Sir John Gielgud, OM, CH (; 1904–2000) was an English actor and theatre director. He appeared on stage, television and radio and in film in a career that spanned eight decades. Film historian Brian McFarlane, writing for the British Film Institute, wrote of Gielgud that "in terms of the performing arts, it is no exaggeration to say that he towered over the century".
Gielgud, a member of the theatrical dynasty the Terry family, began working on stage in 1921 before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After completing his studies he worked in repertory theatre and in the West End before establishing himself at the Old Vic in the 1930s. He continued working on the stage until 1990 both as a director and actor. Although he made some films early in his career, he did not start working regularly in the medium until he was in his sixties; in the course of just over thirty years between 1964 and 1998 he appeared in over sixty films. He was active on television and radio, appearing in numerous plays and interviews, and was also in demand as a narrator.
Gielgud is one of the few people who have won all four major annual American entertainment awards, these being an Oscar (for Arthur, 1981); an Emmy, (for Summer's Lease, 1991); a Grammy (for Ages of Man, 1979); and Tony Awards (for The Importance of Being Earnest, 1948; Ages of Man, 1959; Big Fish, Little Fish, 1961). He also won BAFTAs, (for Julius Caesar, 1953; Murder on the Orient Express, 1975; special Fellowship award, 1992); Golden Globes, (for Arthur and War and Remembrance, 1988); and a Laurence Olivier Award (Special Award, 1985). He died on 21 May 2000, at the age of 96.
This table contains Gielgud's known professional theatrical roles. It also contains the occasions when he both acted and directed. It does not contain those productions where Gielgud was a director but did not appear on stage.
| Production | Date | Theatre (London, unless otherwise noted) | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry V | Herald | ||||
| King Lear | Walk on role | ||||
| Peer Gynt | – April 1922 | Walk on role | |||
| As You Like It | Walk on role | ||||
| Wat Tyler | Walk on role | ||||
| Love is the Best Doctor | Walk on role | ||||
| Walk on role | |||||
| New Theatre Oxford, then touring | |||||
| Eton College | Younger Brother | ||||
| Regent Theatre | Felix, the Poet Butterfly | ||||
| Robert E. Lee | Regent Theatre | Aide-de-camp | |||
| Charley's Aunt | Comedy Theatre | ||||
| Captain Brassbound's Conversion | Oxford Playhouse | Johnson | |||
| Mr Pim Passes By | Oxford Playhouse | ||||
| Love for Love | Oxford Playhouse | Valentine | |||
| She Stoops to Conquer | Oxford Playhouse | Young Marlowe | |||
| Monna Vanna | Oxford Playhouse | Prinzevalle | |||
| Romeo and Juliet | RADA Theatre | ||||
| Romeo and Juliet | Regent Theatre | Romeo | |||
| RADA Theatre | |||||
| Candida | Oxford Playhouse | ||||
| Deirdre of the Sorrows | Oxford Playhouse | Naoise | |||
| Oxford Playhouse | |||||
| Everybody's Husband | Oxford Playhouse | ||||
| Oxford Playhouse | Antonio | ||||
| John Gabriel Borkman | Oxford Playhouse | ||||
| His Widow's Husband | Oxford Playhouse | Zurita | |||
| Madame Pepita | Oxford Playhouse | Augusto | |||
| French Leave | Charterhouse | ||||
| Oxford Playhouse | |||||
| Smith | Oxford Playhouse | ||||
| Oxford Playhouse | |||||
| Royalty Theatre | Understudy | ||||
| Comedy Theatre | |||||
| RADA Players | |||||
| Aldwych Theatre | Castalio | ||||
| Little Theatre | |||||
| Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | |||||
| Garden Theatre | |||||
| Royalty Theatre | |||||
| Oxford Playhouse | |||||
| Oxford Playhouse | Title role | ||||
| Apollo Theatre | Valentine | ||||
| Little Theatre | |||||
| Doctor Faustus | New Oxford Theatre | Good Angel | |||
