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
- 2025 · Frankenstein as Leopold Frankenstein
- 2024 · Samaná Sunrise as Noah Blum
- 2024 · The Day of the Jackal as Timothy Winthrop
- 2024 · The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self
- 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
- 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 · Iron Mask as Lord Dudley
- 2019 · Godzilla: King of the Monsters as Alan Jonah
- 2019 · The Widow as Martin Benson
- 2018 · Happy New Year, Colin Burstead as Uncle Bertie
- 2018 · Johnny English Strikes Again as Agent Seven
- 2018 · Spitfire as Narrator (voice)
- 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
- 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 · Child 44 as Major Grachev
- 2014 · The Imitation Game as Commander Denniston
- 2014 · Dracula Untold as Master Vampire
- 2013 · The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 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 Reunion as
- 2011 · Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- 2011 · Game of Thrones as Tywin Lannister
- 2011 · Your Highness as King Tallious
- 2011 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 2010 · Strike Back as Conrad Knox
- 2008 · Merlin as Aredian
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? as Self
- 2007 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 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
- 2004 · Agatha Christie's Marple as Septimus Bligh
- 2004 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 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
- 1999 · Chrono-Perambulator as James 'Dougie' Douglas
- 1998 · Hilary and Jackie as Derek Du Pré
- 1997 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1997 · The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1988 · Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- 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 · 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 · The Liar as Tickford
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- 2025 · Creditors as Gustaf
- 2024 · Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
- 2024 · Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Narrator
- 2024 · Rumours as Edison Wolcott
- 2023 · Savage Waters as
- 2022 · Portrait of the Queen as
- 2022 · This England as Max Hastings
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Against the Ice as Minister Neergaard
- 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 · The Little Drummer Girl as Commander Picton
- 2018 · Hang Ups as Jeremy Pitt
- 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 · Savage Kingdom as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 2015 · Deadline Gallipoli as Sir Ian Hamilton
- 2015 · Woman in Gold as Sherman
- 2015 · Admiral as King Charles II
- 2015 · Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- 2014 · The Great Fire as Lord Denton
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 2014 · Forbidden Empire as Lord Dudley
- 2013 · Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- 2013 · Patrick as Doctor Roget
- 2013 · Father's Day as Don
- 2013 · The Relics of Buddha as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · The Door as Thomas Arlington
- 2012 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Scandal as
- 2011 · Neverland as Dr. Fludd
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love as Edmund Aird
- 2011 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 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 · Drama Trails as
- 2010 · Going Postal as Lord Vetinari
- 2010 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2009 · Trinity as Dr. Edmund Maltravers
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- 2007 · The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- 2007 · Intervention as Private Investigator
- 2006 · Jam and Jerusalem as Self
- 2005 · Bleak House as Mr. Tulkinghorn
- 2005 · To the Ends of the Earth as Sir Henry Somerset
- 2005 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Fingersmith as Mr. Chistopher Lilly
- 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
- 2001 · Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- 2001 · Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- 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 · Don't Go Breaking My Heart as Frank
- 1998 · What Rats Won't Do as Gerald Burton Jr
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 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
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 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
- 1982 · Little Eyolf as Borghejm
- 1980 · Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- 1977 · Raffles as
- 1974 · Father Brown as
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin
- 1974 · The Inheritors as Simon Leadbetter
- Future · Ladies First as