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He was born in London, England, the son of William Edward Graham Niven and Henrietta Julia de Gacher. His father died during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 and his mother remarried Sir Thomas Comyn-Platt. After attending Stowe as a boy Niven trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which gave him the "officer and gentleman" bearing that was to be his trademark. Niven often claimed that he was born in Kirriemuir in Scotland which he believed sounded more romantic than London.
Arriving in Hollywood during the 1930s, he first worked as an extra in westerns, then had a walk-on part in the 1935See also 1934 in film 1935 1936 in film 1930s in film years in film film Events Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Top grossing films # Top Hat # The Miracle Rider # Tumbling Tumbleweeds # Westward Ho Academy Awards Best Picture version of Mutiny on the BountyMutiny on the Bounty is the title of a novel and several films based on the real story of the mutiny against Lieutenant William Bligh, commanding officer of HMAV Bounty''. for other meanings see Mutiny on the Bounty (disambiguation) Novel The 1932 novel b and progressed to leading man in MGM comedies such as Bachelor MotherBachelor Mother ( Garson Kanin; US, 1939) is a comedy film starring Ginger Rogers (in a non-dancing, non-singing role), David Niven and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna based on a story by Felix Jackson (aka Felix Joachimson). (1939).
During World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough he served in the British army, rising to the rank of colonelColonel ( Ger: Oberst is a military rank, usually the highest below general grades, and just above Lieutenant Colonel. The word is pronounced similarly to "kernel". In the US military, a colonel in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps is equivalent to a c in the British Commandos and landing at Normandy.
He resumed his career afterwards with roles such as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days and James Bond in the unofficial series spoof Casino Royale.
He won an Academy Award for his performance in Separate Tables ( 1958).
Late in life, he gained critical acclaim for his memoirs of his acting career, The Moon's A Balloon (1971) and Bring On the Empty Horses (1975).
He died in Switzerland in 1983 of Motor Neurone Disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.