Charles Dance
Born: 1946-10-10 in Redditch, Worcestershire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
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.
Filmography
2025
- Wildcat as Frasier Mahoney
- Frankenstein as Leopold Frankenstein
- Creditors as Gustaf
2024
- The Day of the Jackal as Timothy Winthrop
- The First Omen as Father Harris
- Testament: The Story of Moses as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Rumours as Edison Wolcott
- Samaná Sunrise as Noah Blum
- Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Narrator
- The Big Fat Quiz of Telly as Self
- Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty as Old Michaelangelo
2023
- Rabbit Hole as Dr. Ben Wilson
- Savage Waters
2022
- The Sandman as Roderick Burgess
- The Serpent Queen as Clement VII
- The Hanging Sun as Jacob
- Lancaster as Narrator (voice)
- Against the Ice as Minister Neergaard
- This England as Max Hastings
- Portrait of the Queen
2021
- The King's Man as Kitchener
- The Book of Vision as Dr. Johan Anmuth
- Moley as Mr. Moley (voice)
- The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank as Self
2020
- Rise of Empires: Ottoman as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Mank as William Randolph Hearst
- The Singapore Grip as Mr Webb
2019
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters as Alan Jonah
- Iron Mask as Lord Dudley
- The Widow as Martin Benson
- Fanny Lye Deliver'd as John Lye
- Master Moley by Royal Invitation as Mr. James Moley (voice)
2018
- Johnny English Strikes Again as Agent Seven
- Euphoria as Mr. Daren
- Spitfire as Narrator (voice)
- Happy New Year, Colin Burstead as Uncle Bertie
- The Little Drummer Girl as Commander Picton
- Hang Ups as Jeremy Pitt
- The Woman in White as Frederick Fairlie
- The Muppets Take The O2 as Self
2017
- That Good Night as The Visitor
- Wimbledon Official Film 2017 as Narrator (voice)
2016
- The Crown as Lord Mountbatten
- Me Before You as Stephen Traynor
- Underworld: Blood Wars as Thomas
- Ghostbusters as Harold Fillmore
- Despite the Falling Snow as Old Alexander Ivanov
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as Mr. Bennet
- Savage Kingdom as Self - Narrator (voice)
2015
- Child 44 as Major Grachev
- And Then There Were None as Justice Lawrence Wargrave
- Childhood's End as Karellen
- Woman in Gold as Sherman
- Victor Frankenstein as Frankenstein
- Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience as Tywin Lannister
- Admiral as King Charles II
- Instruments of Darkness as Duncan
- Deadline Gallipoli as Sir Ian Hamilton
2014
- The Imitation Game as Commander Denniston
- Dracula Untold as Master Vampire
- Forbidden Empire as Lord Dudley
- Retrospective as Jonathan Hoyle
- The Great Fire as Lord Denton
2013
- Patrick as Doctor Roget
- Speeches That Shook the World as Self
- Justin and the Knights of Valour as Legantir (voice)
- The Science of Doctor Who as Self
- Father's Day as Don
- The Relics of Buddha as Narrator (voice)
2012
- Underworld: Awakening as Thomas
- Midnight's Children as William Methwold
- The Door as Thomas Arlington
- The Mapmaker as Rowan
- St George's Day as Trenchard
- Secret State as John Hodder
2011
- Game of Thrones as Tywin Lannister
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- Ironclad as Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
- There Be Dragons as Solono
- Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Reunion
- Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-The Scandal
- Your Highness as King Tallious
- Neverland as Dr. Fludd
- Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love as Edmund Aird
2010
- Strike Back as Conrad Knox
- Paris Connections as Aleksandr Borinski
- Going Postal as Lord Vetinari
- Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-A Healing Heart
- Rosamunde Pilcher: Shades of Love-Family Secret
- The Commuter as The Traffic Warden
- Drama Trails
- The Clerk's Tale as Ralph
2009
- Trinity as Dr. Edmund Maltravers
2008
- Merlin as Aredian
- Dickens' Secret Lover as Self - Narrator (voice)
2007
- Would I Lie to You? as Self
- The Contractor as DCS Andrew Windsor
- Intervention as Private Investigator
- Consenting Adults as Jack Wolfenden
- Fallen Angel as David Byfield
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
2006
- The One Show as Self
- Twice Upon a Time as Battar Master of Ceremonies
- Scoop as Mr. Malcolm
- Starter for 10 as Michael Harbinson
- Jam and Jerusalem as Self
2005
- Bleak House as Mr. Tulkinghorn
- Fingersmith as Mr. Chistopher Lilly
- To the Ends of the Earth as Sir Henry Somerset
- Titanic: Birth of a Legend as Narrator (voice)
2004
- Agatha Christie's Marple as Septimus Bligh
- Saint John Bosco Mission to Love as Marchese Clementi
- Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- Ladies in Lavender ... (Director)
2003
- Swimming Pool as John Bosload
- Henry VIII as Edward Stafford
- Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' as Self (archive footage)
2002
- Top Gear as Self
- Foyle's War as Guy Spencer
- Ali G Indahouse as Deputy Prime Minister David Carlton
- Black and White as Roderic Chamberlain
- The Making of Gosford Park as Self (uncredited)
- Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future as Colonel Simon Lasker (voice)
2001
- Alien Evolution as Self / Clemens
- Jurij
- Gosford Park as Raymond Stockbridge
- Dark Blue World as Wing Commander Bentley
- The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Ralph Nickleby
2000
- Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
- Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes as Sir Henry Carlyle
1999
- Don't Go Breaking My Heart as Frank
- Chrono-Perambulator as James 'Dougie' Douglas
1998
- Hilary and Jackie as Derek Du Pré
- What Rats Won't Do as Gerald Burton Jr
1997
- Trial & Retribution
- The Blood Oranges as Cyril
- In the Presence of Mine Enemies as Captain Richter
- Rebecca as Maxim de Winter
1996
- Space Truckers as Nabel / Macanudo
- Michael Collins as Soames
- Undertow as Lyle Yates
1995
- The Surgeon as Dr. Ed Mittlesbay
1994
- China Moon as Rupert Munro
- Room 101 as Self
- Kabloonak as Robert Flaherty
- Shortcut to Paradise as Quinn
1993
- Last Action Hero as Benedict
- Century as Professor Mandry
1992
- Alien³ as Clemens
- La valle di pietra as Surveyor
1990
- The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom of the Opera
1989
- Goldeneye as Ian Fleming
1988
- Pascali's Island as Anthony Bowles
- Out of the Shadows as Michael Hayden
- First Born as Edward Forester
- First Born
1987
- White Mischief as Josslyn Hay
- Hidden City as James Richards
- Good Morning, Babylon as D.W. Griffith
- Out on a Limb as Gerry Stamford
1986
- The Flying Doctors as Minister
- The Golden Child as Sardo Numspa
- The McGuffin as Paul Hatcher
1985
- Screen Two as Paul Hatcher
- Plenty as Raymond Brock
- Time for Murder as James Latimer
1984
- The Jewel in the Crown as Guy Perron
- Rainy Day Women as John Truman
1983
1982
- Little Eyolf as Borghejm
1981
- For Your Eyes Only as Claus
1980
- Fatal Spring as Siegfried Sassoon
- Dreams of Leaving as Colin
1979
- Tales of the Unexpected as Robert Smythe
1978
- An Audience with... as Self
1977
- The Professionals as Parker
- Raffles
1974
- Playhouse as Siegfried Sassoon
- Father Brown
- The Inheritors as Simon Leadbetter
1970
1965
- BBC Play of the Month as Borghejm