British stage and motion-picture actor who personified dapper charm.

Born to a longtime military family, Niven attended Sandhurst Military Academy. He made his way to Hollywood in the mid-1930s and began performing as an extra. His first major roles were in Dawn Patrol (1938) and Wuthering Heights (1939). He rapidly became known as a steady, reliable actor who usually specialized in light comedy.

Niven served as an officer in the British army's commando unit during World War II, and following the war he returned to films. Though known for his sure touch with light comedy, he also proved to be a substantial dramatic actor, winning an Academy Award for his role in Separate Tables (1958). Among his best-known films are The Moon Is Blue (1953), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Pink Panther (1964), and Death on the Nile (1978). He also appeared on stage and on two television series. He published a novel, Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly (1981), and two autobiographical volumes, The Moon's a Balloon (1971) and Bring on the Empty Horses (1975).

Niven performed in movies until the year of his death, even though he suffered in his later life from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also called Lou Gehrig's disease). His last film was The Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).