Often regarded as merely epitomizing massive unfulfilled potential, both on stage and screen, Burton nevertheless achieved an impressive seven Academy nominations - without gaining the coveted Oscar. For a time, through the 1960s and before the tawdry potboilers and morose binges, he was a worthy member of any pantheon of great screen actors. He was born at Pontrhydyfen ( Pelenna ), near Port Talbot , into a Welsh -speaking mining family named Jenkins, later adopting the surname of Philip Burton , the teacher who inspired his passion for acting. Richard made his stage debut at the age of 18 in Emlyn Williams ’s The Druid’s Rest , and studied English at Oxford . A comparable passion for literature could have made him a writer, but it was giving expression to the words of others to which he primarily devoted his formidable intelligence - and remarkable, resonant voice. He established an authoritative stage presence early on, making a huge impact on the Stratford, London and Broadway…