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 · Frankenstein as Baron 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 Hanging Sun as Jacob
- 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)
- 2021 · The Book of Vision as Dr. Johan Anmuth
- 2020 · Mank as William Randolph Hearst
- 2020 · Rise of Empires: Ottoman as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2019 · Fanny Lye Deliver'd as John Lye
- 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 · Happy New Year, Colin Burstead as Uncle Bertie
- 2018 · Johnny English Strikes Again as Agent Seven
- 2018 · Hang Ups as Jeremy Pitt
- 2018 · Spitfire as Narrator (voice)
- 2018 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 2017 · That Good Night as The Visitor
- 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
- 2016 · Despite the Falling Snow as Old Alexander Ivanov
- 2015 · And Then There Were None as Justice Lawrence Wargrave
- 2015 · Childhood's End as Karellen
- 2015 · Victor Frankenstein as Frankenstein
- 2015 · Woman in Gold as Sherman
- 2015 · Child 44 as Major Grachev
- 2015 · Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- 2014 · The Imitation Game as Commander Denniston
- 2014 · The Great Fire as Lord Denton
- 2014 · Dracula Untold as Master Vampire
- 2014 · Forbidden Empire as Lord Dudley
- 2013 · Patrick as Doctor Roget
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · The Door as Thomas Arlington
- 2012 · St George's Day as Trenchard
- 2012 · Midnight's Children as William Methwold
- 2012 · Underworld: Awakening as Thomas
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Scandal as
- 2011 · Neverland as Dr. Fludd
- 2011 · Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- 2011 · Game of Thrones as Tywin Lannister
- 2011 · Your Highness as King Tallious
- 2011 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 2011 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 2010 · Drama Trails as
- 2010 · Going Postal as Lord Vetinari
- 2010 · Strike Back as Conrad Knox
- 2009 · Trinity as Dr. Edmund Maltravers
- 2008 · Merlin as Aredian
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? as Self
- 2007 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- 2007 · Intervention as Private Investigator
- 2006 · Jam and Jerusalem as Self
- 2006 · Twice Upon a Time as Battar Master of Ceremonies
- 2006 · Starter for 10 as Michael Harbinson
- 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
- 2004 · Saint John Bosco Mission to Love as Marchese Clementi
- 2003 · Henry VIII as Edward Stafford
- 2002 · Foyle's War as Guy Spencer
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 2002 · The Making of Gosford Park as Self (uncredited)
- 2002 · Ali G Indahouse as Deputy Prime Minister David Carlton
- 2001 · Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- 2001 · Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- 2001 · Jurij as
- 2000 · Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as
- 1997 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1997 · The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 1987 · Hidden City as James Richards
- 1986 · The Flying Doctors as Minister
- 1985 · Plenty as Raymond Brock
- 1985 · Screen Two as Paul Hatcher
- 1983 · Natural World as
- 1981 · For Your Eyes Only as Claus
- 1979 · Tales of the Unexpected as Robert Smythe
- 1978 · An Audience with... as Self
- 1977 · The Professionals as Parker
- 1977 · Raffles as
- 1974 · Playhouse as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1970 · Play for Today as
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1989 · Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
- 1986 · The Golden Child as Sardo Numspa
- 1986 · The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
- 1984 · The Jewel in the Crown as Guy Perron
- 1980 · Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1974 · Father Brown as
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- 2025 · Creditors as Gustaf
- 2024 · Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
- 2024 · Samaná Sunrise as Noah Blum
- 2024 · Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Narrator
- 2024 · The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self
- 2023 · Savage Waters as
- 2022 · Portrait of the Queen as
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank as Self
- 2020 · The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
- 2019 · Master Moley by Royal Invitation as Mr. James Moley (voice)
- 2018 · The Muppets Take The O2 as Self
- 2018 · The Woman in White as Frederick Fairlie
- 2017 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Savage Kingdom as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 2015 · Deadline Gallipoli as Sir Ian Hamilton
- 2015 · Admiral as King Charles II
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 2013 · The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- 2013 · Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 2013 · Father's Day as Don
- 2013 · The Relics of Buddha as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Reunion as
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love as Edmund Aird
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-A Healing Heart as
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-Family Secret as
- 2010 · The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- 2010 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2007 · The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- 2005 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2003 · Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' as Self (archive footage)
- 2003 · Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- 2002 · Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- 2001 · Dark Blue World as Wing Commander Bentley
- 2001 · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Ralph Nickleby
- 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
- 1998 · Hilary and Jackie as Derek Du Pré
- 1998 · What Rats Won't Do as Gerald Burton Jr
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 1992 · La valle di pietra as Surveyor
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1988 · First Born as
- 1988 · Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- 1987 · Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 1985 · Time for Murder as James Latimer
- 1984 · Rainy Day Women as John Truman
- 1982 · Little Eyolf as Borghejm
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin
- 1974 · The Inheritors as Simon Leadbetter
- Future · Ladies First as