Richard Burton

Michael Parkinson looks back at a memorable interview with the talented and troubled Welsh actor Richard Burton. Back in 1974, the film star was battling against alcoholism, consuming "up to three bottles of hard liquor a day", and had spent six weeks in a Swiss clinic for treatment prior to the interview - which took place in the morning before the pubs opened, although in the event he had to be given a whiskey to calm his nerves. Unable to round up an audience so early in the day, BBC chefs and kitchen staff were invited to sit in the audience, which gave Burton quite a surprise when met with a crowd of people in white coats; "Christ, I thought I was back at the bloody clinic". He said he had been on the edge of a "terrible precipice", but had survived and had decided to regain control of his life. He didn't. He died of a brain haemorrhage in 1984, aged 59.