Simon Callow
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jun 13, 1949 (age 77)
- Place of birth
- Streatham, London, England, UK
- Credits
- 189
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
Eternal Return
2026Movie
Malcolm
The Man with the Plan
2026Movie
William Beveridge
Bookish
2025TV
E
Étoile
2025TV
Crispin Shamblee
Amadeus: The Making of a Masterpiece
2025Movie
Himself
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration
2024Movie
Self
Aguska
2024Movie
Patrick Carter
It's Christmas!
2024Movie
Samuel
Alec Guinness: A Class Act
2024Movie
self
The Boy That Never Was
2024TV
Cozimo
Merchant Ivory
2024Movie
Self
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
2024Movie
Cavendish
Dodger Special: Coronation
2023Movie
Archbishop of Canterbury
Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock 'n' Roll
2023Movie
Richard O'Keefe
Doctor Jekyll
2023Movie
Journalist
Surprised by Oxford
2023Movie
Dr. Sterling
The Pay Day
2022Movie
Gates
American: An Odyssey to 1947
2022Movie
Self
Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors
2022TV
Self - Narrator (voice)
The Fringe, Fame and Me
2022Movie
Self
The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration
2022Movie
Self
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure
2022Movie
Narrator
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
2022Movie
The Amazing Mr. Blunden
2021Movie
Mr. Blunden
Hawkeye
2021TV
Armand Duquesne III
Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius
2021Movie
Alexander Pope
The Cleaner
2021TV
Mr. Abahassine
Classical Destinations: The Great Composers
2021TV
narrator
Nutcracker Delights: English National Ballet
2020Movie
Narrator
The Witcher
2019TV
Codringher
The Dead Room
2018Movie
Aubrey Judd
A Christmas Carol
2018Movie
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018Movie
Self
Blue Iguana
2018Movie
Uncle Martin
Born Silly
2017Movie
Narrator (voice)
Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty
2017Movie
The Man Who Invented Christmas
2017Movie
Leech
Victoria & Abdul
2017Movie
Mr. Puccini
50 Years Legal
2017Movie
Self
Hampstead
2017Movie
Judge
Tate Britain's Great Art Walks
2017TV
Self
Viceroy's House
2017Movie
Cyril Radcliffe
Mindhorn
2016Movie
Himself
There's Something About Romcoms
2016Movie
Self
The Rebel
2016TV
Henry Palmer
Golden Years
2016Movie
Royston
Galavant
2015TV
Edwin the Magnificent
Creditors
2015Movie
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule
2014Movie
Self - Narrator (voice)
The First Silent Night: The Christmas Carol That United the World
2014Movie
Self - Host - Narrator
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
2014Movie
Self - Actor and Welles' Biographer
Outlander
2014TV
Duke of Sandringham
Miss in Her Teens
2014Movie
The Author
Inside No. 9
2014TV
Dick
The Sarah Millican Television Programme - Best of Series 1-2
2013Movie
Self
A Very British Murder with Lucy Worsley
2013TV
Self
Plebs
2013TV
Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story
2012Movie
Dickie Attenborough
Them From That Thing
2012TV
Various
Shakespeare's Sonnets
2012Movie
Playhouse Presents
2012TV
Dudley
Being Shakespeare
2012Movie
Acts of Godfrey
2012Movie
Godfrey
The British Guide to Showing Off
2011Movie
Self
Death in Paradise
2011TV
Larry South
Late Bloomers
2011Movie
Richard
Love's Kitchen
2011Movie
Guy Witherspoon
Art of Freedom
2011Movie
Self
Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags
2011TV
Narrator
Jamie's Dream School
2011TV
Himself
Ice
2011Movie
Prime Minister
Ice
2011TV
Prime Minister
The Unforgettable Harry Secombe
2010Movie
Self
Save Our Bacon
2010Movie
The Swinesbury's Boss (voice)
Arn: The Knight Templar
2010TV
Fader Henry
Orson Welles Over Europe
2009Movie
Self - Presenter
The Addictions of Sin: WH Auden in His Own Words
2009TV
Readings (voice)
Theatreland
2009Movie
Self
Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait
2008Movie
Self
Q&A
2008TV
Self - Panellist
Chemical Wedding
2008Movie
Haddo
Arn: The Knight Templar
2007Movie
Father Henry
Ripley Under Ground
2007Movie
Dean Bentliffe
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2007TV
Tree Blathereen (voice)
The Company
2007TV
MI6 liaison officer Elihu
British Film Forever
2007TV
Surveillance 24/7
2007Movie
St John
Roman Mysteries
2007TV
Pliny
Derren Brown: Trick or Treat
2007TV
Himself
Lewis
2007TV
Vernon Oxe
How Gay Sex Changed the World
2007Movie
