--- name: "John Gielgud" canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-gielgud" fi1m_id: "john-gielgud" imdb_id: "nm0000024" tmdb_id: 11857 wikidata_id: "Q204685" roles: ["Actor"] born: "14 April 1904" died: "21 May 2000" reviewed_on_fi1m: 15 average_fi1m_score: 75 average_as: "actor" average_over: 15 updated: "2026-10-07T12:20:34.508892+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # John Gielgud ## Identity John Gielgud - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-gielgud - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** john-gielgud - **IMDb ID:** nm0000024 - **TMDB ID:** 11857 - **Wikidata ID:** Q204685 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gielgud, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q204685, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000024/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11857 Actor. Born 14 April 1904 in London, England. Died 21 May 2000. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 14 April 1904, London, England - **Died:** 21 May 2000 - **Active:** 1953–1998 - **Also known as:** Arthur John Gielgud, Sir John Gielgud, A Gentleman, Джон Гилгуд - **Frequently works with:** [Geoffrey Rush](https://film.one/person/geoffrey-rush.md), [Peter O'Toole](https://film.one/person/peter-otoole.md) - **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 15 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 70 (2), 1960s 84 (2), 1980s 78 (5), 1990s 72 (6) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 73 across 10 titles - **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 8 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 13 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 14, History 7, Romance 4, Comedy 3, War 2, Action & Adventure 1 - **Screen time:** 31 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $500m across 12 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gielgud, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q204685, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000024/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11857 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Chariots of Fire*](https://film.one/film/chariots-of-fire.md) (78), [*Gandhi*](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md) (73) - **HBO Max:** [*Chimes at Midnight*](https://film.one/film/chimes-at-midnight.md) (88) - **Apple TV:** [*Brideshead Revisited*](https://film.one/tv/brideshead-revisited.md) (83) - **Pluto TV:** [*Becket*](https://film.one/film/becket.md) (79) - **Tubi:** [*Julius Caesar*](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar.md) (76) - **Peacock:** [*Gulliver's Travels*](https://film.one/tv/gullivers-travels.md) (73) - **The Roku Channel:** [*Arthur*](https://film.one/film/arthur.md) (72) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on John Gielgud > John Gielgud could make discourtesy funny through the precision of his speech, without making it forgivable. We value him most in supporting parts, where that control gives a character more life than the story strictly requires. In *Brideshead Revisited* (1981), John Gielgud makes Edward ‘Ned’ Ryder’s discourtesy a particular pleasure. We laughed at the precision of his rudeness, though he gave us no reason to approve of it. In an adaptation that sometimes takes too long over its effects, his performance has the welcome advantage of getting to the point. There is pleasure in watching an actor be this exact without making the character more agreeable, and Gielgud trusts us to enjoy it without needing an excuse. He came to such parts after establishing himself on stage in Shakespeare, including *Hamlet* (1929), with a reputation built on the clarity and musicality of his speech. Film work was sporadic before the later decades brought a steady succession of character roles. The late work could accommodate both Hobson in *Arthur* (1981) and Prospero in Peter Greenaway’s *Prospero’s Books* (1991). That shift towards supporting parts matters to our view of him because he could establish someone quickly and leave us with the sense that there was more to know. In Scott Hicks’s *Shine* (1996), his Cecil Parkes is useful precisely because he seems to have a life beyond David Helfgott’s needs. The film is moving, but it makes complicated feelings too easy to understand, and Hicks sometimes settles for warmth when more explanation is needed. Gielgud and Lynn Redgrave, as Gillian, help by making their characters seem like people with concerns beyond their assigned places in David’s story. We recommend the film with that reservation, and value Gielgud’s contribution without pretending that a small performance can repair the storytelling. Critics have sometimes found him too dependent on vocal technique, with less physical presence than his contemporaries. It is a fair warning against treating beautiful speech as sufficient acting. But in *Brideshead Revisited* and *Shine*, the precision tells us something about the person speaking, rather than simply drawing attention to the speaker’s skill. For the quickest sense of his comic precision, start with his scenes in *Brideshead Revisited*. ## Biography John Gielgud was an English actor, director and producer. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his stage debut in 1921. He appeared in numerous stage productions, particularly Shakespeare, and in films including *Murder on the Orient Express* (1974), *The Elephant Man* (1980), *Chariots of Fire* (1981) and *Gandhi* (1982). He played Edward 'Ned' Ryder in the 1981 television adaptation of *Brideshead Revisited*. Gielgud received an Academy Award for his role in *Arthur* (1981) and was knighted in 1953. *Sources: watch.plex.tv, screenonline.org.uk, britannica.com.* ## On Fi1m (15) - *Elizabeth* (1998), Fi1m 82, as The Pope — [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth.md) - *Gulliver's Travels* (1996), Fi1m 73, as Professor of Light — [page](https://film.one/tv/gullivers-travels.md) - *Hamlet* (1996), Fi1m 81, as Priam — [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet.md) - *Shine* (1996), Fi1m 82, as Cecil Parkes — [page](https://film.one/film/shine.md) - *The Portrait of a Lady* (1996), Fi1m 68, as Mr. Touchett — [page](https://film.one/film/the-portrait-of-a-lady.md) - *Shining Through* (1992), Fi1m 47, as Sunflower — [page](https://film.one/film/shining-through.md) - *Gandhi* (1982), Fi1m 73, as Lord Irwin — [page](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md) - *Arthur* (1981), Fi1m 72, as Hobson — [page](https://film.one/film/arthur.md) - *Brideshead Revisited* (1981), Fi1m 83, as Edward 'Ned' Ryder — [page](https://film.one/tv/brideshead-revisited.md) - *Chariots of Fire* (1981), Fi1m 78, as Master of Trinity — [page](https://film.one/film/chariots-of-fire.md) - *The Elephant Man* (1980), Fi1m 84, as Carr Gomm — [page](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man.md) - *Chimes at Midnight* (1965), Fi1m 88, as Henry IV — [page](https://film.one/film/chimes-at-midnight.md) - *Becket* (1964), Fi1m 79, as King Louis VII of France — [page](https://film.one/film/becket.md) - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), Fi1m 63, as Foster — [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md) - *Julius Caesar* (1953), Fi1m 76, as Cassius — [page](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar.md) ## Complete filmography (159) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Boys On Film 15: Time & Tied* (2016), Writer - *Trouser Bar* (2016), Writer - *Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films* (2014), as Hogarth (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Discovering Hamlet* (2011), as King Hamlet's Ghost (archive footage) - *Behind The Scenes of Caligula* (2009), Actor - *Catastrophe* (2001), as The Protagonist - *The Tichborne Claimant* (1999), as Cockburn - *Elizabeth* (1998), as The Pope — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth.md) - *Quest for Camelot* (1998), as Merlin (voice) - *Merlin* (1998), series, as King Constant - *Rachmaninoff: The Harvest of Sorrow* (1998), Actor - *A Dance to the Music of Time* (1997), series, as St. John Clarke - *David* (1997), as Stimme Gottes - *Hamlet* (1996), as Priam — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet.md) - *The Portrait of a Lady* (1996), as Mr. Touchett — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/the-portrait-of-a-lady.md) - *The Leopard Son* (1996), as Narrator - *Shine* (1996), as Cecil Parkes — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/shine.md) - *DragonHeart* (1996), as King Arthur (voice) (uncredited) - *Gulliver's Travels* (1996), series, as Professor of Light — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/gullivers-travels.md) - *Haunted* (1995), as Dr Henry Doyle - *Stick with Me, Kid* (1995), series, as Grandpa - *First Knight* (1995), as Oswald - *A Summer Day's Dream* (1994), Actor - *Scarlett* (1994), series, as Pierre Robillard - *The Power of One* (1992), as St. John - *Shining Through* (1992), as Sunflower — Fi1m 47, [page](https://film.one/film/shining-through.md) - *Swan Song* (1992), as Svetlovidov - *A Walk Through Prospero's Library* (1992), as Prospero - *The Strauss Dynasty* (1991), series, as Drechsler - *Performance* (1991), series, as Stephen Dawlish - *Prospero's Books* (1991), as Prospero - *A TV Dante (Cantos 9 to 14)* (1991), as Virgil (voice) - *The Strauss Dynasty* (1991), as Drechsler - *The Best of Friends* (1991), as Sydney Cockerell - *Rabbit Ears - The Emperor's New Clothes* (1990), as Narrator (voice) - *A TV Dante* (1990), series, as Virgil(voice) - *A TV Dante* (1990), as Virgil - *Strike It Rich* (1990), as Herbert Dreuther - *Barbablù, Barbablù* (1989), as Barbablù - *Summer's Lease* (1989), series, as Haverford Downs - *Getting It Right* (1989), as Sir Gordon Munday - *A Man for All Seasons* (1988), as Cardinal Wolsey - *War and Remembrance* (1988), series, as Aaron Jastrow - *Arthur 2: On the Rocks* (1988), as Hobson - *Appointment with Death* (1988), as Colonel Carbury - *Funny, You Don't Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville* (1987), as British Lord - *Quartermaine's Terms* (1987), as Eddie Loomis - *Inspector Morse* (1987), series, as Lord Hinksey — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/inspector-morse.md) - *The Canterville Ghost* (1986), as Sir Simon de Canterville - *The Whistle Blower* (1986), as Sir Adrian Chappie - *Theban Plays: Antigone* (1986), as Tiresias - *Theban Plays: Oedipus the King* (1986), as Tieresias - *Time After Time* (1986), as Jasper Swift - *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as Lord Wakering - *Plenty* (1985), as Sir Leonard Darwin - *Leave All Fair* (1985), as John Middleton Murry - *Romance on the Orient Express* (1985), as Theodore Woodward - *The Shooting Party* (1985), as Cornelius Cardew - *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Eddie Loomis, Jasper Swift - *Camille* (1984), as Duke de Charles - *Frankenstein* (1984), as De Lacey - *The Far Pavilions* (1984), series, as Cavagnari - *The Master of Ballantrae* (1984), as Lord Durrisdeer - *Scandalous* (1984), as Uncle Willie - *Wagner* (1983), series, as Pfistermeister - *The Wicked Lady* (1983), as Hogarth - *The Scarlet and the Black* (1983), as Pope Pius XII - *Invitation to the Wedding* (1983), Actor - *Marco Polo* (1982), series, as Doge di Venezia - *Gandhi* (1982), as Lord Irwin — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md) - *The Critic* (1982), as Lord Burleigh - *Inside the Third Reich* (1982), series, as Albert Speer Sr. - *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1982), as Charmolue - *Brideshead Revisited* (1981), series, as Edward 'Ned' Ryder — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/brideshead-revisited.md) - *Priest of Love* (1981), as Herbert G. Muskett - *Arthur* (1981), as Hobson — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/arthur.md) - *Chariots of Fire* (1981), as Master of Trinity — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/chariots-of-fire.md) - *Lion of the Desert* (1981), as Sharif El Gariani - *Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery* (1981), as Marquis of Caterhan - *Sphinx* (1981), as Abdu-Hamdi - *The Formula* (1980), as Dr. Abraham Esau - *The Elephant Man* (1980), as Carr Gomm — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man.md) - *Why Didn't They Ask Evans?* (1980), as Reverend Jones - *The Conductor* (1980), as John Lasocki - *The Human Factor* (1979), as Brigadier Tomlinson - *Caligula* (1979), as Nerva - *Tales of the Unexpected* (1979), series, as Jelks, Cyril Boggis - *Murder by Decree* (1979), as Prime Minister - *Les Misérables* (1978), as Gillenormand - *Richard II* (1978), as John of Gaunt - *Romeo and Juliet* (1978), as Chorus - *The BBC Television Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Chorus, John of Gaunt - *No Man's Land* (1978), as Spooner - *A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man* (1977), as The Preacher - *Heartbreak House* (1977), as Captain Shotover - *The Grand Inquisitor* (1977), as Inquisitor - *Joseph Andrews* (1977), as The Doctor - *Providence* (1977), as Clive Langham - *Peter Pan* (1976), as Narrator - *The Picture of Dorian Gray* (1976), as Lord Henry Wotton - *Aces High* (1976), as Headmaster - *Galileo* (1975), as The Old Cardinal - *Murder on the Orient Express* (1974), as Mr. Beddoes - *11 Harrowhouse* (1974), as Meecham - *Frankenstein: The True Story* (1974), as Chief Constable - *Gold* (1974), as Farrell - *QB VII* (1974), series, as Clinton-Meek - *Frankenstein: The True Story* (1973), series, as Chief Constable - *Lost Horizon* (1973), as Chang - *William: The Life, Works