Michael York

Born: 1942-03-27 in Fulmer, England, UK

Known For: Acting

Biography

Michael York OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; March 27, 1942) is an English actor. After performing on-stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968). His blond, blue-eyed boyish looks and English upper social class demeanor saw him play leading roles in several major British and Hollywood films of the 1970s. His best known roles include Konrad Ludwig in Something for Everyone (1970), Geoffrey Richter-Douglas in Zeppelin (1971), Brian Roberts in Cabaret (1972), George Conway in Lost Horizon (1973), D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (also 1973) and its two sequels, Count Andrenyi in Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Logan 5 in Logan's Run (1976). In his later career he found success as Basil Exposition in the Austin Powers film series (1997–2002). He is a two-time Emmy Award nominee, for the ABC Afterschool Special: Are You My Mother? (1986) and the AMC series The Lot (2001). In 2002, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures.

Filmography

2026

The Crystal Planet as The Patriarch (voice)

2025

Dreams as Private Agent

2014

Sleeping Beauty as The Narrator
Swan Song: The Story of Billy Wilder's Fedora as Self

2013

Cabaret: The Musical That Changed Musicals as Self

2012

Flatland²: Sphereland as Spherius (voice)
Earth Songs as Narrator

2007

Flatland as Spherius (voice)

2006

Legends as Self
Cuba: A Lifetime of Passion as Narrator
Vanishing Cultures: Bushmen of the Kalahari

2005

How I Met Your Mother as Jefferson Van Smoot
Frederick Forsyth's Icon as Sir Nigel Irvine
Icon as Sir Nigel Irvine
Crusader as McGovern
The Hobart Shakespeareans as Self
William Powell: A True Gentleman as Narrator

2004

Justice League Unlimited as Ares / Mr. Sera (voice)
The Lady Musketeer as D'Artagnan
Moscow Heat as Roger Chambers
Making 'Murder on the Orient-Express' as Self
Freedom from Despair as Voice Over

2002

Presidio Med as George Slingerland
Austin Powers in Goldmember as Basil Exposition
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year as Narrator (voice)

2001

Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Bernard Fremont
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 as Stone Alexander
Borstal Boy as Joyce
In Search of Peace as Chaim Herzog (voice)

2000

Gilmore Girls as Asher Fleming
Curb Your Enthusiasm as Michael York
The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire as Pterano (voice)
Founding Fathers as Alexander Hamilton (voice) / Thomas Paine (voice)
One Hell of a Guy as The Devil

1999

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me as Basil Exposition
The Lot as Colin Rhome
Magic and Beyond as Host
The Omega Code as Stone Alexander
Behind the Scenes of 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' as Self
Puss in Boots as Puss In Boots (voice)
The Haunting of Hell House as Professor Ambrose
Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99 as Basil Exposition (segment "Beautiful Stranger")

1998

54 as Ambassador
Wrongfully Accused as Hibbing Goodhue
The Treat as Simon
Merchants of Venus as Alex Jakoff
A Knight in Camelot as King Arthur
Babylon 5: In the Beginning as David 'Arthur' McIntyre (arcive footage, uncredited)
Lovers and Liars as Dick
Perfect Little Angels as Calvin Lawrence

1997

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery as Basil Exposition
True Women as Lewis Lawshe
A Christmas Carol as Bob Cratchit (voice)
The Long Way Home as (voice)
Dark Planet as Winter
The Ripper as Sir Charles Warren
Goodbye America as Senator Bladon
Austin Powers' Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club as The Swingers Club
Un coup de baguette magique as Ilya

1996

Superman: The Animated Series as Kanto (voice)
The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century as Robert Graves / Harold Owen (voice)
September as Edmund
The Ring as Walmar von Gotthard
The Ring as Walmar von Gotthard
Rosamunde Pilcher: September as Edmund
Basketball Mozart as Narrator (voice)

1995

Sliders
The Naked Truth as Leland Banks
Virgin Mary as Milan Vukovic
Not of This Earth as Paul Johnson
Shadow of a Kiss as Albert
A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court as Merlin

1994

Babylon 5 as David 'Arthur' McIntyre
The Magic School Bus as Harry Herpst (voice)
TekWar: TekLab as Richard Stewart
The Magic Flute as King Sarastro
Discretion Assured as Trevor
Fall from Grace as Hans-Dieter Stromelburg

