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 · The First Omen as Father Harris
- 2024 · Testament: The Story of Moses as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2023 · Rabbit Hole as Dr. Ben Wilson
- 2022 · The Serpent Queen as Clement VII
- 2022 · The Sandman as Roderick Burgess
- 2021 · The King's Man as Kitchener
- 2021 · Moley as Mr. Moley (voice)
- 2020 · Mank as William Randolph Hearst
- 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 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 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
- 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 · The Door as Thomas Arlington
- 2012 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 2012 · Underworld: Awakening as Thomas
- 2011 · Neverland as Dr. Fludd
- 2011 · Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- 2011 · Game of Thrones as Tywin Lannister
- 2011 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 2010 · Going Postal as Lord Vetinari
- 2010 · Strike Back as Conrad Knox
- 2008 · Merlin as Aredian
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? as Self
- 2006 · Jam and Jerusalem as Self
- 2006 · Twice Upon a Time as Battar Master of Ceremonies
- 2006 · The One Show as Self
- 2006 · Scoop as Mr. Malcolm
- 2005 · Bleak House as Mr. Tulkinghorn
- 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
- 2003 · Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- 2002 · Foyle's War as Guy Spencer
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 2002 · Ali G Indahouse as Deputy Prime Minister David Carlton
- 2001 · Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- 2001 · Jurij as
- 1999 · Chrono-Perambulator as James 'Dougie' Douglas
- 1998 · Hilary and Jackie as Derek Du Pré
- 1997 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 1989 · Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- 1987 · Hidden City as James Richards
- 1986 · The Golden Child as Sardo Numspa
- 1986 · The Flying Doctors as Minister
- 1986 · The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
- 1985 · Plenty as Raymond Brock
- 1985 · Screen Two as Paul Hatcher
- 1984 · The Jewel in the Crown as Guy Perron
- 1983 · Natural World as
- 1982 · Little Eyolf as Borghejm
- 1981 · For Your Eyes Only as Claus
- 1980 · Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1979 · Tales of the Unexpected as Robert Smythe
- 1978 · An Audience with... as Self
- 1977 · The Professionals as Parker
- 1974 · Playhouse as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1970 · Play for Today as
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- 2024 · Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
- 2024 · Samaná Sunrise as Noah Blum
- 2024 · Rumours as Edison Wolcott
- 2022 · This England as Max Hastings
- 2022 · The Hanging Sun as Jacob
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Against the Ice as Minister Neergaard
- 2020 · The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
- 2019 · Fanny Lye Deliver'd as John Lye
- 2018 · Hang Ups as Jeremy Pitt
- 2018 · Spitfire as Narrator (voice)
- 2018 · The Muppets Take The O2 as Self
- 2018 · The Woman in White as Frederick Fairlie
- 2017 · That Good Night as The Visitor
- 2016 · Savage Kingdom as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 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
- 2015 · Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 2013 · Father's Day as Don
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · Midnight's Children as William Methwold
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love as Edmund Aird
- 2011 · Your Highness as King Tallious
- 2011 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 2009 · Trinity as Dr. Edmund Maltravers
- 2007 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- 2007 · Intervention as Private Investigator
- 2006 · Starter for 10 as Michael Harbinson
- 2005 · To the Ends of the Earth as Sir Henry Somerset
- 2002 · Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- 2001 · Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- 2000 · Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1987 · Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 1985 · Time for Murder as James Latimer
- 1977 · Raffles as
- 1974 · Father Brown as
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- 2025 · Creditors as Gustaf
- 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
- 2021 · The Book Of Vision as Dr. Johan Anmuth
- 2021 · The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank as Self
- 2019 · Master Moley by Royal Invitation as Mr. James Moley (voice)
- 2018 · Happy New Year, Colin Burstead as Uncle Bertie
- 2017 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Despite the Falling Snow as Old Alexander Ivanov
- 2015 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 2013 · The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- 2013 · Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- 2013 · The Relics of Buddha as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · St George's Day as Trenchard
- 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 · The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- 2010 · Drama Trails as
- 2010 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 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)
- 2002 · Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future as Colonel Simon Lasker (voice)
- 2002 · The Making of Gosford Park as Self (uncredited)
- 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 · Don't Go Breaking My Heart as Frank
- 1998 · What Rats Won't Do as Gerald Burton Jr
- 1997 · The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1992 · La valle di pietra as Surveyor
- 1988 · First Born as
- 1988 · Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- 1984 · Rainy Day Women as John Truman
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin
- 1974 · The Inheritors as Simon Leadbetter
- Future · Ladies First as