
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 · 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 · The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
- 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 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 2017 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as 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
- 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
- 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
- 2014 · Forbidden Empire as Lord Dudley
- 2013 · Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- 2013 · Patrick as Doctor Roget
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · St George's Day as Trenchard
- 2012 · Midnight's Children as William Methwold
- 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 · Your Highness as King Tallious
- 2011 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 2011 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 2010 · The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 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 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? as Self
- 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 · Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' as Self (archive footage)
- 2003 · Henry VIII as Edward Stafford
- 2003 · Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- 2002 · Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- 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 · Dark Blue World as Wing Commander Bentley
- 2001 · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Ralph Nickleby
- 2000 · Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as
- 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 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1997 · The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 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
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- 1987 · Hidden City as James Richards
- 1987 · Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- 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 · Rainy Day Women as John Truman
- 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
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- 1974 · Father Brown as
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- 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 · This England as Max Hastings
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 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 · 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 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 2015 · Deadline Gallipoli as Sir Ian Hamilton
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 2013 · The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- 2013 · Father's Day as Don
- 2013 · The Relics of Buddha as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · The Door as Thomas Arlington
- 2012 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 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
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-Family Secret as
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-A Healing Heart as
- 2010 · Drama Trails as
- 2010 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- 2007 · The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- 2005 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2001 · Jurij as
- 2000 · Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes as Sir Henry Carlyle
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 1988 · First Born as
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 1985 · Time for Murder as James Latimer
- 1975 · Edward the Seventh as Prince Eddy
- Future · Ladies First as
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin
- 1977 · Raffles as
- 1974 · The Inheritors as Simon Leadbetter