| Gloriana | Little Theatre | ||||
| Prince's Theatre | Robert | ||||
| Nativity Play | Daly's Theatre | Second shepherd | |||
| Savoy Theatre | Ferdinand | Matinees only | |||
| Sons and Fathers | RADA Theatre | ||||
| Three Sisters | Barnes Theatre | ||||
| Katerina | Barnes Theatre | ||||
| Hamlet | Royal Court Theatre | Rosencrantz | |||
| Romeo and Juliet | London Coliseum | Romeo | Excerpt only | ||
| Henry VI | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Richard | Dramatised reading | ||
| Garrick Theatre | |||||
| Confession | Royal Court Theatre | ||||
| New Theatre | |||||
| Othello | Apollo Theatre | Cassio | |||
| New Theatre | Boulter | ||||
| New Theatre | Guest | ||||
| Strand Theatre | |||||
| King's Theatre | |||||
| Majestic Theatre, New York | Tsarevitch | Broadway debut[1] | |||
| Ghosts | Wyndham's Theatre | Oswald | Matinees only | ||
| Ghosts | Arts Theatre | Oswald | |||
| Holding out the Apple | Globe Theatre | ||||
| Prejudice | Arts Theatre | ||||
| Shaftesbury Theatre | |||||
| Court Theatre | |||||
| Out of the Sea | Strand Theatre | ||||
| Arts Theatre | |||||
| Red Rust | Little Theatre | Fedor | |||
| Hunter's Moon | Prince of Wales Theatre | ||||
| Garrick Theatre | |||||
| Shall We Join the Ladies? | Palace Theatre | Matinees only | |||
| Red Sunday | Arts Theatre | Bronstein | |||
| Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | ||||
| Antonio | |||||
| Cléante | |||||
| Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | Special performance | |||
| Richard II | Richard II | ||||
| Douaumont | Prince of Wales Theatre | ||||
| Oberon | |||||
| Julius Caesar | |||||
| Romeo and Juliet | Haymarket Theatre | Romeo | Matinees only | ||
| As You Like It | Orlando | ||||
| Androcles and the Lion | Emperor | ||||
| Macbeth | Macbeth | ||||
| Title role | |||||
| Hamlet | |||||
| Hamlet | Queen's Theatre | ||||
| Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | |||||
| Hamlet | Smallhythe | Scene only | |||
| Henry IV, Part 1 | Hotspur | ||||
| Prospero | |||||
| Richard II | Richard II | ||||
| Antony and Cleopatra | |||||
| Twelfth Night | Sadler's Wells Theatre | Malvolio | |||
| Sadler's Wells Theatre | Prospero | ||||
| Arms and the Man | |||||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Benedick | ||||
| King Lear | |||||
| Shakespeare Birthday Festival | Scenes only | ||||
| His Majesty's Theatre | |||||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Smallhythe | Benedick | Scenes only | ||
| Musical Chairs | Arts Theatre | Schindler | |||
| Touring | |||||
| Musical Chairs | Criterion Theatre | Schindler | |||
| Shakespeare Birthday Festival | Richard II | Scenes only | |||
| Richard of Bordeaux | New Theatre | Richard II | |||
| Twelfth Night | Smallhythe | Orsino | Scenes only | ||
| Musical Chairs | Golders Green | Schindler | |||
| Richard of Bordeaux | New Theatre | Richard II | Also co-director | ||
| Richard II | New Theatre | Richard II | Scenes only | ||
| New Theatre | Matinees only | ||||
| Richard of Bordeaux | Touring | Richard II | |||
| Wyndham's Theatre | |||||
| Shakespeare Sonnets | Smallhythe | Speaker | |||
| Hamlet | New Theatre | Also director | |||
| Richard of Bordeaux | Touring | Richard II | |||
| Drury Lane | Mercury | Jubilee performance | |||
| Noah | New Theatre | Noah | |||
| Hamlet | Smallhythe | Scenes only | |||
| Romeo and Juliet | New Theatre | Mercutio/Romeo | Also director | ||
| Romeo and Juliet | – May 1936 | Touring | Romeo | Also director | |
| New Theatre | |||||
| Hamlet | Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto | ||||
| Hamlet | Empire Theatre, New York | ||||
| Hamlet | St James' Theatre, New York | ||||
| Hamlet | Shubert Theatre | ||||
| He was Born Gay | Touring | Mason | Also director | ||
