The Life of Old Hollywood Legend Richard Burton

Richard Walter Jenkins Jr. is born on 10 November 1925 in the small Welsh village of Pontrhydyfen, Glamorgan. He is the twelfth of thirteen children in a large, working-class, Welsh-speaking family. His father works as a coal miner, while his mother is employed as a barmaid, placing him firmly within the industrial and cultural rhythms of South Wales life.

Growing up in such a crowded household means attention is scarce, but the environment is rich with language, music, and storytelling. This early immersion in Welsh identity and working-class struggle quietly shapes the voice and presence he will later become known for, even if no one yet imagines where it might lead next