David Bowie
Biography
The English singer, songwriter and actor David Bowie studied art, music and design before starting his music career in 1962. He first charted in 1969 with Space Oddity, and in 1972 he broke through with his Ziggy Stardust persona and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. As an actor, he often took smaller parts and cameos. He played the lead in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). Other film work included Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) and Absolute Beginners (1986). He appeared in Labyrinth (1986) and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Roles came in Basquiat (1996) and The Prestige (2006). He continued reinventing himself with the Berlin Trilogy and later solo work, and from 1988 to 1992 he fronted Tin Machine. He won six Grammy Awards and four Brit Awards, and in 1996 he entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died in 2016.
69years old at death
- Born Brixton
- Died Lafayette Street
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- David Robert Jones (birth name)Also credited as David Jones, Davy Jones, Thin White Duke and Halloween Jack
Movie Career
- Films
- 38
- Career span
- 49 years1976 to 2025
Genres
- Documentary55%, 21 films
- Music50%, 19 films
- Biography21%, 8 films
- Drama18%, 7 films
- Adventure8%, 3 films
Photos
Share
Did you know?!
About the name
In the mid-1960s, the name Davy Jones caused confusion with the Monkees' Davy Jones, so he adopted the stage name David Bowie, inspired by the 19th-century American pioneer James Bowie and his knife.
First role
Bowie started his first band, the Konrads, in 1962, when he was 15. The group performed guitar-based rock and roll at weddings and local youth gatherings.
Early training
Bowie studied the dramatic arts under Lindsay Kemp, learning avant-garde theater, mime and commedia dell'arte, which led him to create personae to present to the world.
A first
Bowie's first US number one was "Fame", a collaboration with John Lennon, and a reissue of "Space Oddity" then became his first UK number-one hit.
A first
Bowie appeared on the US variety show Soul Train, where he mimed his November single "Golden Years" and "Fame", making him one of the first white artists on the program.
Beyond film
Bowie played Joseph Merrick in the Broadway production of The Elephant Man from July 1980 to January 1981, performing the role without stage make-up.
David Bowie movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Julien Temple directed two of these films, Francis Whately two and David Mallet two. Paul McCartney appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Paul McCartney's page
Ringo Starr's page
John Lennon's page
Elton John's page
Mick Jagger's page
Sting's page
Julien TempleDirector, 2 films, 1986 to 2000
All films by Julien Temple
Francis WhatelyDirector, 2 films, 2017 to 2019
All films by Francis Whately
David MalletDirector, 2 films, 1984 to 1992
All films by David Mallet
Also three films together5 more actors
- Lou ReedMoonage Daydream (2022), The Velvet Underground (2021) and Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock (2017)
- Freddie MercuryWHAM! (2023), The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (2019) and The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (1992)
- Ryuichi SakamotoNam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV (2023), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017) and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)
- Mick WoodmanseyMoonage Daydream (2022), David Bowie: Finding Fame (2019) and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1983)
- Mike GarsonBowie: The Final Act (2025), Moonage Daydream (2022) and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1983)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What David Bowie's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$420 million
13 of the 37 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 37 films: 13 worldwide figure; 9 us gross only; 10 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 4 figure not found.
- 13Worldwide figure
- 9US gross only
- 10Never in cinemas
- 1Streaming, short cinema run
- 4Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 98% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$150M35.7% of the total
- 2$110M26.1% of the total
- 3$109M25.9% of the total
- 4$13M3.0% of the total
- 5$11M2.5% of the total
- 6$10M2.4% of the total
- 7$6.7M1.6% of the total
- 8$4.2M1.0% of the total
$7.3 millionfrom the other 5 films with a worldwide figure, 2% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1976 to 2013, two of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Awards | |||
| 2006 | Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
| 1998 | Grammy Hall of Fame | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2013 | Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 2007 | Webby Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
| 2004 | Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time | Won | |
| 2002 | Great Britons | Won | |
| 2000 | Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
| 1997 | Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | |
| 1996 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 1976 | Saturn Award for Best Actor | The Man Who Fell to Earth | Won |
| Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎ | Won | ||
| Ordre des Arts et des Lettres | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.