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Alan Bates

Alan Bates

Acting

Born: February 17, 1934Allestree, Derbyshire, England

Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor, who came to prominence in the 1960s, a time of high creativity in British cinema, when he demonstrated his versatility in films ranging from the popular children’s story Whistle Down the Wind to the "kitchen sink" drama A Kind of Loving. He is also known for his tour-de-force with Anthony Quinn, Zorba the Greek, as well as his roles in King of Hearts, Georgy Girl, Far From the Madding Crowd, and The Fixer, which gave him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1969, he starred in the Ken Russell film Women in Love with Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson. Bates went on to star in The Go-Between, An Unmarried Woman, Nijinsky, and The Rose with Bette Midler, as well as playing varied roles in television drama, including The Mayor of Casterbridge, Harold Pinter's The Collection, A Voyage Round My Father, An Englishman Abroad (as Guy Burgess), and Pack of Lies. He also continued to appear on the stage, notably in the plays of Simon Gray, such as Butley and Otherwise Engaged.

Known For
Filmography
Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders

Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders

Archive

2025
Shuttlecock: Sins of a Father

Shuttlecock: Sins of a Father

Major James Prentis (archival footage)

2020
Nothing Like a Dame

Nothing Like a Dame

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

2018
Discovering Hamlet

Discovering Hamlet

Claudius (archive footage)

2011
Spartacus

Spartacus

Antonius Agrippa

2004
Hollywood North

Hollywood North

Michael Baytes

2004
The Statement

The Statement

Armand Bertier

2003
Celebrity Naked Ambition

Celebrity Naked Ambition

Self (archive footage)

2003
Meanwhile

Meanwhile

Father Peter

2003
Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials

Sir William Phips

2002
Evelyn

Evelyn

Thomas Connolly

2002
The Making of Gosford Park

The Making of Gosford Park

Self

2002
Bertie and Elizabeth

Bertie and Elizabeth

King George V

2002
The Sum of All Fears

The Sum of All Fears

Dressler

2002
The Mothman Prophecies

The Mothman Prophecies

Alexander Leek

2002
Gosford Park

Gosford Park

Jennings

2001
Anthony Quinn: The Final Words

Anthony Quinn: The Final Words

Self

2001
The Prince and the Pauper

The Prince and the Pauper

Re Enrico VIII

2000
St. Patrick: The Irish Legend

St. Patrick: The Irish Legend

Calpornius

2000
The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard

Gayev

1999
Nicholas’ Gift

Nicholas’ Gift

Reg Green

1998
The Grotesque

The Grotesque

Sir Hugo Coal

1995
Hard Times

Hard Times

Josiah Bounderby

1994
Shuttlecock

Shuttlecock

Major James Prentis VC

1993
Silent Tongue

Silent Tongue

Eamon McCree

1993
Losing Track

Losing Track

Henry Sitchell

1992
Unnatural Pursuits

Unnatural Pursuits

Hamish Partt

1992
Secret Friends

Secret Friends

John

1991
Hamlet

Hamlet

Claudius

1990
102 Boulevard Haussmann

102 Boulevard Haussmann

Marcel Proust

1990
Dr. M

Dr. M

Dr, Marsfeldt / Guru

1990
Mister Frost

Mister Frost

Felix Detweiler

1990
Uncontrollable Circumstances

Uncontrollable Circumstances

Malcolm Forrest

1989
The Dog It Was That Died

The Dog It Was That Died

Blair

1989
We Think the World of You

We Think the World of You

Frank Meadows

1988
The Ray Bradbury Theater: And So Died Riabouchinska

The Ray Bradbury Theater: And So Died Riabouchinska

John Fabian

1988
A Prayer for the Dying

A Prayer for the Dying

Jack Meehan

1987
Pack of Lies

Pack of Lies

Stewart

1987
Duet for One

Duet for One

David Cornwallis

1986
One for the Road

One for the Road

Nicholas

1985
Hands Up!

Hands Up!

Self (1981 footage)

1985
Dr. Fischer of Geneva

Dr. Fischer of Geneva

Dr. Alfred Jones

1984
A Voyage Round My Father

A Voyage Round My Father

John Mortimer

1984
An Englishman Abroad

An Englishman Abroad

Guy Burgess

1983
The Wicked Lady

The Wicked Lady

Captain Jerry Jackson

1983
The Return of the Soldier

The Return of the Soldier

Captain Chris Baldry

1983
Separate Tables

Separate Tables

John Malcolm / Maj. Pollock

1983
Britannia Hospital

Britannia Hospital

Macready

1982
Quartet

Quartet

H.J. Heidler

1981
The Trespasser

The Trespasser

Siegmund

1981
Very Like a Whale

Very Like a Whale

Sir Jock Mellor

1981
Nijinsky

Nijinsky

Sergei Diaghilev

1980
The Rose

The Rose

Rudge Campbell

1979
The Shout

The Shout

Charles Crossley

1978
An Unmarried Woman

An Unmarried Woman

Saul Kaplan

1978
The Collection

The Collection

James

1976

Two Sundays

Charles

1975

Plaintiffs and Defendants

Peter

1975
Royal Flash

Royal Flash

Rudi Von Sternberg

1975
In Celebration

In Celebration

Andrew Shaw

1975
The Story of Jacob and Joseph

The Story of Jacob and Joseph

Narrator (voice)

1974
Butley

Butley

Ben Butley

1974
Impossible Object

Impossible Object

Harry

1973
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

Bri

1972
Second Best

Second Best

Tom

1972
The Go-Between

The Go-Between

Ted Burgess

1971
Three Sisters

Three Sisters

Col. Vershinin

1970
Women in Love

Women in Love

Rupert Birkin

1969
Look at Life: All in a Day's Work

Look at Life: All in a Day's Work

Self

1969
The Fixer

The Fixer

Yakov Bok

1968

Location: Far from the Madding Crowd

Himself

1967
Far from the Madding Crowd

Far from the Madding Crowd

Gabriel Oak

1967
Lionpower from MGM

Lionpower from MGM

Self - Gabriel Oak (archive footage) (uncredited)

1967
King of Hearts

King of Hearts

Charles Plumpick

1966
Georgy Girl

Georgy Girl

Jos Jones

1966
Once Upon a Tractor

Once Upon a Tractor

Joe Turrel

1965
Zorba the Greek

Zorba the Greek

Basil

1964
Nothing But the Best

Nothing But the Best

Jimmy Brewster

1964
The Caretaker

The Caretaker

Mick

1964
The Running Man

The Running Man

Stephen

1963
A Kind of Loving

A Kind of Loving

Victor Arthur 'Vic' Brown

1962
Whistle Down the Wind

Whistle Down the Wind

The Man, Arthur Alan Blakey

1961
The Entertainer

The Entertainer

Frank Rice

1960