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 · 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
- 2016 · Underworld: Blood Wars as Thomas
- 2016 · The Crown as Lord Mountbatten
- 2016 · Ghostbusters as Harold Fillmore
- 2016 · Me Before You as Stephen Traynor
- 2015 · Childhood's End as Karellen
- 2014 · The Imitation Game as Commander Denniston
- 2014 · Forbidden Empire as Lord Dudley
- 2011 · Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- 2011 · Game of Thrones as Tywin Lannister
- 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 · The One Show as Self
- 2005 · Bleak House as Mr. Tulkinghorn
- 2004 · Agatha Christie's Marple as Septimus Bligh
- 2004 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 2002 · Foyle's War as Guy Spencer
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 1997 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 1988 · Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- 1986 · The Flying Doctors as Minister
- 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
- 1974 · Playhouse as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1970 · Play for Today as
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- 2024 · Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Narrator
- 2020 · Mank as William Randolph Hearst
- 2018 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 2016 · Savage Kingdom as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as Mr. Bennet
- 2015 · And Then There Were None as Justice Lawrence Wargrave
- 2015 · Victor Frankenstein as Frankenstein
- 2015 · Child 44 as Major Grachev
- 2015 · Admiral as King Charles II
- 2014 · Dracula Untold as Master Vampire
- 2013 · The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- 2013 · Patrick as Doctor Roget
- 2013 · Father's Day as Don
- 2013 · The Relics of Buddha as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · The Door as Thomas Arlington
- 2012 · Underworld: Awakening as Thomas
- 2011 · Neverland as Dr. Fludd
- 2011 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 2010 · Going Postal as Lord Vetinari
- 2006 · Scoop as Mr. Malcolm
- 2005 · To the Ends of the Earth as Sir Henry Somerset
- 2005 · Fingersmith as Mr. Chistopher Lilly
- 2004 · Saint John Bosco Mission to Love as Marchese Clementi
- 2003 · Henry VIII as Edward Stafford
- 2001 · Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- 2001 · Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1987 · White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- 1987 · Hidden City as James Richards
- 1985 · Time for Murder as James Latimer
- 1985 · Plenty as Raymond Brock
- 1984 · Rainy Day Women as John Truman
- 1984 · The Jewel in the Crown as Guy Perron
- 1977 · Raffles as
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- 2026 · The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self - Guest
- 2025 · Creditors as Gustaf
- 2024 · Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
- 2024 · Samaná Sunrise as Noah Blum
- 2024 · The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self
- 2024 · Rumours as Edison Wolcott
- 2023 · Savage Waters as
- 2022 · Portrait of the Queen as
- 2022 · This England as Max Hastings
- 2022 · The Hanging Sun as Jacob
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Against the Ice as Minister Neergaard
- 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
- 2020 · The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
- 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 · 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 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · That Good Night as The Visitor
- 2016 · Despite the Falling Snow as Old Alexander Ivanov
- 2015 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 2015 · Deadline Gallipoli as Sir Ian Hamilton
- 2015 · Woman in Gold as Sherman
- 2015 · Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- 2014 · The Great Fire as Lord Denton
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 2013 · Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 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
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love as Edmund Aird
- 2011 · Your Highness as King Tallious
- 2011 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 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
- 2009 · Trinity as Dr. Edmund Maltravers
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 2007 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- 2007 · The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- 2007 · Intervention as Private Investigator
- 2006 · Twice Upon a Time as Battar Master of Ceremonies
- 2006 · Starter for 10 as Michael Harbinson
- 2005 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Last Rights as Richard Wheeler
- 2003 · Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' as Self (archive footage)
- 2003 · Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- 2002 · Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- 2002 · Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future as Colonel Simon Lasker (voice)
- 2002 · The Making of Gosford Park as Self (uncredited)
- 2002 · Ali G Indahouse as Deputy Prime Minister David Carlton
- 2001 · Jurij as
- 2001 · Dark Blue World as Wing Commander Bentley
- 2001 · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Ralph Nickleby
- 2000 · Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) 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
- 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 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1992 · La valle di pietra as Surveyor
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 1989 · Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1988 · First Born as
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 1986 · The Golden Child as Sardo Numspa
- 1986 · The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
- 1982 · Little Eyolf as Borghejm
- 1980 · Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1974 · The Inheritors as Simon Leadbetter
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- Future · Ladies First as
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin
- 1974 · Father Brown as