Simon Russell Beale
Acting
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.
Known for
Acting74
movieDe Gaulle: Liberté
2026
Winston Churchill
movieDe Gaulle: Résistance
2026
Winston Churchill
movieThe Magic Faraway Tree
2026
Know All
movieThe Choral
2025
Sir Edward Elgar
movieDownton Abbey: The Grand Finale
2025
Sir Hector Moreland
movieFirebrand
2024
Stephen Gardiner
tvMary & George
2024
Sir George Villiers
movieHome! Home!
2024
Narrator (voice)
tvHouse of the Dragon
2022
Ser Simon Strong
movieThor: Love and Thunder
2022
Dionysus
tvRemembers…
2022
Self
movieOperation Mincemeat
2022
Winston Churchill
movieThe Outfit
2022
Roy Boyle
movieBenediction
2021
Robbie Ross
movieA Christmas Carol
2020
Scrooge's voice (voice)
movieThe Hour
2020
Himself
movieRadioactive
2020
Professor Lippmann
movieMary Queen of Scots
2018
Robert Beale
tvVanity Fair
2018
John Sedley
movieOperation Finale
2018
David Ben-Gurion
movieMuseo
2018
Frank Graves
movieThe Death of Stalin
2017
Lavrenti Beria
movieRSC Live: The Tempest
2017
Prospero
movieThe Legend of Tarzan
2016
Mr. Frum
movieCunk on Shakespeare
2016
Self - Actor
movieShakespeare Live! From the RSC
2016
Richard II
movieInto the Woods
2014
Baker's Father
movieThe Mysterious Mr Webster
2014
Self - Interviewee
tvPenny Dreadful
2014
Ferdinand Lyle
movieNational Theatre Live: King Lear
2014
Lear, King of Britain
movieLegacy
2013
Hookey
tvThe Hollow Crown
2012
Falstaff
movieNational Theatre Live: Collaborators
2011
Joseph Stalin
movieThe Deep Blue Sea
2011
Sir William Collyer
movieMy Week with Marilyn
2011
Cotes-Preedy
movieRoyal Opera House: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
2011
The Duchess / Introduced by
movieNational Theatre Live: London Assurance
2010
Sir Harcourt Courtly
movieBBC Proms: Sondheim's 80th Birthday
2010
Himself - Performer
movieAn Easter Celebration
2008
presenter
tvSacred Music
2008
Presenter
movieDeep Water
2006
Donald Crowhurst (voice)
tvDunkirk
2004
Winston Churchill
movieThe Young Visiters
2003
Prince of Wales
movieThe Gathering
2003
Luke Fraser
tvSpooks
2002
William Towers / Home Secretary
movieBlackadder: Back & Forth
1999
Wellington
movieAlice in Wonderland
1999
King Cedric of Hearts
movieAn Ideal Husband
1999
Sir Edward
movieThe Temptation of Franz Schubert
1997
Franz Schubert
tvA Dance to the Music of Time
1997
Widmerpool
movieHamlet
1996
Second Gravedigger
moviePersuasion
1995
Charles Musgrove
movieOrlando
1992
Earl of Moray
tvAmerican Experience
1988
John Adams (voice)
tvA Very Peculiar Practice
1986
Mark Stibbs
