Ben Kingsley

Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley is the narrator of CNN's MILLENNIUM.

Kingsley achieved world fame in 1982 for his portrayal of the title figure in Richard Attenborough's epic, "Gandhi," for which Kingsley won an Oscar as Best Actor. His ability to embody historical personalities with fascinating authenticity led to further triumphs as Shostakovich in "Testimony" and as Simon Wiesenthal in "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story." Kingsley continues to demonstrate the enormous range of his acting talent in such diverse films as Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" and Roman Polanski's "Death and the Maiden."

Before his achievements in film, Kingsley began his professional acting career as a stage performer. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967, and his theater performances have included roles as Demetrius in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Claudio in "Measure For Measure" and Brutus in "Julius Caesar." Kingsley returned to the London stage in 1997 to triumph as Estragon in "Waiting for Godot."

Kingsley recently starred in the groundbreaking production of "Crime and Punishment" for Showtime, which was produced by Robert Halmi. His latest film, "Spooky House," in which he plays the Great Zamboni, will open in the fall of 1999.