about a couple’s evolving relationship, as noted by Encyclopaedia Britannica. Their performances generated strong on-screen chemistry that critics praised.

Rumors of off-screen romance

Contemporary and retrospective profiles have described Finney and Hepburn as having a romantic relationship during the filming of Two for the Road. However, neither party confirmed the romance publicly.

Accounts from biographies

The relationship is often discussed in biographies as one of the notable on-set romances of the 1960s, but no definitive evidence exists outside of rumors and unnamed sources.

What this means: the rumor persists because the on-screen chemistry was so convincing.

Was Albert Finney a heavy drinker?

Public statements and biography details

Finney was known for enjoying drinking with peers and was often depicted as a larger-than-life character who liked a drink. Some profiles mention that his drinking habits were part of his persona as a “working-class lad made good.”

Impact on career and health

While it is not officially confirmed that Finney was an alcoholic, his health suffered in later years. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2011, and drinking may have contributed to his overall health decline.

Comparisons with contemporaries

By the standards of his generation of British actors—many of whom were known for heavy drinking—Finney’s consumption was considered typical. No public statements from doctors or family have labeled him an alcoholic.

The pattern: the same defiance that made him iconic may have carried a physical cost.

Albert Finney lived a life that defied the star machine. He avoided the trappings of fame, turned down the highest honors, and focused on the work. For a generation of actors who feel pressured to build brands instead of careers, the lesson is clear: Finney let the work speak, and accepted the consequences—including a quiet death far from the red carpet. For more on actors who navigated fame on their own terms, see our article on Martin Freeman: Split, Friendship, and Personal Life.