Simon Russell Beale
Born: 1961-01-12 in Penang, Malaysia
Known For: Acting
Biography
Sir Simon Russell Beale CBE (born January 12, 1961) is an English actor. He is known for his appearances in film, television and theatre, and work on radio, on audiobooks and as a narrator. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2019. He has spent much of his theatre career working in productions for both the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. He has received ten Laurence Olivier Award nominations, winning three awards for his performances in Volpone (1996), Candide (2000), and Uncle Vanya (2003). For his work on the Broadway stage he has received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination for his performance as George in the Tom Stoppard play Jumpers in 2004. For his role as Henry Lehman in The Lehman Trilogy, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and was nominated for an Olivier Award. Beale has been described by The Independent as "the greatest stage actor of his generation". Beale made his film debut in Sally Potter's period drama Orlando (1992). He continued acting in films such as Persuasion (1995), Hamlet (1996), My Week with Marilyn (2011), The Deep Blue Sea (2011), Into the Woods (2014), and Mary Queen of Scots (2018). In 2017, he starred in Armando Iannucci's dark comedy The Death of Stalin playing Lavrentiy Beria for which he received the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has also appeared in the television projects The Young Visiters (2003), Dunkirk (2004), and as Falstaff in the BBC made-for-television films Henry IV, Part I and Part II (2012). He was part of the main cast of Showtime's Penny Dreadful.
Filmography
2025
- The Choral as Sir Edward Elgar
- Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale as Sir Hector Moreland
2024
- Firebrand as Stephen Gardiner
- Mary & George as Sir George Villiers
- Douglas Is Cancelled as Bently
- Home! Home! as Narrator (voice)
2022
- House of the Dragon as Ser Simon Strong
- Thor: Love and Thunder as Dionysus
- Operation Mincemeat as Winston Churchill
- The Outfit as Roy Boyle
2021
- Benediction as Robbie Ross
2020
- Radioactive as Professor Lippmann
- The Hour as Himself
- A Christmas Carol as Scrooge's voice (voice)
2019
- National Theatre Live: The Lehman Trilogy as Henry Lehman
- National Theatre Live: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second as Richard II
2018
- Operation Finale as David Ben-Gurion
- Mary Queen of Scots as Robert Beale
- Vanity Fair as John Sedley
- Museo as Frank Graves
2017
- My Cousin Rachel as Couch
- The Death of Stalin as Lavrenti Beria
- RSC Live: The Tempest as Prospero
2016
- The Legend of Tarzan as Mr. Frum
- Shakespeare Live! From the RSC as Richard II
- Cunk on Shakespeare as Self - Actor
2015
- Monteverdi in Mantua - The Genius of the Vespers as presenter
2014
- Penny Dreadful as Ferdinand Lyle
- Into the Woods as Baker's Father
- National Theatre Live: King Lear as Lear, King of Britain
- The Mysterious Mr Webster as Self - Interviewee
2013
- Legacy as Hookey
- National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage as Hamlet
- Muse of Fire as Self
- Lava Land - Glowing Hawaii as Narrator
2012
2011
- My Week with Marilyn as Cotes-Preedy
- The Deep Blue Sea as Sir William Collyer
- National Theatre Live: Collaborators as Joseph Stalin
- Royal Opera House: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as The Duchess / Introduced by
- Symphony
- A Musical Nativity with John Rutter
- Sacred Music: God's Composer as Presenter
2010
- BBC Proms: Sondheim's 80th Birthday as Himself - Performer
- National Theatre Live: London Assurance as Sir Harcourt Courtly
- Sacred Music: A Christmas History as Presenter
2008
- An Easter Celebration as presenter
- Sacred Music as Presenter
2006
- Deep Water as Donald Crowhurst (voice)
2004
- Dunkirk as Winston Churchill
2003
- The Gathering as Luke Fraser
- The Young Visiters as Prince of Wales
2002
- Spooks as William Towers
1999
- Alice in Wonderland as King Cedric of Hearts
- An Ideal Husband as Sir Edward
- Blackadder: Back & Forth as Wellington
1997
- A Dance to the Music of Time as Widmerpool
- The Temptation of Franz Schubert as Franz Schubert
1996
- Hamlet as Second Gravedigger
1995
- Persuasion as Charles Musgrove
1993
- The Mushroom Picker as Anthony
1992
- Orlando as Earl of Moray
1988
- American Experience as John Adams (voice)
1986
- A Very Peculiar Practice as Mark Stibbs
1985
- Time and the Conways as Party Guest