Timothy Spall
Timothy Spall OBE | |
|---|---|
 Spall at the world premiere of The Party in Berlin, 2017 | |
| Born | Timothy Leonard Spall 27 February 1957 London, England |
| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouse |
Shane Spall (m. 1981) |
| Children | 3, including Rafe Spall |
Timothy Leonard Spall (/ˈspɔːl/ SPAWL; born 27 February 1957)[1] is an English actor. He gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. In 2000, he was appointed
Spall is known for his collaborations with director
Spall has acted in films such as
On television, Spall played Barry Spencer Taylor in the
From 2010 to 2012 the BBC broadcast three documentary series Timothy Spall: ...at Sea about Spall's voyage around Britain in his barge.
Early life
Spall, the third of four sons,
Career
Spall initially made his mark in theatre performing in productions for
Following a film debut in
He was appointed
Spall performed lead vocals on the song "The Devil is an Englishman"[15] from the Ken Russell film Gothic (1986), in which Spall portrayed John William Polidori. Spall played the starring role of Albert Pierrepoint in the 2005 film Pierrepoint, which was released as The Last Hangman in the United States. In the 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Spall voiced Phil Collins' manager, Barry Mickelthwaite. In 2007, he starred as Nathaniel in Disney's Enchanted and Beadle Bamford in Tim Burton's production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He also starred as Georgie Godwin in a one-off television drama The Fattest Man in Britain on ITV1 which aired on 20 December 2009. The drama also featured Bobby Ball, Frances Barber, Aisling Loftus and Jeremy Kyle.
In 2010, he portrayed Winston Churchill in the film The King's Speech,[16] for which, as a member of the ensemble, he was jointly awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.[17] Spall reprised the role at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.[18]
In 2012, Spall filmed Wasteland (known as
In 2013 and 2014, Spall starred in the BBC television series "Blandings", a comedy series adapted by Guy Andrews from the Blandings Castle stories of P. G. Wodehouse. It was first broadcast 13 January 2013.
In 2014, he won the
From 29 March to 14 May 2016, Spall played the title role of Davies in Harold Pinter's play The Caretaker, directed by Matthew Warchus at the Old Vic theatre in London opposite George MacKay and Daniel Mays.[22]
In 2018 he played Terry Perkins, one of the robbers, in the ITV miniseries Hatton Garden.
Spall went on to play Major Alistair Gregory in the acclaimed dramatic film Spencer (2021). He shared several psychologically charged scenes with Kristen Stewart who portrayed Princess Diana.
Spall received the 2024
Also in 2024, Spall played the Duke of Norfolk in the BBC dramatisation of the Hilary Mantel novel Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, taking over the role played in the first series by the late Bernard Hill.
To mark to 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2 in Europe, in May 2025, Spall performed a public reading in London of the speech Winston Churchill had delivered when Germany surrendered.
Personal life
Spall and his wife Shane have three children including Rafe, who is also an actor. He lives in Forest Hill,[24] South East London.[25][26]
Having been a portly man for much of his career, Spall resolved to slim down for his role in 2015's The Enfield Haunting and, through his efforts, shed a notable amount of weight.[27][28]
In 1996, Spall was diagnosed with
I didn't know what made me ill but stress had something to do with it and the point is now to head off stress at the pass. It made me aware of things and become more selective. I am less worried about employment. I really do my homework so I am not getting stressed on the set because I don't know what I'm doing.[30]
He is the owner of a Dutch barge, in which he and his wife sailed around the British Isles; their voyage formed a BBC Four TV series Timothy Spall: ...at Sea.[31]
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Spall, Timothy (1957–) Biography". screenonline.org.uk. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "ENTERTAINMENT | Spall and Steadman collect OBEs". BBC News. 13 June 2000. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ "Awards 2014 : Competition". Cannes. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Timothy Spall praised for 'real' speech after shock Bafta win over Brian Cox". The Independent. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Julian Llewellyn (20 August 2001). "Timothy Spall: A bloke for all seasons". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022.
- ^ Deborah Ross (12 January 2008). "Timothy Spall: Lucky Tim – Features – Films". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Timothy Spall: Victim of his own success – Profiles – People". The Independent. London: News.independent.co.uk. 30 March 2006. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ "You'll know the face". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 January 2004. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ "timedetectives.co.uk" (PDF). Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ a b Rich Pelley (2 September 2021). "Timothy Spall's teenage obsessions: For my art A-level I nailed up apples covered in pubic hair". The Guardian.
- ^ "RADA Student & graduate profiles – Timothy Spall". rada.ac.uk. 19 December 2023.
- ^ Gerard Gilbert (20 August 2011). "The son also rises: How Rafe Spall conquered Hollywood". The Independent. London.
- ^ Loot, BBC Media Centre notice accessed 4 April 2025.
- ^ "Spall and Steadman collect OBEs". BBC News. 13 June 2000. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Liner notes from the 2009 reissue of the Thomas Dolby album The Flat Earth. Dolby composed the score for Gothic.
- ^ French, Philip (9 January 2011). "The King's Speech – review". The Observer. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Sperling, Nicole (31 January 2011). "'The King's Speech' continues its reign at SAG Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Rees, Jasper (13 August 2012). "Olympics closing ceremony: A long goodbye to the Games". BBC News. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ ”Wasteland Newport Beach Film Festival 2013 Screenings”
- ^ Broborn, Sandra (2 October 2023). "I höst spelar Timothy Spall mordoffer i finsk tv". Hufvudstadsbladet (in Swedish). Helsingfors. p. 18.
- ^ "Denial (II) (2016) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Lynn Barber (30 September 2002). "Timothy Spall: Cruise, characters and chemotherapy | Film | The Observer". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Stuart Jeffries (5 November 2007). "Stuart Jeffries talks to Timothy Spall | Film | The Guardian". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ "Timothy Spall goes down to the sea". The Daily Telegraph. London. 24 April 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Shahid, Sharnaz (26 July 2023). "The Sixth Commandment star Timothy Spall talks about his weight loss transformation". www.hellomagazine.com. Hello! Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ White, Adam (8 September 2019). " "Timothy Spall interview: 'Losing weight can shut doors'". www.the-independent.com. The Independent. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "/ Arts / Film & Television – Nothing to lose, everything to enjoy". Financial Times. 8 April 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Timothy Spall: Our mutual friend". The Independent. 1 April 2006. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- ^ "Actor Timothy Spall rescued by Sheerness lifeboat". BBC News. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
External links
- Timothy Spall at IMDb
- Timothy Spall at the BFI's Screenonline
- Amy Raphael, "Spall in the Family," (Interview of Timothy Spall and actor son Rafe) The Observer, 28 October 2007
- Stuart Jeffries, "I don't always play losers," The Guardian, 5 November 2007
Awards for Timothy Spall | |
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