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Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance OBE (born October 10, 1946 in Redditch, Worcestershire) 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
- 2024 · Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
- 2024 · Amanece en Samaná as
- 2024 · The Day of the Jackal as Timothy Winthrop
- 2024 · Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Narrator
- 2024 · Rumours as Edison Wolcott
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · The Book of Vision as Dr. Johan Anmuth
- 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
- 2017 · That Good Night as The Visitor
- 2015 · Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- 2014 · The Great Fire as Lord Denton
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · St George's Day as Trenchard
- 2012 · Midnight's Children as William Methwold
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love as Edmund Aird
- 2010 · The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- 2010 · Drama Trails as
- 2009 · Trinity as Dr. Edmund Maltravers
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- 2007 · The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- 2007 · Intervention as Private Investigator
- 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
- 2002 · Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- 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
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1989 · Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
- 1988 · First Born as
- 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
- 1985 · Plenty as Raymond Brock
- 1977 · Raffles as
- 1975 · Edward the Seventh as Prince Eddy
- Future · Frankenstein as
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- 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 · Savage Waters as
- 2023 · Rabbit Hole as Dr. Ben Wilson
- 2022 · Portrait of the Queen as
- 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 Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank as Self
- 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 · The Woman in White as Frederick Fairlie
- 2018 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 2017 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
- 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 · Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- 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
- 2014 · The Imitation Game as Commander Denniston
- 2014 · Dracula Untold as Master Vampire
- 2014 · Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- 2014 · Forbidden Empire as Lord Dudley
- 2013 · The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- 2013 · Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- 2013 · Patrick as Doctor Roget
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 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
- 2012 · Underworld: Awakening as Thomas
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Scandal as
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Reunion as
- 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 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-Family Secret as
- 2010 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-A Healing Heart as
- 2010 · Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- 2010 · Going Postal as Lord Vetinari
- 2010 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2010 · Strike Back as Conrad Knox
- 2008 · Merlin as Aredian
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 2007 · The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? 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 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Fingersmith as Mr. Chistopher Lilly
- 2004 · Big Fat Quiz as Self - Guest
- 2004 · Agatha Christie's Marple as Septimus Bligh
- 2004 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 2003 · Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- 2002 · Foyle's War as
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 2002 · Ali G Indahouse as Deputy Prime Minister David Carlton
- 2001 · Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- 2001 · Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- 2001 · Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes as Sir Henry Carlyle
- 2001 · Jurij as
- 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 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1997 · The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- 1980 · Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 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
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1987 · Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
- 1986 · The Golden Child as Sardo Numspa
- 1986 · The Flying Doctors as Minister
- Future · Ladies First as
- 1986 · The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
- 1985 · Time for Murder as James Latimer
- 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
- 1982 · Nancy Astor as Edward Hartford-Jones
- 1981 · For Your Eyes Only as Claus
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin
- 1979 · Tales of the Unexpected as Robert Smythe
- 1978 · An Audience with... as Self
- 1977 · The Professionals as Parker
- 1974 · Father Brown as
- 1970 · Play for Today as
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm