Anthony Quayle
Biography
Anthony Quayle was a British actor, born in Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire, who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally in The Ghost Train before joining the Old Vic in 1932. He directed at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre from 1948 to 1956 and laid the foundations for the Royal Shakespeare Company, while playing Shakespearean parts such as Falstaff, Othello and Benedick. His films included The Wrong Man (1956), Ice Cold in Alex (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He won a Primetime Emmy for QB VII and a Drama Desk Award for Sleuth, and was knighted in 1985.
76years old at death
- Born Sefton
- Died London
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- John Anthony Quayle (birth name)Also credited as Sir John Anthony Quayle
Movie Career
- Films
- 24
- Career span
- 45 years1948 to 1993
Genres
First and latest
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First role
While taking a break from his studies at RADA, Quayle made his first professional stage appearance in The Ghost Train at the Q Theatre.
First role
Quayle made his film debut in Pygmalion in 1938, playing an Italian wigmaker. The part was brief and he was not credited for it.
Behind the camera
Quayle directed at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre from 1948 to 1956, and his work there helped set the stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company to be created.
Behind the camera
In 1984 Quayle founded Compass Theatre Company, opening it with a tour of The Clandestine Marriage in which he directed and played Lord Ogleby.
Anthony Quayle movies on Netflix
The Thief and the Cobbleras King Nod (voice)
Busteras Sir James McDowell
Murder by Decreeas Sir Charles Warren
Holocaust 2000as Griffith
21 Hours at Munichas Zvi Zamir
The Eagle Has Landedas Admiral Canaris
The Story of Davidas King Saul
The Tamarind Seedas Jack Loder
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Askas The King
Anne of the Thousand Daysas Cardinal Wolsey
Mackenna's Goldas Older Englishman
The Poppy Is Also a Floweras Captain Vanderbilt
A Study in Terroras Doctor Murray
Operation Crossbowas Bamford
The Fall of the Roman Empireas Verulus
H.M.S. Defiantas Vizard
Lawrence of Arabiaas Colonel Brighton
The Guns of Navaroneas Franklin
Tarzan's Greatest Adventureas Slade
Ice Cold in Alexas Captain van der Poel
Woman in a Dressing Gownas Jim Preston
The Battle of the River Plateas Commodore Harwood-H.M.S. Ajax
The Wrong Manas Frank D. O'Connor
Hamletas Marcellus
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask1972as The King
IMDb rating 6.744K votes
Most often with
J. Lee Thompson directed four of these films. Two actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.








Films together
Omar Sharif4 films together, 1962 to 1974
Omar Sharif's page The Tamarind Seed1974IMDb rating 6.4Quayle as Jack LoderSharif as Feodor Sverdlov
Mackenna's Gold1969IMDb rating 6.7Quayle as Older EnglishmanSharif as John Colorado
The Fall of the Roman Empire1964IMDb rating 6.7Quayle as VerulusSharif as Sohamus
Lawrence of Arabia1962IMDb rating 8.3Quayle as Colonel BrightonSharif as Sherif Ali
Sylvia Syms4 films together, 1957 to 1974
Sylvia Syms's page The Tamarind Seed1974IMDb rating 6.4Quayle as Jack LoderSyms as Margaret Stephenson
Operation Crossbow1965IMDb rating 6.6Quayle as BamfordSyms as Constance Babington Smith
Ice Cold in Alex1958IMDb rating 7.7Quayle as Captain van der PoelSyms as Sister Diana Murdoch
Woman in a Dressing Gown1957IMDb rating 7.2Quayle as Jim PrestonSyms as Georgie Harlow
Alec Guinness3 films together, 1962 to 1964
Alec Guinness's page The Fall of the Roman Empire1964IMDb rating 6.7Quayle as VerulusGuinness as Marcus Aurelius
H.M.S. Defiant1962IMDb rating 7.1Quayle as VizardGuinness as Captain Crawford
Lawrence of Arabia1962IMDb rating 8.3Quayle as Colonel BrightonGuinness as Prince Feisal
Norman Wooland3 films together, 1948 to 1964
Norman Wooland's page The Fall of the Roman Empire1964IMDb rating 6.7Quayle as VerulusWooland as Virgilianus
The Guns of Navarone1961IMDb rating 7.5Quayle as FranklinWooland as Group Captain
Hamlet1948IMDb rating 7.5Quayle as MarcellusWooland as Horatio - His Friend
Donald Sutherland2 films together, 1976 to 1979
Donald Sutherland's page Murder by Decree1979IMDb rating 6.8Quayle as Sir Charles WarrenSutherland as Robert Lees
The Eagle Has Landed1976IMDb rating 6.9Quayle as Admiral CanarisSutherland as Liam Devlin
Christopher Plummer2 films together, 1964 to 1979
Christopher Plummer's page Murder by Decree1979IMDb rating 6.8Quayle as Sir Charles WarrenPlummer as Sherlock Holmes
The Fall of the Roman Empire1964IMDb rating 6.7Quayle as VerulusPlummer as Commodus
J. Lee ThompsonDirector, 4 films, 1957 to 1969
All films by J. Lee Thompson Mackenna's Gold1969IMDb rating 6.7Quayle as Older Englishman
The Guns of Navarone1961IMDb rating 7.5Quayle as Franklin
Ice Cold in Alex1958IMDb rating 7.7Quayle as Captain van der Poel
Woman in a Dressing Gown1957IMDb rating 7.2Quayle as Jim Preston
Also two films together23 more actors
- Anthony QuinnLawrence of Arabia (1962) and The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- Donald PleasenceThe Thief and the Cobbler (1993) and The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
- James MasonMurder by Decree (1979) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
- Gregory PeckMackenna's Gold (1969) and The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- Trevor HowardThe Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966) and Operation Crossbow (1965)
- John MillsOperation Crossbow (1965) and Ice Cold in Alex (1958)
- Sophia LorenOperation Crossbow (1965) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
- Maurice DenhamOperation Crossbow (1965) and H.M.S. Defiant (1962)
- Michael ByrneBuster (1988) and The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
- Frank FinlayMurder by Decree (1979) and A Study in Terror (1965)
- Jack HawkinsThe Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- Walter GotellThe Guns of Navarone (1961) and Ice Cold in Alex (1958)
- Geneviève BujoldMurder by Decree (1979) and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
- Allan CuthbertsonThe Guns of Navarone (1961) and Ice Cold in Alex (1958)
- Stephen BoydThe Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
- Irene PapasAnne of the Thousand Days (1969) and The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- Douglas WilmerThe Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and The Battle of the River Plate (1956)
- Esmond KnightAnne of the Thousand Days (1969) and Hamlet (1948)
- Jack GwillimLawrence of Arabia (1962) and The Battle of the River Plate (1956)
- George MikellThe Tamarind Seed (1974) and The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- John FraserA Study in Terror (1965) and Operation Crossbow (1965)
- William SquireAnne of the Thousand Days (1969) and The Battle of the River Plate (1956)
- Alexei JawdokimovThe Eagle Has Landed (1976) and The Tamarind Seed (1974)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Anthony Quayle's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$137 million
9 of the 24 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 24 films: 9 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 3 never in cinemas; 10 figure not found.
- 9Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 3Never in cinemas
- 10Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$70M51.2% of the total
- 2$29M21.1% of the total
- 3$18M13.2% of the total
- 4$8.0M5.8% of the total
- 5$4.8M3.5% of the total
- 6$3.7M2.7% of the total
- 7$2.0M1.5% of the total
- 8$750K0.5% of the total
Awards
Three awards and honors, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1975 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | QB VII | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | ||
| Knight Bachelor | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.










