
Simon Russell Beale
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










Credits
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The Choral Future★ NR
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Winston Churchill★ NR
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The Magic Faraway Tree Future★ NR
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De Gaulle – Partie 2 FutureWinston Churchill★ NR
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★ NR
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Douglas Is Cancelled 2024Bently★ 7.2
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Firebrand 2024Stephen Gardiner★ 6.4
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Mary & George 2024Sir George Villiers★ 7.2
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Home! Home! 2024Self (narrator)★ 10
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House of the Dragon 2022Ser Simon Strong★ 8.3
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Dionysus★ 6.4
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Operation Mincemeat 2022Winston Churchill★ 6.5
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The Outfit 2022Roy Boyle★ 7.1
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Benediction 2021Robbie Ross★ 6.2
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A Christmas Carol 2020Scrooge's voice (voice)★ 7.4
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The Hour 2020Himself★ NR
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Radioactive 2020Professor Lippmann★ 6.6
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Henry Lehman★ 8.7
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Richard II★ 10
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Mary Queen of Scots 2018Robert Beale★ 6.6
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Vanity Fair 2018John Sedley★ 7.4
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Operation Finale 2018David Ben-Gurion★ 6.7
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Museo 2018Frank Graves★ 6.6
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The Death of Stalin 2017Lavrenti Beria★ 7
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My Cousin Rachel 2017Couch★ 5.7
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Prospero★ 9
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The Legend of Tarzan 2016Mr. Frum★ 5.9
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Cunk on Shakespeare 2016Self - Actor★ 7.5
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Richard II★ 7.5
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presenter★ NR
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Into the Woods 2014Baker's Father★ 5.8
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Self - Interviewee★ 6
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Penny Dreadful 2014Ferdinand Lyle★ 7.8
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Lear, King of Britain★ 7.1
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Legacy 2013Hookey★ 5.1
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Narrator★ NR
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Hamlet★ 7
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Muse of Fire 2013Self★ 6.5
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Timon★ NR
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★ NR
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The Hollow Crown 2012Falstaff★ 7.3
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★ NR
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Joseph Stalin★ NR
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My Week with Marilyn 2011Cotes-Preedy★ 6.7
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Symphony 2011★ 8
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The Deep Blue Sea 2011Sir William Collyer★ 5.9
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The Duchess / Introduced by★ 7.7
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A Christmas History 2010Presenter★ NR
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Sir Harcourt Courtly★ 7
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Himself - Performer★ 10
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presenter★ NR
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Deep Water 2006Donald Crowhurst (voice)★ 7.3
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Dunkirk 2004Winston Churchill★ 6.3
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The Young Visiters 2003Prince of Wales★ 5.1
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The Gathering 2003Luke Fraser★ 5.4
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Spooks 2002William Towers★ 7.6
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Wellington★ 7
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Alice in Wonderland 1999King Cedric of Hearts★ 6.3
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An Ideal Husband 1999Sir Edward★ 6.5
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Widmerpool★ 5.3
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Hamlet 1996Second Gravedigger★ 7.3
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Persuasion 1995Charles Musgrove★ 7.1
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The Mushroom Picker 1993Anthony★ 1
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Orlando 1992Earl of Moray★ 6.9
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American Experience 1988John Adams (voice)★ 7.4
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Mark Stibbs★ 8
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Time and the Conways 1985Party Guest★ NR
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Blackadder 1983Napoléon★ 8