John Gielgud

Biography

John Gielgud was an English actor and theater director. Born in South Kensington in 1904 into the Terry theatrical family, he took his first paid acting work in 1922 and trained at RADA before establishing himself at the Old Vic from 1929 to 1931 as a Shakespearean actor. During the 1930s he starred in the West End and on Broadway, becoming known for Hamlet and for John Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest, and he directed and ran his own company at the Queen's Theatre. He made his first film in 1924 but began a regular screen career only in his sixties, appearing in more than sixty films from Becket (1964), his first Academy Award nomination, to Elizabeth (1998). He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Arthur (1981), and his other films included Julius Caesar (1953) and Secret Agent (1936). He also won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.

96years old at death

Born April 14, 1904South Kensington
Died May 21, 2000Wotton House
Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
Also credited as Sir John Gielgud and John Gielguld

Movie Career

Films: 50
Career span: 82 years1936 to 2018

Genres

Drama66%, 33 films
History28%, 14 films
Romance24%, 12 films
Biography20%, 10 films
Adventure18%, 9 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Gielgud declined to play Julius Caesar in the 1945 movie of Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, which starred Vivien Leigh. He strongly disliked the director, Gabriel Pascal, so Claude Rains, his former teacher, took the part.
Early training
Gielgud trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art throughout 1923 on a scholarship, under teachers Kenneth Barnes, Helen Haye and Claude Rains.
Behind the camera
Gielgud directed the first London performance of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream at Covent Garden in 1961, and won a Tony for directing Big Fish, Little Fish on Broadway the same year.

John Gielgud movies on Netflix

Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Elizabeth1998IMDb rating 7.4as The Pope
Quest for Camelot1998IMDb rating 6.3as Merlin (voice)
DragonHeart1996IMDb rating 6.4as King Arthur (voice)
Shine1996IMDb rating 7.6as Cecil Parkes
The Portrait of a Lady1996IMDb rating 6.2as Mr. Touchett
First Knight1995IMDb rating 6.0as Oswald
Haunted1995IMDb rating 6.2as Doctor Doyle
Shining Through1992IMDb rating 6.4as Sunflower
Prospero's Books1991IMDb rating 6.8as Prospero
Appointment with Death1988IMDb rating 6.1as Colonel Carbury
Arthur 2: On the Rocks1988IMDb rating 4.7as Hobson
The Canterville Ghost1986IMDb rating 6.6as Sir Simon de Canterville
The Whistle Blower1986IMDb rating 6.2as Sir Adrian Chapple
Plenty1985IMDb rating 6.0as Sir Leonard Darwin
The Shooting Party1985IMDb rating 6.8as Cornelius Cardew
The Scarlet and the Black1983IMDb rating 7.5as Pope Pius XII
The Wicked Lady1983IMDb rating 4.9as Hogarth
Gandhi1982IMDb rating 8.0as Lord Irwin
The Hunchback of Notre Dame1982IMDb rating 6.3as Charmolue
Arthur1981IMDb rating 6.9as Hobson
Chariots of Fire1981IMDb rating 7.1as Master of Trinity
Lion of the Desert1981IMDb rating 8.2as Sharif El Gariani
Priest of Love1981IMDb rating 6.0as Herbert G. Muskett
Sphinx1981IMDb rating 5.2as Abdu-Hamdi
The Elephant Man1980IMDb rating 8.2as Carr Gomm
The Formula1980IMDb rating 5.6as Dr. Abraham Esau
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?1980IMDb rating 6.9as Reverend Jones
Murder by Decree1979IMDb rating 6.8as Prime Minister Lord Salisbury
Les Misérables1978IMDb rating 7.3as Gillenormand
Richard II1978IMDb rating 8.0as John of Gaunt
Providence1977IMDb rating 7.4as Clive Langham
Aces High1976IMDb rating 6.6as Headmaster
11 Harrowhouse1974IMDb rating 6.2as Meecham
Gold1974IMDb rating 5.7as Farrell
Murder on the Orient Express1974IMDb rating 7.2as Beddoes
Frankenstein: The True Story1973IMDb rating 7.1as Chief Constable
Lost Horizon1973IMDb rating 5.3as Chang
Julius Caesar1970IMDb rating 6.1as Julius Caesar
Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0as Count Leopold Von Berchtold
The Charge of the Light Brigade1968IMDb rating 6.6as Lord Raglan
The Shoes of the Fisherman1968IMDb rating 7.0as The Elder Pope
Chimes at Midnight1965IMDb rating 7.6as Henry IV
The Loved One1965IMDb rating 6.9as Sir Francis Hinsley
Becket1964IMDb rating 7.7as King Louis of France
Saint Joan1957IMDb rating 6.4as Earl of Warwick
Around the World in Eighty Days1956IMDb rating 6.7as Foster - Fogg's Ex-Valet
Richard III1955IMDb rating 7.3as George, Duke of Clarence
Julius Caesar1953IMDb rating 7.2as Cassius
Secret Agent1936IMDb rating 6.4as Richard Ashenden