| He was Born Gay | Queen's Theatre | Mason | |||
| Nijinsky Matinee | His Majesty's Theatre | Speaker | |||
| Richard II | Queen's Theatre | Richard II | |||
| Richard II | Golders Green Theatre | Richard II | |||
| Queen's Theatre | |||||
| King George's Pension Fund Matinee | Winter Garden Theatre | Speaker | |||
| Three Sisters | Queen's Theatre | ||||
| Queen's Theatre | Shylock | Also director | |||
| Dear Octopus | Manchester | ||||
| Dear Octopus | Queen's Theatre | ||||
| Globe Theatre | Also director | ||||
| Shakespeare Birthday Festival | |||||
| Hamlet | Lyceum Theatre | Also director | |||
| Hamlet | Elsinore | Also director | |||
| Globe Theatre | Also director | ||||
| Touring | Also director | ||||
| Shakespeare in Peace and War | Touring | Speaker | |||
| Haymarket Theatre | Macheath | ||||
| King Lear | |||||
| Prospero | |||||
| Fumed Oak | Globe/ENSA tour | Also director | |||
| Hands Across the Sea | Globe/ENSA tour | Peter Gilpin | Also director | ||
| Hard Luck Story | Globe/ENSA tour | Old Actor | Also director | ||
| Edinburgh (ENSA) | Shakespeare | Also director | |||
| Dear Brutus | Globe Theatre | Also director | |||
| Dear Brutus | Touring | Also director | |||
| All Star Concert | Royal Albert Hall | Speaker | |||
| Macbeth | Touring | Macbeth | Also director | ||
| Macbeth | Macbeth | Also director | |||
| Phoenix Theatre | |||||
| New Theatre | Mirabell | Special Matinee | |||
| ENSA tour revue | Gibraltar | Various | |||
| Haymarket Theatre | |||||
| Love for Love | Touring | Valentine | Also director | ||
| Love for Love | Phoenix Theatre | Valentine | Also director | ||
| Hamlet | Touring | ||||
| Love for Love | Touring | Valentine | Also director | ||
| Touring | |||||
| Haymarket Theatre | |||||
| Love for Love | Haymarket Theatre | Valentine | Also director | ||
| Hamlet | Haymarket Theatre | Also director | |||
| Haymarket Theatre | Oberon | ||||
| Touring | Ferdinand | ||||
| Haymarket Theatre | Ferdinand | ||||
| Hamlet | Touring: Far East (ENSA) | Also director | |||
| Blithe Spirit | Touring: Far East (ENSA) | Also director | |||
| Shakespeare in Peace and War | Touring: Far East (ENSA) | Speaker | |||
| Crime and Punishment | Touring | ||||
| Crime and Punishment | New Theatre | ||||
| Macbeth | Smallhythe | Reader | Reading only | ||
| Crime and Punishment | Globe Theatre | ||||
| Touring (USA & Canada) | Also director | ||||
| Love for Love | Touring (USA) | Valentine | Also director | ||
| Medea | Royale Theatre, New York | Valentine | Also director | ||
| Crime and Punishment | Royale Theatre, New York | ||||
| Globe Theatre | |||||
| Globe Theatre | Also director | ||||
| Henry IV | Smallhythe | Hotspur | Scene only | ||
| Gala: Richard of Bordeaux | London Coliseum | Richard II | |||
| Measure for Measure | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Angelo | |||
| Julius Caesar | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Cassius | |||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Benedick | Also director | ||
| King Lear | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Also co-director | |||
| Shubert Theatre | Also director | ||||
| Royale Theatre, New York | Also director | ||||
| Phoenix Theatre | Leontes | ||||
| Ellen Terry Anniversary Performance | Smallhythe | Speaker | |||
| Touring | Leontes | ||||
| Salute to Ivor Novello | London Coliseum | Speaker | |||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Phoenix Theatre | Benedick | Also director | ||
| Richard II | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Richard II | |||
| Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Mirabell | Also director | |||
| Venice Preserv'd | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Jaffeir | |||
| Richard II | Royal, Bulawayo | Richard II | Also director | ||
