Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (CBE)(born 15 June 1949) is an English actor. Known as a character actor on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Olivier Award and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to acting by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999.
Callow rose to prominence originating the title role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1979 Peter Shaffer play Amadeus, for which he received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination. Callow joined the Miloš Forman 1984 film adaptation, this time portraying Emanuel Schikaneder. In 1992, Callow won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director of a Musical for Carmen Jones. As an actor, he won acclaim for his comedic roles in A Room with a View (1985) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) earning a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for each. Other notable roles include in Maurice (1987), Howards End (1992), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and The Phantom of the Opera (2004).
His television roles include Tom Chance in the Channel 4 series Chance in a Million (1984) and The Duke of Sandringham in the series Outlander from 2014 to 2016. He portrayed Napoleon in The Man of Destiny (1981), and Charles Dickens in numerous television projects. He has also appeared on numerous shows such as Midsomer Murders, Rome, Angels in America, Doctor Who, Galavant, Hawkeye, and The Witcher.
Callow was born on 15 June 1949 in Streatham, South London, the son of Yvonne Mary (née Guise), a secretary and Neil Francis Callow, a businessman. His father was of French descent and his mother was of Danish and German ancestry. His father left when Simon was 18 months old, and he was brought up by his mother and grandmothers. He and his mother travelled to Northern Rhodesia (now called Zambia) when he was nine to try and reconcile with his father. This did not happen and Callow was sent for three years to boarding school in South Africa. He and his mother returned to Britain when he was twelve. He was raised as a Catholic. Callow was a student at the London Oratory School in West Brompton, and then went on to study briefly at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, where he was active in the gay liberation movement.[5] He gave up his degree course after a year to take a three-year acting course at the Drama Centre London.
He made his first film appearance in 1984 as Schikaneder in Amadeus. The following year, he appeared as the Reverend Mr Beebe in A Room with a View. His first television role was in the Carry On Laughing episode "Orgy and Bess" in 1975, but it was cut from the final print. He starred in several series of the Channel 4 situation comedy Chance in a Million, as Tom Chance, an eccentric individual to whom coincidences happened regularly. Roles like this and his part in Four Weddings and a Funeral brought him to a wider audience. Callow portrayed Pliny the Elder in CBBC's 2007 children's drama series, Roman Mysteries in the episode "The Secrets of Vesuvius". He played Armand Duquesne in Marvel's Hawkeye on Disney+
Eternal Return
Malcolm
2025
Étoile
Crispin Shamblee · (8 episodes)
2025
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration
Self
2024
The Holiday List
Samuel
2024
Alec Guinness: A Class Act
self
2024
The Boy That Never Was
Cozimo · (4 episodes)
2024
Merchant Ivory
Self
2024
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
Cavendish
2024
Dodger Special: Coronation
Archbishop of Canterbury
2023
Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock 'n' Roll
Richard O'Keefe
2023
Doctor Jekyll
2023
Surprised by Oxford
Dr. Sterling
2023
The Pay Day
Gates
2022
American: An Odyssey to 1947
Self
2022
Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors
Self - Narrator (voice) · (6 episodes)
2022
The Fringe, Fame and Me
Self
2022
The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration
Self
2022
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure
Narrator
2022
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
2022
The Amazing Mr. Blunden
Mr. Blunden
2021
Hawkeye
Armand Duquesne III · (1 episode)
2021
Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius
Alexander Pope
2021
The Cleaner
Mr. Abahassine · (1 episode)
2021
Classical Destinations: The Great Composers
narrator · (8 episodes)
2021
Nutcracker Delights: English National Ballet
Narrator
2020
The Witcher
Codringher · (2 episodes)
2019
The Dead Room
Aubrey Judd
2018
A Christmas Carol
2018
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
Self
2018
Blue Iguana
Uncle Martin
2018
Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty
2017
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Leech
2017
Victoria & Abdul
Mr. Puccini
2017
50 Years Legal
Self
2017
Hampstead
Judge
2017
Tate Britain's Great Art Walks
Self · (1 episode)
2017
Viceroy's House
Cyril Radcliffe
2017
Mindhorn
Himself
2016
There's Something About Romcoms
Self
2016
The Rebel
Henry Palmer · (9 episodes)
2016
Golden Years
Royston
2016
Galavant
Edwin the Magnificent · (1 episode)
2015
Creditors
2015
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule
Narrator (voice)
2014
The First Silent Night: The Christmas Carol That United the World
2014
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
Self - Actor and Welles' Biographer
2014
Outlander
Duke of Sandringham · (5 episodes)
2014
Miss in Her Teens
The Author
2014
Inside No. 9