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Elephant Man1980 Biography, Dramaas Carr Gomm
IMDb rating 8.2285K votes
Gandhi1982 Biography, Drama, Historyas Lord Irwin
IMDb rating 8.0247K votes
Elizabeth1998as The Pope
IMDb rating 7.4111K votes
Arthur1981as Hobson
IMDb rating 6.934K votes
Becket1964as King Louis of France
IMDb rating 7.717K votes
Julius Caesar1953as Cassius
IMDb rating 7.214K votes
Shine1996as Cecil Parkes
IMDb rating 7.659K votes
Secret Agent1936as Richard Ashenden
IMDb rating 6.49.8K votes

Most often with

Richard Attenborough directed two of these films, Michael Anderson two and Michael Winner two. Two actors appear in five 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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James Mason

Trevor Howard

Vanessa Redgrave

Laurence Olivier

Ralph Richardson

Christopher Plummer

Richard AttenboroughDirector, 2 films

Michael AndersonDirector, 2 films

Michael WinnerDirector, 2 films

Films together

James Mason5 films together, 1953 to 1985
James Mason's page
- The Shooting Party1985IMDb rating 6.8Gielgud as Cornelius CardewMason as Sir Randolph Nettleby
- Murder by Decree1979IMDb rating 6.8Gielgud as Prime Minister Lord SalisburyMason as Dr. John H. Watson
- 11 Harrowhouse1974IMDb rating 6.2Gielgud as MeechamMason as Charles D. Watts
- Frankenstein: The True Story1973IMDb rating 7.1Gielgud as Chief ConstableMason as Dr. John Polidori
- Julius Caesar1953IMDb rating 7.2Gielgud as CassiusMason as Brutus
Trevor Howard5 films together, 1956 to 1982
Trevor Howard's page
- Gandhi1982IMDb rating 8.0Gielgud as Lord IrwinHoward as Judge Broomfield
- Aces High1976IMDb rating 6.6Gielgud as HeadmasterHoward as Lieutenant Colonel Silkin
- 11 Harrowhouse1974IMDb rating 6.2Gielgud as MeechamHoward as Clyde Massey
- The Charge of the Light Brigade1968IMDb rating 6.6Gielgud as Lord RaglanHoward as Lord Cardigan
- Around the World in Eighty Days1956IMDb rating 6.7Gielgud as Foster - Fogg's Ex-ValetHoward as Denis Fallentin - Reform Club Member
Vanessa Redgrave4 films together, 1968 to 2018
Vanessa Redgrave's page
- Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4Gielgud as HimselfRedgrave as Himself
- Murder on the Orient Express1974IMDb rating 7.2Gielgud as BeddoesRedgrave as Mary Debenham
- Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Gielgud as Count Leopold Von BerchtoldRedgrave as Sylvia Pankhurst
- The Charge of the Light Brigade1968IMDb rating 6.6Gielgud as Lord RaglanRedgrave as Mrs Clarissa Morris
Laurence Olivier4 films together, 1955 to 2018
Laurence Olivier's page
- Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4Gielgud as HimselfOlivier as Himself
- Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Gielgud as Count Leopold Von BerchtoldOlivier as Field Marshal Sir John French
- The Shoes of the Fisherman1968IMDb rating 7.0Gielgud as The Elder PopeOlivier as Piotr Ilyich Kamenev
- Richard III1955IMDb rating 7.3Gielgud as George, Duke of ClarenceOlivier as Richard III
Ralph Richardson4 films together, 1955 to 1973
Ralph Richardson's page
- Frankenstein: The True Story1973IMDb rating 7.1Gielgud as Chief ConstableRichardson as Mr. Lacey
- Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Gielgud as Count Leopold Von BerchtoldRichardson as Sir Edward Grey
- Chimes at Midnight1965IMDb rating 7.6Gielgud as Henry IVRichardson as Narratorvoice
- Richard III1955IMDb rating 7.3Gielgud as George, Duke of ClarenceRichardson as Duke of Buckingham
Christopher Plummer3 films together, 1976 to 1983