and Times of William Shakespeare* (1973), as Various - *ABC Afterschool Special* (1972), series, as Various Roles - *Probe* (1972), as Harold L. Streeter - *Eagle in a Cage* (1972), as Lord Sissal - *Home* (1972), as Harry - *Hamlet* (1970), as The Ghost - *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Harry - *Menace* (1970), series, as Frederick William Densham - *Julius Caesar* (1970), as Julius Caesar - *Oh! What a Lovely War* (1969), as Count Leopold Von Berchtold - *The Shoes of the Fisherman* (1968), as The Elder Pope - *The Love Song of Barney Kempinski* (1968), as Rich Man - *Assignment to Kill* (1968), as Curt Valayan - *The Charge of the Light Brigade* (1968), as Lord Raglan - *From Chekhov with Love* (1968), as Anton Chekhov - *Sebastian* (1968), as Head of Intelligence - *October Revolution* (1967), as Narrator (voice) - *Romeo and Juliet* (1967), as Chorus - *Alice in Wonderland* (1966), as Mock Turtle - *The Mayfly and the Frog* (1966), as Gabriel Quantara - *ABC Stage 67* (1966), series, as Rich Man - *Ivanov* (1966), as Nikolai ivanov · Director - *Ages of Man* (1966), Actor - *Chimes at Midnight* (1965), as Henry IV — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/chimes-at-midnight.md) - *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Chorus, The Inquisitor, Charles II, Lord Henry 'Harry' Wotton, Capt. Shotover, Lord Burleigh - *The Loved One* (1965), as Sir Francis Hinsley - *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as The Writer - *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as Gabriel Quantara - *Hamlet* (1964), as Ghost (voice) · Director - *Becket* (1964), as King Louis VII of France — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/becket.md) - *To Die in Madrid* (1963), as Narrator (English version) (voice) - *The Cherry Orchard* (1962), as Gaev · Writer - *The Immortal Land* (1958), Actor - *Saint Joan* (1957), as Earl of Warwick - *The Barretts of Wimpole Street* (1957), as Edward Moulton-Barrett - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), as Foster — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md) - *Richard III* (1955), as George, Duke of Clarence - *ITV Opening Night at the Guildhall* (1955), as John Worthing, JP - *Romeo and Juliet* (1954), as Chorus - *Julius Caesar* (1953), as Cassius — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar.md) - *Ariel’s Song / Full Fathom Five* (1953), as Narrator - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as The Ghost, Charmolue, Lord Durrisdeer, Duke - *A Diary for Timothy* (1945), as Hamlet - *An Airman's Letter to His Mother* (1941), as Narrator - *The Prime Minister* (1941), as Disraeli - *Secret Agent* (1936), as Richard Ashenden / Edgar Brodie - *The Good Companions* (1933), as Inigo Jollifant - *Insult* (1932), as Henri Dubois - *The Clue of the New Pin* (1929), as Rex Trasmere - *Who Is the Man?* (1924), as Daniel ## Gallery - ![John Gielgud](https://film.one/media/person/60544/gallery-55b71ae0b91e.jpg) John Gielgud — MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/John_Gielgud_-_1953.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![John Gielgud](https://film.one/media/person/60544/gallery-a763ccb20259.jpg) John Gielgud — Image via TMDB - ![John Gielgud](https://film.one/media/person/60544/gallery-3b4b850fb9b2.jpg) John Gielgud — Image via TMDB - ![John Gielgud](https://film.one/media/person/60544/gallery-9c3c5250856b.jpg) John Gielgud — Image via TMDB - ![John Gielgud](https://film.one/media/person/60544/gallery-ea9822f0a22c.jpg) John Gielgud — Image via TMDB - ![John Gielgud](https://film.one/media/person/60544/gallery-99c281b8ab1c.jpg) John Gielgud — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated - 1982: Best Supporting Actor (won), for *Arthur* - 1965: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Becket* ### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won - 1975: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (won), for *Murder on the Orient Express* ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won - 1991: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Summer's Lease* ### Other awards — 3 won, 3 nominated - Praemium Imperiale 1994: Praemium Imperiale (won) - honorary doctorate 1980: honorary doctorate (won) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1971: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1965: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play 1963: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play 1961: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/john-gielgud