| Haymarket Theatre | Also director | ||||
| King Lear | Touring | Lear | |||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Palace Theatre | Benedick | Also director | ||
| King Lear | Palace Theatre | Lear | |||
| Much Ado About Nothing & King Lear | Touring (Europe) | Benedick & Lear | Also director (Much Ado only) | ||
| King Lear | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Lear | |||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Benedick | Also director | ||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Smallhythe | Benedick | Scene only | ||
| Nude with Violin | Touring | Sebastien | Also co-director | ||
| Nude with Violin | Globe Theatre | Sebastien | Also co-director | ||
| Royal Festival Hall | Speaker | ||||
| Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Prospero | ||||
| Touring | Speaker | ||||
| Drury Lane | Prospero | ||||
| Globe Theatre | |||||
| Henry VIII | , then touring | ||||
| Touring (America and Europe) | Speaker | ||||
| Queen's Theatre | Speaker | ||||
| Haymarket Theatre | Speaker | ||||
| Phoenix Theatre | |||||
| Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Speaker | ||||
| Othello | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Othello | |||
| Memorial Theatre, Stratford | |||||
| Aldwych Theatre | |||||
| Touring | Speaker | ||||
| Haymarket Theatre | Also director | ||||
| Touring (USA) | Also director | ||||
| Majestic Theatre, New York | Speaker | ||||
| Lyceum Theatre, New York | Speaker | ||||
| Touring | Caesar | Also co-director | |||
| Haymarket Theatre | Caesar | Also co-director | |||
| Touring (Australia & New Zealand) | Speaker | ||||
| Hamlet | O'Keefe Centre, Toronto | Also director | |||
| Homage of Shakespeare | New York/Princeton | Speaker | |||
| Hamlet | Shubert Theatre | Also director | |||
| Touring (UK & Europe) | Speaker | ||||
| Hamlet | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York | Also director | |||
| Tiny Alice | Billy Rose Theatre, New York | Julian | |||
| White House | Reader | ||||
| Ivanov | Touring | Also director | |||
| Ivanov | Phoenix Theatre | Also director | |||
| Ivanov | Shubert Theatre | Also director | |||
| Norway | Speaker | ||||
| Men, Women and Shakespeare | Touring (international) | Speaker | |||
| Oedipus Rex | Royal Festival Hall | Narrator | |||
| Ankara, Turkey | Speaker | ||||
| Tartuffe | , then touring | Orgon | |||
| Oedipus | , then touring | Oedipus | |||
| Forty Years On | Apollo Theatre | Headmaster | |||
| Phoenix Theatre | Speaker | ||||
| Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | |||||
| Home | Royal Court Theatre | Harry | |||
| Home | Apollo Theatre | Harry | |||
| Home | Morosco Theatre | Harry | |||
| Caesar and Cleopatra | Chichester | Caesar | |||
| Veterans | Royal Court Theatre | ||||
| Prospero | |||||
| Tribute To The Lady | |||||
| Bingo | Royal Court Theatre | ||||
| No Man's Land | Spooner | ||||
| No Man's Land | Wyndham's Theatre | Spooner | |||
| Tribute To The Lady | |||||
| No Man's Land | Lyttelton, Royal National Theatre | Spooner | |||
| No Man's Land | Longacre Theatre, New York | Spooner | |||
| Julius Caesar | Olivier, Royal National Theatre | Caesar | |||
| Volpone | Olivier, Royal National Theatre | ||||
| Half-Life | Cottesloe, Royal National Theatre | ||||
| Half-Life | Duke of York's Theatre | ||||
| Half-Life | Touring | ||||
| Gala Performance | Duke of York's Theatre | Speaker | |||
| Old Vic Tribute Dinner | Marriott Hotel | Speaker | |||
| Apollo Theatre | |||||
| Royalty Theatre | Voice only | ||||
| Royal Birthday Gala | London Palladium | Compère |
This table contains Gielgud's stage work as a director. It does not include those productions in which he also appeared, which are shown in the table above.
