Acting
Simon Russell Beale
Born Jan 12, 1961 · Penang, 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.
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Acting
This Is Your Five Minute Call
Drama
Prima Facie
2026
Drama
De Gaulle: Liberté
2026
History · Drama · War
De Gaulle: Résistance
2026
History · Drama · War
The Magic Faraway Tree
2026
Adventure · Family · Fantasy
The Choral
2025
Comedy · Drama · Music
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
2025
Drama · Romance
Douglas Is Cancelled
2024
Drama · Comedy
Firebrand
2024
Drama · History · Thriller
Mary & George
2024
Drama · War & Politics
Home! Home!
2024
Documentary
House of the Dragon
2022
Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Drama · Action & Adventure
Thor: Love and Thunder
2022
Fantasy · Action · Comedy
Operation Mincemeat
2022
War · History · Drama
The Outfit
2022
Crime · Drama · Thriller
Benediction
2021
Drama · History · War
A Christmas Carol
2020
Drama · Animation · Fantasy
The Hour
2020
Documentary
Radioactive
2020
Drama · Romance · History
National Theatre Live: The Lehman Trilogy
2019
Drama
National Theatre Live: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second
2019
Drama
Mary Queen of Scots
2018
Drama · History
Vanity Fair
2018
Comedy · Drama
Operation Finale
2018
Drama · History · Thriller
Museo
2018
Crime · Drama
The Death of Stalin
2017
Comedy · Drama · History
My Cousin Rachel
2017
Drama · Romance
RSC Live: The Tempest
2017
Drama · Fantasy
The Legend of Tarzan
2016
Fantasy · Action · Adventure
Cunk on Shakespeare
2016
Comedy
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC
2016
Music · TV Movie · Documentary
Monteverdi in Mantua - The Genius of the Vespers
2015
Documentary
Into the Woods
2014
Fantasy · Comedy
The Mysterious Mr Webster
2014
Documentary
Penny Dreadful
2014
Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Drama · Mystery
National Theatre Live: King Lear
2014
Drama
Legacy
2013
TV Movie · Drama · Thriller
Lava Land - Glowing Hawaii
2013
Documentary
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
2013
Documentary
Muse of Fire
2013
Documentary
National Theatre Live: Timon of Athens
2012
Drama
Shakespeare's Sonnets
2012
The Hollow Crown
2012
Drama
Simon Schama's Shakespeare
2012
Documentary
A Musical Nativity with John Rutter
2011
Music
Sacred Music: God's Composer
2011
National Theatre Live: Collaborators
2011
Comedy · Drama
The Deep Blue Sea
2011
Drama · Romance
My Week with Marilyn
2011
Drama · Romance
Symphony
2011
Documentary
Royal Opera House: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
2011
Fantasy · Family
Sacred Music: A Christmas History
2010
Documentary · Music
National Theatre Live: London Assurance
2010
Comedy
BBC Proms: Sondheim's 80th Birthday
2010
Music
An Easter Celebration
2008
Music
Sacred Music
2008
Documentary
Deep Water
2006
Documentary · Adventure · Drama
Dunkirk
2004
Documentary · Drama
The Young Visiters
2003
TV Movie · Comedy · Drama
The Gathering
2003
Horror · Thriller
Spooks
2002
Drama · Action & Adventure · Crime
Blackadder: Back & Forth
1999
Comedy · History · Science Fiction
Alice in Wonderland
1999
Fantasy · Family
An Ideal Husband
1999
Drama · Comedy · Romance
The Temptation of Franz Schubert
1997
Drama
A Dance to the Music of Time
1997
Comedy · Drama
Hamlet
1996
Drama
Persuasion
1995
Drama · Romance
Orlando
1992
Drama · Fantasy
American Experience
1988
Documentary
A Very Peculiar Practice
1986
Drama · Comedy