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 · Rumours as
- 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 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)
- 2020 · Mank as William Randolph Hearst
- 2020 · The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
- 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 · Hang Ups as Jeremy Pitt
- 2018 · The Woman in White as Frederick Fairlie
- 2018 · Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 2012 · Secret State as John Hodder
- 2012 · Underworld: Awakening as Thomas
- 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 · Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 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
- 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 · Big Fat Quiz as Self - Guest
- 2004 · Agatha Christie's Marple as Septimus Bligh
- 2004 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 2003 · Henry VIII as Edward Stafford, duque de Buckingham
- 2003 · Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- 2002 · Foyle's War as
- 2002 · Ali G Indahouse as Deputy Prime Minister David Carlton
- 2001 · Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- 2001 · Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes as Sir Henry Carlyle
- 2000 · Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as
- 1997 · Trial & Retribution as
- 1997 · Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
- 1994 · Room 101 as Self
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Benedict
- 1992 · Alien³ as Clemens
- 1990 · The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
- 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
- 1984 · The Jewel in the Crown as Guy Perron
- 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
- 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 · The Day of the Jackal as Timothy Winthrop
- 2022 · The Hanging Sun as Jacob
- 2022 · Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Fanny Lye Deliver'd as John Lye
- 2021 · The Book of Vision as Dr. Johan Anmuth
- 2020 · Master Moley By Royal Invitation as Mr. James Moley (voice)
- 2018 · Happy New Year, Colin Burstead as Uncle Bertie
- 2018 · Spitfire as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · That Good Night as The Visitor
- 2016 · Despite the Falling Snow as Old Alexander Ivanov
- 2015 · Admiral as King Charles II
- 2015 · Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- 2013 · Patrick as Doctor Roget
- 2013 · Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- 2012 · St George's Day as Trenchard
- 2012 · Midnight's Children as William Methwold
- 2011 · There Be Dragons as Solono
- 2010 · The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- 2010 · Drama Trails as
- 2007 · Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- 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
- 2004 · Saint John Bosco Mission to Love as Marchese Clementi
- 2001 · Dark Blue World as Wing Commander Bentley
- 1998 · Hilary and Jackie as Derek Du Pré
- 1998 · What Rats Won't Do as Gerald Burton Jr
- 1997 · The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- 1997 · In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- 1996 · Michael Collins as Soames
- 1996 · Undertow as Lyle Yates
- 1996 · Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- 1994 · China Moon as Rupert Munro
- 1993 · Century as Professor Mandry
- 1988 · First Born as
- 1988 · Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- 1987 · White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- 1987 · Hidden City as James Richards
- 1986 · The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
- 1985 · Plenty as Raymond Brock
- 1982 · Nancy Astor as Edward Hartford-Jones
- Future · Frankenstein as
- Future · Viy 3: Travel to India as
- 2023 · Savage Waters as
- 2022 · Portrait of the Queen as
- 2021 · The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank as Self
- 2018 · The Muppets Take The O2 as Self
- 2017 · Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
- 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 · Berlin Job as Trenchard
- 2012 · The Door as Thomas Arlington
- 2012 · The Mapmaker as Rowan
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Reunion as
- 2011 · Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Scandal as
- 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 · The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
- 2008 · Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
- 2003 · Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' as Self (archive footage)
- 2002 · Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- 2002 · The Making of 'Gosford Park' as Self (uncredited)
- 2001 · Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- 2001 · Jurij as
- 2001 · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Ralph Nickleby
- 2000 · 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
- 1995 · The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
- 1994 · Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
- 1994 · Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- 1989 · Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
- 1987 · Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- Future · The Liar as Tickford
- Future · A Patriot as Dr. Hastings
- 1992 · La valle di pietra as Surveyor
- 1988 · First Born as Edward Forester
- 1988 · Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- 1984 · Rainy Day Women as John Truman
- 1982 · Little Eyolf as Borghejm
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as Colin