Self
Phantom of the Opera: Behind the Mask
2006Movie
Self
The Madness of Boy George
2006Movie
Narrator (voice)
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb
2006TV
George Russell
Reviving Harry Lime
2006Movie
Himself
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb
2006Movie
George Russell
Great British Menu
2006TV
Self - Guest Judge
Men of Mystery
2006Movie
Himself
A Tribute To Ismail Merchant
2005Movie
Self (archive footage)
Revisiting Brideshead
2005Movie
Narrator
Rag Tale
2005Movie
Cormac Rourke
The Best Man
2005Movie
Big-Time Publisher
The Civilization of Maxwell Bright
2005Movie
Mr. Wroth
Doctor Who
2005TV
Charles Dickens
Bob the Butler
2005Movie
Mr. Butler
Agatha Christie's Marple
2004TV
Colonel Melchett
The Phantom of the Opera
2004Movie
Andre
Shoebox Zoo
2004TV
Wolfgang the Wolf (voice) / Hunter the Horse (voice)
George and the Dragon
2004Movie
King Edgar
Angels in America
2003TV
Prior 2, Prior Walter Ancestor #2 (uncredited)
Thank You, Doctor Rey
2003Movie
Bob
Bright Young Things
2003Movie
King of Anatolia
Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens
2002Movie
Galileo
The Mystery of Charles Dickens
2002Movie
Charles Dickens
Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale
2002TV
Charles Dickens
Thunderpants
2002Movie
Sir John Osgood
Christmas Carol: The Movie
2001Movie
Charles Dickens / Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
Don't Eat the Neighbours
2001TV
No Man's Land
2001Movie
Colonel Soft
Deadly Appearances
2000Movie
Rick Spencer
Around The World In 80 Days
2000Movie
Phileas Fogg (voice)
Animated Epics: Don Quixote
2000Movie
Don Quixote
Loose Women
1999TV
Self
Notting Hill
1999Movie
Simon Callow (uncredited)
Shakespeare in Love
1998Movie
Tilney
Bedrooms and Hallways
1998Movie
Keith
The Scarlet Tunic
1998Movie
Captain Fairfax
Parkinson
1998TV
Self
The Woman In White
1997Movie
Count Fosco
The Woman In White
1997TV
Count Fosco
Trial & Retribution
1997TV
Rupert Halliday
Midsomer Murders
1997TV
Dr. Wellow
Victory
1996Movie
Zangiacomo
Testament: The Bible in Animation
1996TV
Meneptah (voice)
Moses
1996Movie
Meneptah II (voice)
James and the Giant Peach
1996Movie
Grasshopper (voice)
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
1996TV
Hugo Trenchfoot (voice)
An Audience with Charles Dickens
1996Movie
Charles Dickens
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
1995Movie
Vincent Cadby
Jefferson in Paris
1995Movie
Richard Cosway
England, My England
1995Movie
Charles II
El pasajero clandestino
1995Movie
Major Owens
Street Fighter
1994Movie
A. N. Official
Little Napoleons
1994TV
Edward Feathers
Four Weddings and a Funeral
1994Movie
Gareth
Camp Christmas
1993Movie
Femme Fatale
1993Movie
Vicar Ronnie
Soft Top Hard Shoulder
1993Movie
Eddie Cherdowski
Howards End
1992Movie
Music and Meaning Lecturer (uncredited)
The Trials of Oz
1991Movie
John Mortimer
The Crucifer of Blood
1991Movie
Inspector Lestrade
Performance
1991TV
John Mortimer
Mr. & Mrs. Bridge
1990Movie
Dr. Alex Sauer
Postcards from the Edge
1990Movie
Simon Asquith
Old Flames
1990Movie
Nathanial Quass
Revolutionary Witness
1989Movie
Franciscus Palloy
Agatha Christie's Poirot
1989TV
Dr. Lutz
Manifesto
1988Movie
Police Chief Hunt
The Reluctant Dragon
1987Movie
Dragon (voice)
Maurice
1987Movie
Mr. Ducie
Acting
1987TV
Cariani and the Courtesans
1987Movie
Raimondi
Inspector Morse
1987TV
Theodore Kemp
The Christmas Tree
1986Movie
Jacob Weinberg
David Copperfield
1986TV
Wilkins Micawber
ScreenPlay
1986TV
Raimondi
Split Screen
1986TV
A Room with a View
1986Movie
The Reverend Mr. Beebe
Dead Head
1986TV
Hugo Silver
The Good Father
1985Movie
Mark Varda
Honour, Profit & Pleasure
1985Movie
George Frideric Handel
Screen Two
1985TV
Nathanial Quass
Royal Variety Performance 1984
1984Movie
Amadeus
1984Movie
Emanuel Schikaneder
Chance in a Million
1984TV
Tom Chance
Saturday Review
1984TV
Self
The Man of Destiny
1981Movie
Napoleon
Instant Enlightenment Including VAT
1979Movie
Maximillian
Question Time
1979TV
Himself - Panellist
The Sunday Drama
1977TV
The Prince
Victorian Scandals
1976TV
Duval
Carry On Laughing
1975TV
Crew Member
The Sweeney
1975TV
Detective Sergeant
NOVA
1974TV
Galileo
A Ghost Story for Christmas
1971TV
Aubrey Judd
Omnibus
1967TV
Self
The Northumbria Mysteries
TV
David
The Amazing Maurice: The Waters of Life
Movie
Werewolf (voice)
The Reformation of Sister Edith
Movie
Abbot Pentecost