What you might not know about the American author
Prolific actor Bill Nighy, who gained recognition for his role as Billy Mack in the Christmas favorite 'Love Actually,' turned down an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) at some point during his career.
Although he appears coy when the subject is broached, he did say in an interview: "I think it's lovely that people get them but it's not really my thing."
To this day not much is known about his reasons for refusing the honor, but if his off-screen personality is anything like his on-screen one, it doesn't come as much of a surprise.
Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, whom most people know as the 12th Doctor in 'Doctor Who,' is reported to have declined the offer of an OBE during the noughties.
Film director Danny Boyle has actually accepted a number of honors over the course of his career, but he turned down the knighthood offered to him following the 2012 Olympics.
Boyle was offered the knighthood for his work creating the opening ceremony, but he was adamant he didn't want it. He even described it as "wrong."
The late esteemed actor Peter O'Toole, who is probably best known for his portrayal of T. E. Lawrence in the 1962 film 'Lawrence of Arabia,' allegedly declined a knighthood in 1987.
O'Toole, who died in 2013, received many accolades over the course of his career and was nominated eight times for an Oscar Best Actor. As for the knighthood, he apparently rejected it for political reasons.
The writer did not take issue with the idea of receiving an honor. However, he was simply holding out to receive the higher honor of a knighthood.
Late children's author Roald Dahl, the man behind such iconic stories as 'Matilda' and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' turned down an OBE in 1986.
Since he passed away at the beginning of 2016, there has been a campaign for a posthumous knighthood, but we do not yet know the result of that campaign.
Beloved late British actor Alan Rickman, whose roles in films such as 'Die Hard' and the 'Harry Potter' franchise made him a household favorite, turned down a CBE for reasons that remain unclear.
The late music legend David Bowie turned down both a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and a knighthood. When rejecting the CBE in 2000, he said: "I seriously don't know what it's for."
Beatles member and solo artist John Lennon didn't actually refuse an honor, but he did return one. He sent back his MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) insignia to Her Majesty the Queen in 1969.
In his letter he wrote that he was protesting against "Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against 'Cold Turkey' slipping down the charts."
In 2003, he was offered a knighthood for "having a major contribution" to British life which was "inspirational and significant...over a long period of time." But Bowie just wasn't interested.
Comedic actor and writer John Cleese, who was one of the genius minds behind the legendary 'Monty Python's Flying Circus,' rejected a number of honors, including a CBE.
The CBE rejection came in 1984 and the alleged knighthood rejection in 1995. To this day McDowell's reasons for declining the honors are unknown.
Actor Malcolm McDowell, who is known to most as the star of 'A Clockwork Orange,' is thought to have rejected the Queen's offer of both a CBE and a knighthood.
He said no to the CBE in 1996, and when offered a peerage in 1999 he said that he "did not wish to spend winters in England" and that being a peer would be "ridiculous."
Author C. S. Lewis, the man who brought us 'The Chronicles of Narnia,' rejected a CBE in 1951. This fact only became known many years after his death.
Famous playwright George Bernard Shaw turned down both a knighthood and an Order of Merit (an award that recognizes distinguished services in the armed forces).
Late actor Albert Finney, who had an impressive career across film, television, and theater, declined a CBE in 1980 and then a knighthood in 2000.
Sources suggest that he turned down the honor for fear of being mistakenly associated with political issues.
The late renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who is credited with greatly advancing our understanding of the universe, declined the offer of a knighthood at some point during the 1990s.
His wife is reported to have said that he felt he "could do his work better without it." Kipling also refused the Order of Merit in both 1921 and 1924.
Sources: (Ranker) (Independent)
See also: The Knights and Dames of Hollywood
Finney was defiant in his rejection of the offers; when it came to rejecting the knighthood, he described the honors system as a "way of perpetuating snobbery."
Interestingly, he also initially refused the Noble Prize for Literature in 1925. Clearly it was always in his nature to be suspicious of public honors.
Author Rudyard Kipling, the mind behind such great and lasting works as 'The Jungle Book,' declined knighthood twice, once in 1899 and again in 1903.
Under the British honors system, individuals are awarded on merit for exceptional achievement or service. The system has been around for centuries and for many people the prospect of becoming a knight, dame, CBE, OBE, or MBE still represents the height of achievement.
There are several individuals, however, who have rejected an offer from the monarch to receive an honor. For a long time rejections often went under the radar and the reasons that people declined the offers were not known. However, in 2012 the British government was forced to release a list of all those individuals who turned down honors before 2000.
And even in 2023, the honors are being returned. Scottish actor Alan Cumming announced his decision to return his Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire honor, which he'd received back in 2009, on his birthday on January 27. Speaking to People, Cumming noted that the reaction has been "incredible" and that "It's been really positive. People really understood why it's complicated, it's complex, it's not a black or white thing." He added, "I think times are changing and things change, and you change how you feel about something."
Cumming was presented the honor by the late Queen Elizabeth II as recognition for his acting work and LGBTQ+ rights campaigning particularly in the US, but the honor has since soured from a source of pride to stain in history. In a post on Instagram he explained why he returned his OBE: "The Queen's death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes. Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire)." He continued, "So I returned my award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place. I'm now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!"
Check out this gallery to find out which famous faces rejected the Royal honors (for one reason or another).
Celebs who rejected British royal honors
Alan Cumming opens up about returning British OBE honor: "It's complex, it's not a black or white thing"
CELEBRITY Honors system
Under the British honors system, individuals are awarded on merit for exceptional achievement or service. The system has been around for centuries and for many people the prospect of becoming a knight, dame, CBE, OBE, or MBE still represents the height of achievement.
There are several individuals, however, who have rejected an offer from the monarch to receive an honor. For a long time rejections often went under the radar and the reasons that people declined the offers were not known. However, in 2012 the British government was forced to release a list of all those individuals who turned down honors before 2000.
And even in 2023, the honors are being returned. Scottish actor Alan Cumming announced his decision to return his Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire honor, which he'd received back in 2009, on his birthday on January 27. Speaking to People, Cumming noted that the reaction has been "incredible" and that "It's been really positive. People really understood why it's complicated, it's complex, it's not a black or white thing." He added, "I think times are changing and things change, and you change how you feel about something."
Cumming was presented the honor by the late Queen Elizabeth II as recognition for his acting work and LGBTQ+ rights campaigning particularly in the US, but the honor has since soured from a source of pride to stain in history. In a post on Instagram he explained why he returned his OBE: "The Queen's death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes. Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire)." He continued, "So I returned my award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place. I'm now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!"
Check out this gallery to find out which famous faces rejected the Royal honors (for one reason or another).