Richard Burton: Wild Genius
BBC 2 - 60’ (2025)The centrepiece of the BBC’s season celebrating the centenary of the Welsh actor’s birth, this documentary traces Burton’s epic journey from Valleys mining village to Hollywood, and from poverty and pain to riches, acclaim and - thanks to his romance with Elizabeth Taylor - unprecedented fame. Fellow actors Claire Bloom, Gabriel Byrne, Dame Sian Phillips and Michael Sheen shed light on this brilliant and complicated Welshman. Also appearing are his daughter Kate and widow Sally Burton.
A Bright Yellow Films & Yeti Media co-production for BBC Wales & BBC Arts
"This excellent documentary paints a portrait of a man caught between different worlds. The proud Welshman who trained to sound English. The self mythologising man of the people who lived a life of dazzling excess."
The Telegraph
"Richard Burton packed a lot into 58 years, and this splendid bio-doc packs a lot into its hour."
- The Radio Times
"This fascinating documentary charts the journey of the Welsh miner's son who became one of the greatest actors of his generation."
- **** Heat
"The film doesn't shy away from his relationship with alcohol, his complicated feelings about acting and masculinity, and his plunge into celebrity's destructive glare alongside Elizabeth Taylor."
- Critics' Choice - The Times
Credits:
Director: Adrian Sibley
Executive Producer: Sian Price
Camera: Aled Jones with Joe Cooper & Sam Shinn
Editor: Jules Cornell