1993

seaQuest DSV as President Alexander Bourne
Wide Sargasso Sea as Paul Mason
David Copperfield as Edward Murdstone (voice)
The Magic Paintbrush as The King (voice)

1992

Batman: The Animated Series as Dr. Montague Kane (voice)
Vicki! as Self - Guest
Duel of Hearts as Gervaise Warlingham
The Long Shadow
Rochade as Paul Grumbach

1991

The Wanderer as Saxon Warrior
Eline Vere as Lawrence St. Clare

1990

Night of the Fox as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel / Caporal Berger
Come See the Paradise as Dance Hall Band

1989

The Simpsons as Clayton (voice)
Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again
The Return of the Musketeers as D'Artagnan
The Heat of the Day as Robert
Till We Meet Again as Paul de Lancel

1988

The Secret of the Sahara as Desmond Jordan
The Lady and the Highwayman as King Charles II
Midnight Cop as Karstens
Phantom of Death as Robert Dominici
The Four Minute Mile as Franz Stampfl

1987

The Far Country as Carl Zlinter
Lethal Obsession as Dr. Proper

1986

Sword of Gideon as Robert
Ponce de Leon as Ponce de Leon
Dark Mansions as Jason Drake
The Dawn as John Dawson
Are You My Mother? as Chet Gordon

1985

Tall Tales & Legends as Ponce de Leon
Space as Dieter Kolff
Au nom de tous les miens as Martin Gray

1984

The Bengal Lancers! as Captain Walberton
Success Is the Best Revenge as Alex Rodak
The Master of Ballantrae as James Durie

1983

For Those I Loved as Martin's Father / Martin Gray (age 40)
The Phantom of the Opera as Michael Hartnell
Vendredi ou la vie sauvage
The Weather in the Streets as Rollo Spencer

1982

Twilight Theater II as Self- Guest
Twilight Theatre as Self - Host

1981

Wetten, dass..? as Self
Beauty and the Beast as The Beast (voice)
The White Lions as Chris McBride
Golden Book Video - Beauty and the Beast as Beast (voice)

1980

Final Assignment as Lyosha Petrov

1979

Knots Landing as Charles Scott
A Man Called Intrepid as Evan Michaelian
The Riddle of the Sands as Charles Carruthers

1978

Fedora as Self
Regie: Billy Wilder as Self
Formula 1 - Speed fever as Self

1977

Jesus of Nazareth as John the Baptist
BBC2 Play of the Week as Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Weekend Special as King Sarastro (voice)
The Island of Dr. Moreau as Andrew Braddock
The Last Remake of Beau Geste as Beau Geste
True Patriot as Dietrich Bonhoeffer

1976

Logan's Run as Logan
A Look Into the 23rd Century as Self
Seven Nights in Japan as Prince George

1975

Conduct Unbecoming as 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Drake

1974

Murder on the Orient Express as Count Andrenyi
The Four Musketeers as D'Artagnan
Great Expectations as Pip

1973

The Three Musketeers as D'Artagnan
Lost Horizon as George Conway
England Made Me as Anthony Farrant
Tennessee Williams' South

1972

Cabaret as Brian Roberts
The Recreation of an Era as Self

1971

Film '72 as Self
Zeppelin as Geoffrey Richter-Douglas
Touch and Go as Basil

1970

Something for Everyone as Konrad Ludwig

1969

Alfred the Great as Guthrum
Justine as Darley
The Guru as Tom Pickle

1968

Romeo and Juliet as Tybalt
Red and Blue as Acrobat
Red, White, and Zero as Acrobat
The Strange Affair as Peter Strange

1967

The Forsyte Saga as Jolyon 'Jolly' Forsyte
The Taming of the Shrew as Lucentio
Accident as William
Smashing Time as Tom Wabe
Confessions of Loving Couples as Peter

1965

The Wild Wild West as Gupta
Gidget

1964

The Wednesday Play as Roger Porlock

1963

Arrest and Trial

1962

The Merv Griffin Show as Self

1956

Tony Awards as Self - Performer

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame as James Durie, Henry's older brother

1944

Golden Globe Awards as Self - Host