There are two David Nivens who have been introduced to the film industry, and both are related, one is the father, the other the son. This article focuses on the latter, the son, commonly known as David Niven Jr. Like his father, he is a British film actor and producer. Niven has worked as an executive at major film production companies like Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures. Learn more about David Niven in the following sections.
David Niven Bio
David Niven was born on December 15, 1942, in London as David William Graham Niven Jr. He was born the son of Primula Susan Rollo and David Niven, the famous Hollywood actor who once played James Bond. Niven’s mother, Primula Rollo, also known as Primmie, was the daughter of the then famous London lawyer William Rollo.
His father, David Niven, was also a well-known English novelist and memoirist. He starred in several notable films, including A Matter of Life and Death, in which he played the role of Squadron Leader Peter Carter, Around the World in 80 Days, in which he played the role of Phileas Fogg, and Pink Panther, in which he impersonated the role of Sir Charles Lytton.
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The older Niven won an Oscar in 1958 for his role in the film Separate Tables. Niven Jr. has a younger brother named James Graham Niven, who is an art auctioneer and patron of the arts.
He lost his mother, Primula Rollo, in a domestic accident at a very young age. This happened not long after the Niven family moved to Hollywood to further the acting and production career off the older David Niven. Rollo was visiting a friend and playing hide-and-seek when she walked through a door and thought it led to a closet when in reality it led to a step into the basement. Rollo fell and broke his skull.
Career
The career of David Niven Jr. is a dwarf compared to that of his father. He seemed to stick more to his behind-the-scenes role as a film producer and never really made much of an impact in his acting career.
He made his debut as a producer in 1976 with the film The Eagle Has Landed, after which he produced several other films and documentaries, many of which he produced as an executive. These include the film Escape to Athena (1979), Monsignor (1982), Better Late than Never (1983), Kidco (1984), and the documentary That’s Dancing, which he produced in 1985.
In 1984, Niven Jr. also produced the TV movie The Night They Saved Christmas and the TV movie documentary Minnelli about Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic in 1987 and 1990.
In 1993 he was executive producer of these films, Blue Flame, Psycho Cop Returns, and The Cool Surface. His other productions in the mid-90s include R.A.D.D.: “Drive My Car” and “Girl with the Hungry Eyes”.
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Among the films in which he acted are Lisa (1989), in which he played the role of the flower shop patron, The Cool Surface (1993), in which he played the role of the peeping Tom, and Rush Hour 3, in which he appeared as a British foreigner.
David Niven seemed to have stalled his career in 1995 for no official reason. However, he turned up in 2009 to make the short documentary film To Oz! The Making of a Classic.
Relationship with Barbara Niven, Wife and Kids
David Niven Jr. was married to Barbara Niven (née Barbara Lee Buholz) between 1993 and 1998, which increased the duration of their marriage to five years. Like David, Barbara Niven is an American actress and producer. She can look back on a career spanning several decades and has appeared in numerous films and television programs. In several Lifetime and Hallmark films, she is more active on the small screen.
Barbara is best known for her roles in television series such as Cedar Cove, One Life to Live, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold. She remains active in her acting career, especially in Hallmark films.
Barbara’s divorce from David Nivien Jr. was her third divorce, having previously separated from her first two husbands, including Ronald Garrison and David Alexander. Since their divorce, things between the two became very quiet about their love life.
Their short-lived marriage produced a daughter named Jessica Niven. According to her IMDB profile, she appeared in 2017 in The Derelict: A Star Trek Fan Production.
