
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
- 2024 · Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
- 2024 · The Day of the Jackal as Timothy Winthrop
- 2024 · Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Narrator
- 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
- 2021 · The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank as Self
- 2020 · Mank as William Randolph Hearst
- 2020 · The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
- 2020 · Rise of Empires: Ottoman as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2019 · Master Moley by Royal Invitation as Mr. James Moley (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 · The Muppets Take The O2 as Self
- 2018 · The Woman in White as Frederick Fairlie
- 2018 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 2017 · That Good Night as The Visitor
- 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
- 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 · Deadline Gallipoli as Sir Ian Hamilton
- 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 · 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 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Scandal as
- 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 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 2011 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 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
- 2007 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? as Self
- 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
- 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 · 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 · Dark Blue World as Wing Commander Bentley
- 2001 · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Ralph Nickleby
- 2000 · Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as
- 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 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 1988 · First Born as
- 1987 · White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 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
- 1982 · Nancy Astor as Edward Hartford-Jones
- 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
- 1975 · Edward the Seventh as Prince Eddy
- 1974 · Father Brown as
- 1970 · Play for Today as
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1989 · Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- 1985 · Plenty as Raymond Brock
- Future · Ladies First as
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- 2024 · Amanece en Samaná as Noah Blum
- 2024 · The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self
- 2023 · Savage Waters as
- 2022 · Portrait of the Queen as
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2018 · Spitfire as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · Woman in Gold as
- 2015 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 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 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Reunion as
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-Family Secret as
- 2010 · The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 2010 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 2005 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2004 · Saint John Bosco Mission to Love as Marchese Clementi
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-A Healing Heart as
- 2003 · Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' as Self (archive footage)
- 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
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 1992 · La valle di pietra as Surveyor
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1988 · Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- 1987 · Hidden City as James Richards
- 1986 · The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
- 1984 · Rainy Day Women as John Truman
- 1982 · Little Eyolf as Borghejm
- 1980 · Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin