Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance OBE (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor, screenwriter, and director. He typically plays strict, authoritarian characters or villains. He is best known for his roles as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones, Kitchener in The King's Man, Martin Benson in Amazon Prime's The Widow, Lord Mountbatten in Netflix's The Crown (for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series), Thomas in Underworld: Awakening and Underworld: Blood Wars, Harold Fillmore in Ghostbusters (2016), Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Frankenstein in Victor Frankenstein, Master Vampire in Dracula Untold, Conrad Knox in the Cinemax series Strike Back, Raymond Stockbridge in Gosford Park, one-eyed hitman Benedict in Last Action Hero, Clemens in Alien³, Sardo Numpsa in The Golden Child, and Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown. He started his career on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) before appearing in film and television. For his services to drama, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006. He made his directorial film debut with the drama film Ladies in Lavender (2004), which he also wrote and executive produced.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Wildcat as Frasier Mahoney
- 2025 · Frankenstein as Leopold Frankenstein
- 2024 · The Day of the Jackal as Timothy Winthrop
- 2024 · Rumours as Edison Wolcott
- 2024 · The First Omen as Father Harris
- 2024 · Testament: The Story of Moses as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2023 · Rabbit Hole as Dr. Ben Wilson
- 2022 · This England as Max Hastings
- 2022 · The Serpent Queen as Clement VII
- 2022 · The Sandman as Roderick Burgess
- 2022 · Against the Ice as Minister Neergaard
- 2021 · The King's Man as Kitchener
- 2021 · Moley as Mr. Moley (voice)
- 2020 · Mank as William Randolph Hearst
- 2020 · The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
- 2020 · Rise of Empires: Ottoman as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2019 · Iron Mask as Lord Dudley
- 2019 · Godzilla: King of the Monsters as Alan Jonah
- 2019 · The Widow as Martin Benson
- 2018 · The Little Drummer Girl as Commander Picton
- 2018 · Johnny English Strikes Again as Agent Seven
- 2018 · Hang Ups as Jeremy Pitt
- 2018 · The Woman in White as Frederick Fairlie
- 2016 · Savage Kingdom as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Underworld: Blood Wars as Thomas
- 2016 · The Crown as Lord Mountbatten
- 2016 · Ghostbusters as Harold Fillmore
- 2016 · Me Before You as Stephen Traynor
- 2016 · Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as Mr. Bennet
- 2015 · And Then There Were None as Justice Lawrence Wargrave
- 2015 · Childhood's End as Karellen
- 2015 · Victor Frankenstein as Frankenstein
- 2015 · Deadline Gallipoli as Sir Ian Hamilton
- 2015 · Woman in Gold as Sherman
- 2015 · Child 44 as Major Grachev
- 2015 · Admiral as King Charles II
- 2014 · The Imitation Game as Commander Denniston
- 2014 · The Great Fire as Lord Denton
- 2014 · Dracula Untold as Master Vampire
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · Underworld: Awakening as Thomas
- 2011 · Neverland as Dr. Fludd
- 2011 · Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love as Edmund Aird
- 2011 · Game of Thrones as Tywin Lannister
- 2011 · Your Highness as King Tallious
- 2011 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 2010 · The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- 2010 · Going Postal as Lord Vetinari
- 2010 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2010 · Strike Back as Conrad Knox
- 2009 · Trinity as Dr. Edmund Maltravers
- 2008 · Merlin as Aredian
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? as Self
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- 2007 · The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- 2006 · Jam and Jerusalem as Self
- 2006 · The One Show as Self
- 2006 · Scoop as Mr. Malcolm
- 2005 · Bleak House as Mr. Tulkinghorn
- 2005 · To the Ends of the Earth as Sir Henry Somerset
- 2005 · Fingersmith as Mr. Chistopher Lilly
- 2004 · Agatha Christie's Marple as Septimus Bligh
- 2004 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 2003 · Henry VIII as Edward Stafford
- 2003 · Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- 2002 · Foyle's War as Guy Spencer
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 2002 · Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future as Colonel Simon Lasker (voice)
- 2001 · Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- 2000 · Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as
