Editing Albert Finney (section)

===1981–1999===
[[File:Tom Courtenay 2 Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|left|170px| [[Tom Courtenay]], who Finney featured with in ''[[The Dresser (1983 film)|The Dresser]]'' (1983).]]
Finney had not played a major role in a feature film in six years, and started to think about resuming work with cinema. The last two successful films he had made were ''Scrooge'' and ''Orient Express'' in which he was heavily disguised. "Most Americans probably think I weigh 300 pounds, have black hair and talk with a French accent like Hercule Poirot," said Finney. "So I thought they should have a look at me while I was still almost a juvenile and kind of cute."<ref name="new"/> Finney decided to make six movies in succession "so that I could relax and get back into it again. In order to feel really assured and comfortable in front of a camera, you've got to do it for a while."<ref name="new"/> The first three were thrillers: ''[[Loophole (1981 film)|Loophole]]'' (1981), with [[Susannah York]]; ''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'' (1981), directed by [[Michael Wadleigh]]; and ''[[Looker (film)|Looker]]'' (1981), written and directed by [[Michael Crichton]].<ref>Albert Finney stages a film comeback, Blume, Mary. Los Angeles Times 19 October 1980: p67.</ref> He received excellent reviews for his performance in the drama ''[[Shoot the Moon]]'' (1982).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/movies/finney-comes-back-to-film.html?pagewanted=all|title=Finney comes back to film|first=Stephen|last=Farber|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=26 July 1981|access-date=3 September 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905054528/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/movies/finney-comes-back-to-film.html?pagewanted=all|archive-date=5 September 2017}}</ref> Finney said the role "required personal acting; I had to dig into myself. When you have to expose yourself and use your own vulnerability, you can get a little near the edge."<ref name="new"/> 

Less well received was his performance as Daddy Warbucks in the [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]] film version of ''[[Annie (1982 film)|Annie]]'' (1982), which was directed by [[John Huston]]. Finney said doing this movie after ''Shoot The Moon'' was "marvelous. I use a completely different side of myself as Warbucks. ''Annie'' is show biz; it's open, simple and direct. It needs bold, primary colors. I don't have to reveal the inner workings of the character, and that's a relief."<ref name="new"/>

Finney featured in Peter Yates-directed movie ''[[The Dresser (1983 film)|The Dresser]]'' (1983) as Sir, a deteriorating veteran actor struggling through a difficult performance of ''[[King Lear]]''. He earned nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]], the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]], and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]]. He then played the title role for the TV film ''[[Pope John Paul II (film)|Pope John Paul II]]'' (1984), his American television debut.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pope John Paul II |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087931/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_37 |website=imdb.com |publisher=Taft Entertainment Television |access-date=29 January 2021 |date=22 April 1984}}</ref> Huston cast Finney in the lead role of ''[[Under the Volcano (1984 film)|Under the Volcano]]'' (1984), which earned both men great acclaim, including another Best Actor Oscar nomination for Finney.<ref name="Obituary: Albert Finney">{{cite news |title=Obituary: Albert Finney |work=BBC News |date=8 February 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-13503928 |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> Finney played the lead role of [[Sydney Kentridge]] in ''The Biko Inquest'', a 1984 dramatization of the inquest into the death of [[Steve Biko]] which was filmed for television after a London run.<ref name="NYTBiko">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/12/arts/tv-review-the-biko-inquest-on-showtime.html|title=TV review; 'The Biko Inquest' on Showtime|last=O'Connor|first=John J.|date=12 September 1985|work=The New York Times|access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref>

Finney performed on stage in ''Orphans'' in 1986, and the [[Orphans (1987 film)|film version]], directed by [[Alan J. Pakula]].<ref>The Albert memorial, Billington, Michael. The Guardian 13 March 1986: 12.</ref> He had the lead in a television miniseries, ''[[The Endless Game]]'' (1989), written and directed by [[Bryan Forbes]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dixon |first1=Wheeler W. |title=Collected Interviews: Voices from Twentieth-century Cinema |date=2001 |publisher=SIU Press |isbn=978-0-8093-2407-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3KibUx_BiR4C |access-date=23 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Finney began the 1990s with the lead role in a film for HBO, ''[[The Image (1990 film)|The Image]]'' (1990). He received great acclaim playing the gangster boss in ''[[Miller's Crossing]]'' (1990), replacing [[Trey Wilson]] shortly before filming. Finney made an appearance at [[Roger Waters]]' ''[[The Wall – Live in Berlin]]'' (1990), where he played "The Judge" during the performance of "[[The Trial (song)|The Trial]]".<ref name="The Trial - Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig">{{cite web |title=The Trial – Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig |url=https://genius.com/Rundfunk-sinfonieorchester-leipzig-the-trial-lyrics |website=Genius |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref>

Finney featured in the BBC ''[[The Green Man (TV serial)|TV serial The Green Man]]'', based on the [[Kingsley Amis]] novel.<ref name="Dorset On Screen: A Report On The Use Of Dorset As A Film-TV Location For The British Film Centenary 1996">{{cite web |title=Dorset On Screen: A Report On The Use Of Dorset As A Film-TV Location For The British Film Centenary 1996 |url=http://www.south-central-media.co.uk/report.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324132850/http://www.south-central-media.co.uk/report.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 March 2016 |website=South Central Media |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> He followed it with ''[[The Playboys (film)|The Playboys]]'' (1992) for [[Gillies MacKinnon]]; ''[[Rich in Love (1992 film)|Rich in Love]]'' (1993) for [[Bruce Beresford]]; ''[[The Browning Version (1994 film)|The Browning Version]]'' (1994) for [[Mike Figgis]]; ''[[A Man of No Importance (film)|A Man of No Importance]]'' (1994), for [[Suri Krishnamma]]; and ''[[The Run of the Country]]'' (1995) for [[Peter Yates]]. In 1994, Finney played a gay bus conductor in early 1960s [[Dublin]] in ''[[A Man of No Importance (film)|A Man of No Importance]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-02-03-9502030249-story.html|title=Albert Finney Finds Significance on 'Man of No Importance'|first=Michael|last=Wilmington|website=chicagotribune.com}}</ref> He had the main role in [[Dennis Potter]]'s final two plays, ''[[Karaoke (TV series)|Karaoke]]'' and ''[[Cold Lazarus]]'' (both 1996). In the latter he played a frozen, disembodied head.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Elley |first1=Derek |title=Cold Lazarus |url=https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/cold-lazarus-1200445991/ |website=Variety |date=19 June 1996 |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="Dennis Potter's 'Karaoke' & 'Cold Lazarus' DVD review">{{cite web |last1=Cole |first1=Simon |title=Dennis Potter's 'Karaoke' & 'Cold Lazarus' DVD review |url=http://cultbox.co.uk/reviews/dvd-a-blu-ray/dennis-potters-karaoke-a-cold-lazarus-dvd-review |website=Cult Box |date=3 September 2010 |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> Finney did ''[[Nostromo (miniseries)|Nostromo]]'' (1997) for television, and ''[[Washington Square (1997 film)|Washington Square]]'' (1997) for [[Agnieszka Holland]] then made ''[[A Rather English Marriage]]'' (1998) with [[Tom Courtenay]].<ref name="A Rather English Marriage">{{cite web |last1=Elley |first1=Derek |title=A Rather English Marriage |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/a-rather-english-marriage-1200455871/ |website=Variety |date=23 November 1998 |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> He had supporting roles in ''[[Breakfast of Champions (film)|Breakfast of Champions]]'' (1999) and ''[[Simpatico (film)|Simpatico]]'' (1999).