Christopher Plummer's page
- The Scarlet and the Black1983IMDb rating 7.5Gielgud as Pope Pius XIIPlummer as Col. Herbert Kappler
- Murder by Decree1979IMDb rating 6.8Gielgud as Prime Minister Lord SalisburyPlummer as Sherlock Holmes
- Aces High1976IMDb rating 6.6Gielgud as HeadmasterPlummer as Capt. 'Uncle' Sinclair
Richard AttenboroughDirector, 2 films, 1969 to 1982
All films by Richard Attenborough
- Gandhi1982IMDb rating 8.0Gielgud as Lord Irwin
- Oh! What a Lovely War1969IMDb rating 7.0Gielgud as Count Leopold Von Berchtold
Michael AndersonDirector, 2 films, 1956 to 1968
All films by Michael Anderson
- The Shoes of the Fisherman1968IMDb rating 7.0Gielgud as The Elder Pope
- Around the World in Eighty Days1956IMDb rating 6.7Gielgud as Foster - Fogg's Ex-Valet
Michael WinnerDirector, 2 films, 1983 to 1988
All films by Michael Winner
- Appointment with Death1988IMDb rating 6.1Gielgud as Colonel Carbury
- The Wicked Lady1983IMDb rating 4.9Gielgud as Hogarth
Also three films together5 more actors
- Sean ConneryDragonHeart (1996), First Knight (1995) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
- Ian HolmChariots of Fire (1981), Les Misérables (1978) and Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)
- Edward FoxThe Shooting Party (1985), Gandhi (1982) and Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)
- Frank FinlayNothing Like a Dame (2018), Murder by Decree (1979) and The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968)
- Wendy HillerThe Elephant Man (1980), Richard II (1978) and Murder on the Orient Express (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 John Gielgud's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$853 million

25 of the 49 films have a worldwide figure.

25Worldwide figure
5US gross only
7Never in cinemas
12Figure not found

Top grosser

First Knight1995Oswald$128 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 75% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
First Knight1995as Oswald
$128M15.0% of the total
2
DragonHeart1996as King Arthur (voice)
$115M13.5% of the total
3
Arthur1981as Hobson
$95M11.2% of the total
4
Elizabeth1998as The Pope
$82M9.6% of the total
5
Gandhi1982as Lord Irwin
$78M9.1% of the total
6
Chariots of Fire1981as Master of Trinity
$59M6.9% of the total
7
Shining Through1992as Sunflower
$44M5.1% of the total
8
Around the World in Eighty Days1956as Foster - Fogg's Ex-Valet
$42M4.9% of the total

Murder on the Orient Express (1974), $35.7 million

The Portrait of a Lady (1996), $20.0 million

Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), $14.7 million

$210 millionfrom the other 17 films with a worldwide figure, 25% of the total

Awards

Twelve awards and honors from 1961 to 1994, five of them major.

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John Gielgud's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
1982	Best Supporting Actor	Arthur	Won
BAFTA
1975	Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Murder on the Orient Express	Won
Emmy Awards
1991	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Summer's Lease	Won
Tony Awards
1961	Best Direction of a Play		Won
Grammy Awards
	Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording		Won
Other honors
1994	Praemium Imperiale		Won
1980	Honorary doctorate		Honorary
	Companion of Honour		Won
	Knight Bachelor		Won
	Laurence Olivier Awards		Won
	Order of Merit		Won
	Society of London Theatre Special Award		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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