- 1997 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 1987 · White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- 1986 · The Golden Child as Sardo Numspa
- 1986 · The Flying Doctors as Minister
- 1985 · Time for Murder as James Latimer
- 1985 · Screen Two as Paul Hatcher
- 1984 · The Jewel in the Crown as Guy Perron
- 1983 · Natural World as
- 1981 · For Your Eyes Only as Claus
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin
- 1979 · Tales of the Unexpected as Robert Smythe
- 1978 · An Audience with... as Self
- 1977 · The Professionals as Parker
- 1977 · Raffles as
- 1974 · Father Brown as
- 1974 · Playhouse as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1970 · Play for Today as
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm
- Future · Ladies First as
- 2025 · World of Westeros Ambient Video as Tywin Lannister
- 2025 · Creditors as Gustaf
- 2024 · Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
- 2024 · Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Narrator
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · The Book Of Vision as Dr. Johan Anmuth
- 2019 · Master Moley by Royal Invitation as Mr. James Moley (voice)
- 2019 · Fanny Lye Deliver'd as John Lye
- 2018 · Happy New Year, Colin Burstead as Uncle Bertie
- 2018 · Spitfire as Narrator (voice)
- 2018 · The Muppets Take The O2 as Self
- 2018 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 2017 · That Good Night as The Visitor
- 2016 · Despite the Falling Snow as Old Alexander Ivanov
- 2015 · Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 2014 · Forbidden Empire as Lord Dudley
- 2013 · Patrick as Doctor Roget
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 2012 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 2011 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 2010 · Drama Trails as
- 2007 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 2007 · Intervention as Private Investigator
- 2006 · Twice Upon a Time as Battar Master of Ceremonies
- 2006 · Starter for 10 as Michael Harbinson
- 2002 · The Making of Gosford Park as Self (uncredited)
- 2002 · Ali G Indahouse as Deputy Prime Minister David Carlton
- 2001 · Dark Blue World as Wing Commander Bentley
- 2001 · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Ralph Nickleby
- 1998 · Hilary and Jackie as Derek Du Pré
- 1998 · What Rats Won't Do as Gerald Burton Jr
- 1997 · The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 1988 · First Born as
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 1985 · Plenty as Raymond Brock
- 1974 · The Inheritors as Simon Leadbetter
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- 2026 · The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self - Guest
- 2024 · Samaná Sunrise as Noah Blum
- 2024 · The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self
- 2023 · Savage Waters as
- 2022 · Portrait of the Queen as
- 2022 · The Hanging Sun as Jacob
- 2021 · The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank as Self
- 2017 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 2013 · The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- 2013 · Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- 2013 · Father's Day as Don
- 2013 · The Relics of Buddha as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · The Door as Thomas Arlington
- 2012 · St George's Day as Trenchard
- 2012 · Midnight's Children as William Methwold
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Scandal as
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Reunion as
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-Family Secret as
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-A Healing Heart as
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 2005 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Last Rights as Richard Wheeler
- 2004 · Saint John Bosco Mission to Love as Marchese Clementi
- 2003 · Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' as Self (archive footage)
- 2002 · Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- 2001 · Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- 2001 · Jurij as
- 2000 · Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes as Sir Henry Carlyle
- 1999 · Chrono-Perambulator as James 'Dougie' Douglas
- 1999 · Don't Go Breaking My Heart as Frank
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 1992 · La valle di pietra as Surveyor
- 1989 · Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1988 · Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- 1987 · Hidden City as James Richards
- 1987 · Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- 1986 · The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
- 1984 · Rainy Day Women as John Truman
- 1982 · Little Eyolf as Borghejm
- 1980 · Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings