Sir Michael Redgrave was a film & stage actor, director, & writer. He was the father of 3 actors- Vanessa, Corin & Lynn Redgrave, & grandfather to Joley & Natasha Richardson (whose father - Tony Richardson was also gay), & Carlo Gabriel Nero. His wife- actress Rachel Kempton knew of his homosexuality before their marriage; his son Corin has spoken of it. Michael spent much of his time with his lover, Bob Michell, who lived in a nearby house & was like a beloved uncle to the Redgrave children. Michell, also later married & named one of his children Michael, after Redgrave.
Michael Redgrave ranks with Lawrence Olivier, John Gielgud & Ralph Richardson as one of the great British actors of the 20th century. He played all the great Shakespearean roles. His Prospero is noted for being even better even than Brian Bara's. He was considered the greatest English actor of Chekhov's work. Redgrave had an impressive film career that included Hitchcock’s THE LADY VANISHES, the schizophrenic ventriloquist in DEAD OF NIGHT & Crocker Harris in THE BROWNING VERSION. In his prime Redgrave contracted Parkinson’s disease & was no longer able to learn new roles.
With the help of his son Corin he wrote his memoirs- In My Mind’s Eye. During one of Corin's writing session his father said "There is something I ought to tell you. I am, to say the least of it, rather bisexual". Corin encouraged him to acknowledge his sexuality in the book. Michael agreed to do so, but in the end he chose to remain silent about it.
A card was found among Redgrave's effects after his death. The card was signed "Tommy, Liverpool, January 1940", & on it were the words, a quote from W. H. Auden: "The world is love. Surely one fearless kiss would cure the million fevers".
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