← Home
Simon Callow

Simon Callow

Acting

Born: June 13, 1949Streatham, London, England, UK

Simon Phillip Hugh Callow CBE (born 15 June 1949) is an English actor. Known as a character actor on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Olivier Award and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to acting by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999. Callow rose to prominence originating the title role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1979 Peter Shaffer play Amadeus, for which he received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination. Callow joined the Miloš Forman 1984 film adaptation, this time portraying Emanuel Schikaneder. In 1992, Callow won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director of a Musical for Carmen Jones. As an actor, he won acclaim for his comedic roles in A Room with a View (1985) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) earning a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for each. Other notable roles include in Maurice (1987), Howards End (1992), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and The Phantom of the Opera (2004). His television roles include Tom Chance in the Channel 4 series Chance in a Million (1984) and The Duke of Sandringham in the series Outlander from 2014 to 2016. He portrayed Napoleon in The Man of Destiny (1981), and Charles Dickens in numerous television projects. He has also appeared on numerous shows such as Midsomer Murders, Rome, Angels in America, Doctor Who, Galavant, Hawkeye, and The Witcher. Callow was born on 15 June 1949 in Streatham, South London, the son of Yvonne Mary (née Guise), a secretary and Neil Francis Callow, a businessman. His father was of French descent and his mother was of Danish and German ancestry. His father left when Simon was 18 months old, and he was brought up by his mother and grandmothers. He and his mother travelled to Northern Rhodesia (now called Zambia) when he was nine to try and reconcile with his father. This did not happen and Callow was sent for three years to boarding school in South Africa. He and his mother returned to Britain when he was twelve. He was raised as a Catholic. Callow was a student at the London Oratory School in West Brompton, and then went on to study briefly at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, where he was active in the gay liberation movement.[5] He gave up his degree course after a year to take a three-year acting course at the Drama Centre London. He made his first film appearance in 1984 as Schikaneder in Amadeus. The following year, he appeared as the Reverend Mr Beebe in A Room with a View. His first television role was in the Carry On Laughing episode "Orgy and Bess" in 1975, but it was cut from the final print. He starred in several series of the Channel 4 situation comedy Chance in a Million, as Tom Chance, an eccentric individual to whom coincidences happened regularly. Roles like this and his part in Four Weddings and a Funeral brought him to a wider audience. Callow portrayed Pliny the Elder in CBBC's 2007 children's drama series, Roman Mysteries in the episode "The Secrets of Vesuvius". He played Armand Duquesne in Marvel's Hawkeye on Disney+.

Known For
Filmography
The Man with the Plan

The Man with the Plan

William Beveridge

2026
Eternal Return

Eternal Return

Malcolm

2026
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration

Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration

Self

2024
It's Christmas!

It's Christmas!

Samuel

2024
Alec Guinness: A Class Act

Alec Guinness: A Class Act

self

2024
Merchant Ivory

Merchant Ivory

Self

2024
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2

Cavendish

2024
Dodger Special: Coronation

Dodger Special: Coronation

Archbishop of Canterbury

2023
Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock 'n' Roll

Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock 'n' Roll

Richard O'Keefe

2023
Doctor Jekyll

Doctor Jekyll

Journalist

2023
Surprised by Oxford

Surprised by Oxford

Dr. Sterling

2023
The Pay Day

The Pay Day

Gates

2022
American: An Odyssey to 1947

American: An Odyssey to 1947

Self

2022
The Fringe, Fame and Me

The Fringe, Fame and Me

Self

2022
The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration

The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration

Self

2022
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure

Judi Dench: Our National Treasure

Narrator

2022
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye

2022
The Amazing Mr. Blunden

The Amazing Mr. Blunden

Mr. Blunden

2021
Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius

Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius

Alexander Pope

2021
Nutcracker Delights: English National Ballet

Nutcracker Delights: English National Ballet

Narrator

2020
The Dead Room

The Dead Room

Aubrey Judd

2018
A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

2018
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead

They'll Love Me When I'm Dead

Self

2018
Blue Iguana

Blue Iguana

Uncle Martin

2018

Born Silly

Narrator (voice)

2017
Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty

Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty

2017
The Man Who Invented Christmas

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Leech

2017
Victoria & Abdul

Victoria & Abdul

Mr. Puccini

2017
50 Years Legal

50 Years Legal

Self

2017
Hampstead

Hampstead

Judge

2017
Viceroy's House

Viceroy's House

Cyril Radcliffe

2017
Mindhorn

Mindhorn

Himself

2016
There's Something About Romcoms

There's Something About Romcoms

Self

2016
Golden Years

Golden Years

Royston

2016
Creditors

Creditors

2015
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule

Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule

Narrator (voice)

