Article: Sir Alec Guinness dies at 86.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Sir Alec Guinness, 86, Britain's last theatrical knight and an actor who combined incredible range and versatility with inconspicuous virtuosity, died Saturday, a spokeswoman at a London hospital said Monday.

He died at King Edward VII Hospital, where he was taken after becoming ill on Thursday at his home near Petersfield in southern England, spokeswoman Jenny Masding said. The cause of death was not released.

An intensely private man who jealously guarded his personal life, Sir Alec was perhaps the most self-effacing star in movies. Whether playing wise men such as Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars," George Smiley in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," and ...

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