Dick · (1 episode)
2014
The Sarah Millican Television Programme - Best of Series 1-2
Self
2013
A Very British Murder with Lucy Worsley
Himself · (3 episodes)
2013
Plebs
(1 episode)
2013
Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story
Dickie Attenborough
2012
Them From That Thing
Various · (2 episodes)
2012
Shakespeare's Sonnets
2012
Playhouse Presents
Dudley · (1 episode)
2012
Being Shakespeare
2012
Acts of Godfrey
Godfrey
2012
The British Guide to Showing Off
Self
2011
Death in Paradise
Larry South · (1 episode)
2011
Late Bloomers
Richard
2011
Love's Kitchen
Guy Witherspoon
2011
Art of Freedom
Self
2011
Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags
Narrator · (3 episodes)
2011
Jamie's Dream School
Himself · (1 episode)
2011
Ice
Prime Minister
2011
Ice
Prime Minister · (2 episodes)
2011
The Unforgettable Harry Secombe
Self
2010
Save Our Bacon
The Swinesbury's Boss (voice)
2010
Arn: The Knight Templar
Fader Henry · (2 episodes)
2010
Orson Welles Over Europe
Himself - Presenter
2009
The Addictions of Sin: WH Auden in His Own Words
Readings (voice) · (1 episode)
2009
Theatreland
Himself
2009
Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait
Self
2008
Q&A
Self - Panellist · (1 episode)
2008
Chemical Wedding
Haddo
2008
Arn: The Knight Templar
Father Henry
2007
The Sarah Jane Adventures
Tree Blathereen (voice) · (2 episodes)
2007
The Company
MI6 liaison officer Elihu · (3 episodes)
2007
Surveillance 24/7
St John
2007
Roman Mysteries
Pliny · (2 episodes)
2007
Derren Brown: Trick or Treat
Himself · (1 episode)
2007
How Gay Sex Changed the World
Self
2007
The Madness of Boy George
Narrator (voice)
2006
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb
George Russell · (2 episodes)
2006
Reviving Harry Lime
Himself
2006
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb
George Russell
2006
Men of Mystery
Himself
2006
Ripley Under Ground
Dean Bentliffe
2005
A Tribute To Ismail Merchant
Self (archive footage)
2005
Revisiting Brideshead
Narrator
2005
Rag Tale
Cormac Rourke
2005
The Best Man
Big-Time Publisher
2005
The Civilization of Maxwell Bright
Mr. Wroth
2005
Doctor Who
Charles Dickens · (2 episodes)
2005
Bob the Butler
Mr. Butler
2005
Agatha Christie's Marple
Colonel Melchett · (1 episode)
2004
The Phantom of the Opera
Andre
2004
Shoebox Zoo
Wolfgang the Wolf (voice) / Hunter the Horse (voice) · (26 episodes)
2004
Thank You, Doctor Rey
Bob
2004
George and the Dragon
King Edgar
2004
Angels in America
Prior 2 · (0 episode)
2003
Angels in America
Prior Walter Ancestor #2 · (2 episodes)
2003
Bright Young Things
King of Anatolia
2003
Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens
Galileo
2002
The Mystery of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
2002
Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale
Charles Dickens · (2 episodes)
2002
Thunderpants
Sir John Osgood
2002
Christmas Carol: The Movie
Charles Dickens / Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
2001
Don't Eat the Neighbours
(26 episodes)
2001
No Man's Land
Colonel Soft
2001
Deadly Appearances
Rick Spencer
2000
Around The World In 80 Days
Phileas Fogg (voice)
2000
Animated Epics: Don Quixote
Don Quixote
2000
Loose Women
Self · (1 episode)
1999
Notting Hill
Simon Callow (uncredited)
1999
Shakespeare in Love
Tilney
1998
Bedrooms and Hallways
Keith
1998
The Scarlet Tunic
Captain Fairfax
1998
Parkinson
Self · (1 episode)
1998
Midsomer Murders
Dr. Wellow · (1 episode)
1997
The Woman In White
Count Fosco
1997
Victory
Zangiacomo
1996
Testament: The Bible in Animation
Meneptah (voice) · (1 episode)
1996
Moses
Meneptah II (voice)
1996
James and the Giant Peach
Grasshopper (voice)
1996
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
Hugo Trenchfoot (voice) · (1 episode)
1996
An Audience with Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
1996
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Vincent Cadby
1995
Jefferson in Paris
Richard Cosway
1995
England, My England
Charles II
1995
El pasajero clandestino
Major Owens
1995
Street Fighter
A. N. Official
1994
Little Napoleons
Edward Feathers · (4 episodes)
1994
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Gareth
1994
Camp Christmas
1993
Femme Fatale
Vicar Ronnie
1993
Soft Top Hard Shoulder
Eddie Cherdowski
1993
Howards End
Music and Meaning Lecturer (uncredited)
1992
The Trials of Oz
John Mortimer
1991
The Crucifer of Blood
Inspector Lestrade
1991
Performance
John Mortimer · (1 episode)
1991
Mr. & Mrs. Bridge
Dr. Alex Sauer
1990
Postcards from the Edge
Simon Asquith
1990
Old Flames
Nathanial Quass
1990
Revolutionary Witness
Franciscus Palloy
1989
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Dr. Lutz · (1 episode)
1989
Manifesto
Police Chief Hunt
1988
The Reluctant Dragon
Dragon (voice)
1987
Maurice
Mr. Ducie
1987
Acting
(1 episode)
1987
Cariani and the Courtesans
Raimondi
1987
Inspector Morse
Theodore Kemp · (1 episode)
1987
David Copperfield
Wilkins Micawber · (10 episodes)
1986
A Room with a View
The Reverend Mr. Beebe
1986
Dead Head
Hugo Silver · (4 episodes)
1986
The Good Father
Mark Varda
1985
Honour, Profit & Pleasure
George Frideric Handel
1985
Amadeus
Emanuel Schikaneder
1984
Chance in a Million
Tom Chance · (18 episodes)
1984
Saturday Review
Self · (1 episode)
1984
The Man of Destiny
Napoleon
1981
Instant Enlightenment Including VAT
Maximillian
1979
Question Time
Himself - Panellist · (1 episode)
1979
The Sweeney
Detective Sergeant · (1 episode)
1975
NOVA
Galileo · (1 episode)
1974
Omnibus
Self · (1 episode)
1967