Alan Bates was an English actor who had a long and successful career in film, television, and theatre. He is best known for his roles in the films Women in Love, The Go-Between, and Gosford Park. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1969 film The Fixer. He also won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in An Unmarried Woman in 1978. Bates was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2003 for his services to drama.