“You are not just here to fill space or be a background character in someone else's movie. Consider this: nothing would be the same if you did not exist. Every place you have ever been and everyone you have ever spoken to would be different without you. We are all connected, and we are all affected by the decisions and even the existence of those around us.” -- David Niven, the debonair, Academy Award-winning British actor of Hollywood's Golden Age. After Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Niven joined the British Army, eventually participating in the Normandy invasion in a commando reconnaissance unit.
Born on this day in 1910, Niven was a successful writer in addition to his long film career, with his autobiographical "The Moon's A Balloon" selling millions of copies. His admittedly embellished tales of Hollywood, often substituting others' exploits for his, endeared him to that community and to his international fans.