2014
The First Silent Night: The Christmas Carol That United the World

The First Silent Night: The Christmas Carol That United the World

Self - Host - Narrator

2014
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

Self - Actor and Welles' Biographer

2014

Miss in Her Teens

The Author

2014
The Sarah Millican Television Programme - Best of Series 1-2

The Sarah Millican Television Programme - Best of Series 1-2

Self

2013
Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story

Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story

Dickie Attenborough

2012
Shakespeare's Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets

2012
Being Shakespeare

Being Shakespeare

2012
Acts of Godfrey

Acts of Godfrey

Godfrey

2012
The British Guide to Showing Off

The British Guide to Showing Off

Self

2011
Late Bloomers

Late Bloomers

Richard

2011
Love's Kitchen

Love's Kitchen

Guy Witherspoon

2011
Art of Freedom

Art of Freedom

Self

2011
Ice

Ice

Prime Minister

2011

The Unforgettable Harry Secombe

Self

2010

Save Our Bacon

The Swinesbury's Boss (voice)

2010
Orson Welles Over Europe

Orson Welles Over Europe

Himself - Presenter

2009
Theatreland

Theatreland

Self

2009
Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait

Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait

Self

2008
Chemical Wedding

Chemical Wedding

Haddo

2008
Arn: The Knight Templar

Arn: The Knight Templar

Father Henry

2007
Surveillance 24/7

Surveillance 24/7

St John

2007
How Gay Sex Changed the World

How Gay Sex Changed the World

Self

2007
Phantom of the Opera: Behind the Mask

Phantom of the Opera: Behind the Mask

Self

2006
The Madness of Boy George

The Madness of Boy George

Narrator (voice)

2006

Reviving Harry Lime

Himself

2006
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb

The Curse of King Tut's Tomb

George Russell

2006

Men of Mystery

Himself

2006
Ripley Under Ground

Ripley Under Ground

Dean Bentliffe

2005
A Tribute To Ismail Merchant

A Tribute To Ismail Merchant

Self (archive footage)

2005
Revisiting Brideshead

Revisiting Brideshead

Narrator

2005
Rag Tale

Rag Tale

Cormac Rourke

2005
The Best Man

The Best Man

Big-Time Publisher

2005
The Civilization of Maxwell Bright

The Civilization of Maxwell Bright

Mr. Wroth

2005
Bob the Butler

Bob the Butler

Mr. Butler

2005
The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

Andre

2004
Thank You, Doctor Rey

Thank You, Doctor Rey

Bob

2004
George and the Dragon

George and the Dragon

King Edgar

2004
Bright Young Things

Bright Young Things

King of Anatolia

2003
Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens

Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens

Galileo

2002
The Mystery of Charles Dickens

The Mystery of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

2002
Thunderpants

Thunderpants

Sir John Osgood

2002
Christmas Carol: The Movie

Christmas Carol: The Movie

Charles Dickens / Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)

2001
No Man's Land

No Man's Land

Colonel Soft

2001
Deadly Appearances

Deadly Appearances

Rick Spencer

2000
Animated Epics: Don Quixote

Animated Epics: Don Quixote

Don Quixote

2000
Around The World In 80 Days

Around The World In 80 Days

Phileas Fogg (voice)

2000
Notting Hill

Notting Hill

Simon Callow (uncredited)

1999
Shakespeare in Love

Shakespeare in Love

Tilney

1998
Bedrooms and Hallways

Bedrooms and Hallways

Keith

1998

The Scarlet Tunic

Captain Fairfax

1998
The Woman In White

The Woman In White

Count Fosco

1997
Victory

Victory

Zangiacomo

1996

Moses

Meneptah II (voice)

1996
James and the Giant Peach

James and the Giant Peach

Grasshopper (voice)

1996
An Audience with Charles Dickens

An Audience with Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

1996
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Vincent Cadby

1995
Jefferson in Paris

Jefferson in Paris

Richard Cosway

1995
El pasajero clandestino

El pasajero clandestino

Major Owens

1995
England, My England

England, My England

Charles II

1995
Street Fighter

Street Fighter

A. N. Official

1994
Four Weddings and a Funeral

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Gareth

1994
Camp Christmas

Camp Christmas

1993
Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale

Vicar Ronnie

1993
Soft Top Hard Shoulder

Soft Top Hard Shoulder

Eddie Cherdowski

1993
Howards End

Howards End

Music and Meaning Lecturer (uncredited)

1992
The Trials of Oz

The Trials of Oz

John Mortimer

1991
The Crucifer of Blood

The Crucifer of Blood

Inspector Lestrade

1991
Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

Dr. Alex Sauer

1990
Postcards from the Edge

Postcards from the Edge

Simon Asquith

1990
Old Flames

Old Flames

Nathanial Quass

1990
Revolutionary Witness

Revolutionary Witness

Franciscus Palloy

1989
Manifesto

Manifesto

Police Chief Hunt

1988
The Reluctant Dragon

The Reluctant Dragon

Dragon (voice)

1987
Maurice

Maurice

Mr. Ducie

1987
Cariani and the Courtesans

Cariani and the Courtesans

Raimondi

1987

The Christmas Tree

Jacob Weinberg

1986
A Room with a View

A Room with a View

The Reverend Mr. Beebe

1986
The Good Father

The Good Father

Mark Varda

1985
Honour, Profit & Pleasure

Honour, Profit & Pleasure

George Frideric Handel

1985
Royal Variety Performance 1984

Royal Variety Performance 1984

1984
Amadeus

Amadeus

Emanuel Schikaneder

1984
The Man of Destiny

The Man of Destiny

Napoleon

1981
Instant Enlightenment Including VAT

Instant Enlightenment Including VAT

Maximillian

1979