Sir Antony Sher, KBE (born 14 June 1949) is a South African-born British actor, and twice winner of the Laurence Olivier Award. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 and toured in many roles, as well as appearing on film and TV, and working as a writer and theatre director. In 2001, he starred in his cousin Ronald Harwood’s play Mahler's Conversion, and said that the story of a composer sacrificing his faith for his career echoed his own identity struggles.