Editing Laurence Olivier (section)

===1975–1989: Later years and death===
Olivier spent the last 15 years of his life securing his finances and dealing with deteriorating health,{{sfn|Billington|2004}} which included [[thrombosis]] and [[dermatomyositis]], a degenerative muscle disorder.{{sfn|Coleman|2006|pp=419–420}}<ref name="EB: LO"/> Professionally, and to provide financial security, he made a series of advertisements for [[Polaroid Corporation|Polaroid]] cameras in 1972, although he stipulated that they must never be shown in Britain; he also took a number of cameo film roles, which were in "often undistinguished films", according to Billington.{{sfnm|1a1=Billington|1y=2004|2a1=Coleman|2y=2006|2p=413}} Olivier's move from leading parts to supporting and cameo roles came about because his poor health meant he could not get the necessary long insurance for larger parts, with only short engagements in films available.<ref name="Guard: Insurance"/>

Olivier's dermatomyositis meant he spent the last three months of 1974 in hospital, and he spent early 1975 slowly recovering and regaining his strength. When strong enough, he was contacted by the director [[John Schlesinger]], who offered him the role of a Nazi torturer in the 1976 film ''[[Marathon Man (film)|Marathon Man]]''. Olivier shaved his pate and wore oversized glasses to enlarge the look of his eyes, in a role that the critic [[David Robinson (film critic)|David Robinson]], writing for ''The Times'', thought was "strongly played", adding that Olivier was "always at his best in roles that call for him to be seedy or nasty or both".<ref name="Times: Marathon"/> Olivier was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and won the Golden Globe of the same category.<ref name="Oscar: Marathon"/><ref name="globes: Marathon"/>

In the mid-1970s Olivier became increasingly involved in television work, a medium of which he was initially dismissive.{{sfn|Billington|2004}} In 1973 he provided the narration for a 26-episode documentary, ''[[The World at War]]'', which chronicled the events of the Second World War, and won a second Emmy Award for ''[[Long Day's Journey into Night (1973 film)|Long Day's Journey into Night]]'' (1973). In 1975 he won another Emmy for ''[[Love Among the Ruins (film)|Love Among the Ruins]]''.{{sfn|Tanitch|1985|pp=188–189}} The following year he appeared in adaptations of Tennessee Williams's ''[[Cat on a Hot Tin Roof]]'' and [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[The Collection (play)|The Collection]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Coleman|1y=2006|1p=592|2a1=Munn|2y=2007|2pp=245–246}} Olivier portrayed the [[Pharisee]] [[Nicodemus]] in Franco Zeffirelli's 1977 miniseries ''[[Jesus of Nazareth (miniseries)|Jesus of Nazareth]]''. In 1978 he appeared in the film ''[[The Boys from Brazil (film)|The Boys from Brazil]]'', playing the role of Ezra Lieberman, an ageing [[Nazi hunter]]; he received his eleventh Academy Award nomination. Although he did not win the Oscar, he was presented with an Honorary Award for his lifetime achievement.{{sfn|Coleman|2006|pp=445 and 461}}

Olivier continued working in film into the 1980s, with roles in ''[[The Jazz Singer (1980 film)|The Jazz Singer]]'' (1980), ''[[Inchon (film)|Inchon]]'' (1981), ''[[The Bounty (1984 film)|The Bounty]]'' (1984) and ''[[Wild Geese II]]'' (1985).{{sfn|Munn|2007|p=282}} He continued to work in television; in 1981 he appeared as Lord Marchmain in ''[[Brideshead Revisited (TV serial)|Brideshead Revisited]]'', winning another Emmy, and the following year he received his tenth and last BAFTA nomination in the television adaptation of [[John Mortimer]]'s stage play ''[[A Voyage Round My Father]]''.<ref name=BAFTA/> In 1983 he played his last Shakespearean role as Lear in ''[[King Lear (1983 TV programme)|King Lear]]'', for Granada Television, earning his fifth Emmy.{{sfn|Tanitch|1985|pp=188–189}} He thought the role of Lear much less demanding than other tragic Shakespearean heroes: "No, Lear is easy. He's like all of us, really: he's just a stupid old fart."{{sfn|Olivier|1986|p=93}} When the production was first shown on American television, the critic Steve Vineberg wrote:

{{Blockquote|Olivier seems to have thrown away technique this time—his is a breathtakingly pure Lear. In his final speech, over Cordelia's lifeless body, he brings us so close to Lear's sorrow that we can hardly bear to watch, because we have seen the last Shakespearean hero Laurence Olivier will ever play. But what a finale! In this most sublime of plays, our greatest actor has given an indelible performance. Perhaps it would be most appropriate to express simple gratitude.<ref name="vineberg"/>}}

The same year he also appeared in a cameo alongside Gielgud and Richardson in ''[[Wagner (film)|Wagner]]'', with Burton in the title role;{{sfn|Tanitch|1985|p=175}} his final screen appearance was as an elderly wheelchair-using soldier in [[Derek Jarman]]'s 1989 film ''[[War Requiem (film)|War Requiem]]''.{{sfn|Coleman|2006|p=495}}

After being ill for the last 22 years of his life, Olivier died of [[renal failure]] on 11 July 1989 aged 82 at his home in the village of [[Ashurst, West Sussex|Ashurst]], near [[Steyning]], West Sussex. His cremation was held three days later;{{sfnm|1a1=Billington|1y=2004|2a1=Coleman|2y=2006|2p=497}} a memorial service was held in [[Westminster Abbey]] in October that year, where his ashes were later buried in [[Poets' Corner]].<ref name="EB: LO"/>{{sfn|Munn|2007|p=268}}