Ian Charleson

Biography

Ian Charleson was a Scottish actor who built a notable career on both stage and screen. Born in Edinburgh in 1949, he trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and made his professional stage debut with the Young Vic Theatre Company in 1972. He went on to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, where his roles included Hamlet, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Eddie in Fool for Love, and Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He received an Olivier Award nomination for Fool for Love. On film, he was best known as Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire (1981) and as Charlie Andrews in Gandhi (1982), and he also appeared in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), Car Trouble (1986), and Opera (1987). He won a Variety Club Showbiz Award for Chariots of Fire. He died in 1990.

40years old at death

Born August 11, 1949Edinburgh
Died January 6, 1990London
Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22

Movie Career

Films: 5
Career span: 6 years1981 to 1987

Every film, newest first

1987OperaIMDb rating 6.9
1986Car TroubleIMDb rating 4.9
1984Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the ApesIMDb rating 6.4
1982GandhiIMDb rating 8.0
1981Chariots of FireIMDb rating 7.1

Genres

Did you know?!

Big break
With the RSC, Charleson took the part of Pierre in the Jane Lapotaire vehicle Piaf, and the filmmakers of Chariots of Fire noticed his work in it.
Behind the award
After seeing Charleson's Hamlet at the National Theatre, Ian McKellen gave him his Evening Standard Award for Best Actor, saying Charleson was truly the Best Actor of 1989.

Ian Charleson movies on Netflix

Opera1987IMDb rating 6.9as Marco
Car Trouble1986IMDb rating 4.9as Gerald
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984IMDb rating 6.4as Jeffson Brown
Gandhi1982IMDb rating 8.0as Charlie Andrews
Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1as Eric Liddell

Most often with

Hugh Hudson directed two of these films. Six actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Ian Holm

John Gielgud

Richard Griffiths

Nicholas Farrell

Nigel Davenport

Cheryl CampbellHugh HudsonDirector, 2 films

Films together

Ian Holm2 films together, 1981 to 1984
Ian Holm's page
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984IMDb rating 6.4Charleson as Jeffson BrownHolm as Capitaine Phillippe D'Arnot
- Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1Charleson as Eric LiddellHolm as Sam Mussabini
John Gielgud2 films together, 1981 to 1982
John Gielgud's page
- Gandhi1982IMDb rating 8.0Charleson as Charlie AndrewsGielgud as Lord Irwin
- Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1Charleson as Eric LiddellGielgud as Master of Trinity
Richard Griffiths2 films together, 1981 to 1984
Richard Griffiths's page
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984IMDb rating 6.4Charleson as Jeffson BrownGriffiths as Captain Billings
- Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1Charleson as Eric LiddellGriffiths as Head Porter - Caius College
Nicholas Farrell2 films together, 1981 to 1984
Nicholas Farrell's page
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984IMDb rating 6.4Charleson as Jeffson BrownFarrell as Sir Hugh Belcher
- Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1Charleson as Eric LiddellFarrell as Aubrey Montague
Nigel Davenport2 films together, 1981 to 1984
Nigel Davenport's page
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984IMDb rating 6.4Charleson as Jeffson BrownDavenport as Major Jack Downing
- Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1Charleson as Eric LiddellDavenport as Lord Birkenhead
Cheryl Campbell2 films together, 1981 to 1984
Cheryl Campbell's page
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984IMDb rating 6.4Charleson as Jeffson BrownCampbell as Lady Alice Clayton
- Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1Charleson as Eric LiddellCampbell as Jennie Liddell
Hugh HudsonDirector, 2 films, 1981 to 1984
All films by Hugh Hudson
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984IMDb rating 6.4Charleson as Jeffson Brown
- Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1Charleson as Eric Liddell

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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