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Simon Russell Beale

Simon Russell Beale

Acting

Born: January 12, 1961Penang, Malaysia

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
Filmography
De Gaulle: The Sovereign Edge (Film 2)

De Gaulle: The Sovereign Edge (Film 2)

Winston Churchill

2026
De Gaulle: Tilting Iron (Film 1)

De Gaulle: Tilting Iron (Film 1)

Winston Churchill

2026
The Magic Faraway Tree

The Magic Faraway Tree

2026
The Choral

The Choral

Sir Edward Elgar

2025
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Sir Hector Moreland

2025
Firebrand

Firebrand

Stephen Gardiner

2024
Home! Home!

Home! Home!

Narrator (voice)

2024
Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder

Dionysus

2022
Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat

Winston Churchill

2022
The Outfit

The Outfit

Roy Boyle

2022
Benediction

Benediction

Robbie Ross

2021
A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

Scrooge's voice (voice)

2020
The Hour

The Hour

Himself

2020
Radioactive

Radioactive

Professor Lippmann

2020
National Theatre Live: The Lehman Trilogy

National Theatre Live: The Lehman Trilogy

Henry Lehman

2019
National Theatre Live: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second

National Theatre Live: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second

Richard II

2019
Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots

Robert Beale

2018
Operation Finale

Operation Finale

David Ben-Gurion

2018
Museo

Museo

Frank Graves

2018
The Death of Stalin

The Death of Stalin

Lavrenti Beria

2017
My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel

Couch

2017
RSC Live: The Tempest

RSC Live: The Tempest

Prospero

2017
The Legend of Tarzan

The Legend of Tarzan

Mr. Frum

2016
Cunk on Shakespeare

Cunk on Shakespeare

Self - Actor

2016
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC

Shakespeare Live! From the RSC

Richard II

2016
Monteverdi in Mantua - The Genius of the Vespers

Monteverdi in Mantua - The Genius of the Vespers

presenter

2015
Into the Woods

Into the Woods

Baker's Father

2014

The Mysterious Mr Webster

Self - Interviewee

2014
National Theatre Live: King Lear

National Theatre Live: King Lear

Lear, King of Britain

2014
Legacy

Legacy

Hookey

2013
Lava Land - Glowing Hawaii

Lava Land - Glowing Hawaii

Narrator

2013
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

Hamlet

2013
Muse of Fire

Muse of Fire

Self

2013
National Theatre Live: Timon of Athens

National Theatre Live: Timon of Athens

Timon

2012
Shakespeare's Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets

2012
A Musical Nativity with John Rutter

A Musical Nativity with John Rutter

2011
Sacred Music: God's Composer

Sacred Music: God's Composer

Presenter

2011
National Theatre Live: Collaborators

National Theatre Live: Collaborators

Joseph Stalin

2011
The Deep Blue Sea

The Deep Blue Sea

Sir William Collyer

2011
My Week with Marilyn

My Week with Marilyn

Cotes-Preedy

2011
Royal Opera House: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Royal Opera House: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The Duchess / Introduced by

2011
Sacred Music: A Christmas History

Sacred Music: A Christmas History

Presenter

2010
National Theatre Live: London Assurance

National Theatre Live: London Assurance

Sir Harcourt Courtly

2010
BBC Proms: Sondheim's 80th Birthday

BBC Proms: Sondheim's 80th Birthday

Himself - Performer

2010
An Easter Celebration

An Easter Celebration

presenter

2008
Deep Water

Deep Water

Donald Crowhurst (voice)

2006
The Young Visiters

The Young Visiters

Prince of Wales

2003
The Gathering

The Gathering

Luke Fraser

2003
Blackadder: Back & Forth

Blackadder: Back & Forth

Wellington

1999
Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

King Cedric of Hearts

1999
An Ideal Husband

An Ideal Husband

Sir Edward

1999
The Temptation of Franz Schubert

The Temptation of Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert

1997
Hamlet

Hamlet

Second Gravedigger

1996
Persuasion

Persuasion

Charles Musgrove

1995
Orlando

Orlando

Earl of Moray

1992

Time and the Conways

Party Guest

1985