A great actor has died. Maximilian Schell gave us many memorable performances but I'll always remember him by his tortured, electrifying performance as a ruthless leader possessed by his vision of a New Russia in the amazing miniseries Peter the Great. He embodied the part of Peter the Great so completely that even when he had to torture his own son to death to achieve his vision, you couldn't dislike him. You felt sorry for him and the dream that drove him to murder thousands including his own offspring in the process. He played a man of destiny with such force and magnetism that he was mesmerizing. He gave us many other brilliant performances including the one that won him the Oscar below, but my personal favorite will always be Peter the Great. He plunged to the depths of darkness in that role and although the critics may not agree, it was in my opinion one of his greatest performances.
He had true artistry in his genes so he was a man of destiny like his subject. His sister, the lovely Maria Schell with the tender smile was also a wonderful actress although she never achieved his level of genius or acclaim. Rest in peace Maximilian the Great. We shall remember you.
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