Gielgud took part in numerous radio broadcasts in his career, including interviews, poetry readings and talks about the theatre and acting. The following is a list of plays in which he was involved.
| Programme | Date | Channel | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITV | ||||
| DuPont Show of the Month | CBS (USA) | |||
| BBC TV | ||||
| Play of the Week: "The Rehearsal" | ITV | |||
| BBC One | ||||
| Alice in Wonderland | BBC One | Mock Turtle | ||
| Play of the Month "Romeo and Juliet" | BBC One | Chorus | ||
| Star Performance: "From Chekhov with Love" | ITV | |||
| Play of the Month | BBC One | |||
| Omnibus "The Actor's Changing Face" | BBC One | Participant | ||
| Hallmark Hall of Fame: "Hamlet" | NBC (USA) | |||
| Carol Channing's Mad English Tea Party | ||||
| Hassan | ||||
| Play for Today "Home" | BBC One | Harry | ||
| Probe | NBC (USA) | Streeter | ||
| This is Noël Coward | Narrator | |||
| Menace: "Deliver us from Evil" | BBC One | |||
| NBC (USA) | Chief Constable | |||
| Edward the Seventh | – 30 May 1975 | ITV | ||
| Shades of Greene "Special Duties" | ITV | |||
| Play of the Month | BBC One | |||
| Personality and Learning: "The Grand Inquisitor" | BBC | |||
| Play of the Month | BBC One | |||
| Night of 100 Stars | ITV | |||
| Omnibus "Pure Radio" | BBC One | |||
| No Man's Land | ITV | Spooner | ||
| Tales of the Unexpected "Neck" | ITV | Jelks | ||
| Soul of a Nation | BBC | Narrator | ||
| ITV | Presenter | |||
| Every Night Something Atrocious | ITV | |||
| Why Didn't They Ask Evans? | ITV | |||
| ITV | Interviewee | |||
| Tales of the Unexpected "Parson's Pleasure" | ITV | |||
| Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery | ITV | |||
| Omnibus "Parrots, Bees, Ducks and Finches" | BBC One | |||
| Paperbacks | BBC | Interviewee | ||
| Brideshead Revisited | – 24 November 1981 | ITV | ||
| Marco Polo | Doge of Venice | |||
| Hallmark Hall of Fame "Hunchback of Notre Dame" | NBC (USA) | |||
| Inside the Third Reich | ABC Television (USA) | |||
| Play of the Month "The Critic" | BBC One | |||
| ITV | ||||
| Omnibus "Old Vic" | BBC One | |||
| – 5 January 1984 | Channel 4 | Cavagnari | ||
| All the World's a Stage: Makers of Magic | BBC | |||
| – 7 May 1984 | ITV | |||
| Ingrid | Narrator | |||
| Six Centuries of Verse | – 9 December 1984 | ITV | Presenter | |
| Camille | ||||
| Frankenstein | ITV | De Lacey | ||
| Olivier: A Kingdom for a Stage | BBC | |||
| Screen Two | BBC Two | |||
| BBC | Teiresias | |||
| BBC | Teiresias | |||
| Screen Two | BBC | |||
| Money Talks | Dreuther | |||
| ITV | ||||
| War and Remembrance | – 24 September 1989 | ITV | ||
| Summer's Lease | – 22 November 1989 | BBC One | ||
| ITV | Narrator | |||
| War and Remembrance | – 17 June 1990 | ITV | ||
| – 1 August 1990 | Channel 4 | Virgil | ||
| Channel 4 | ||||
| ITV | ||||
| Inspector Morse "The Twilight of the Gods" | ITV | |||
| Lovejoy "The Lost Colony" | BBC One | |||
| Under the Hammer: "The Fatal Attribution" | ITV | |||
| BBC One | ||||
| Scarlett | CBS (USA) | |||
| Performance: A Summer Day's Dream | BBC | |||
| Haunted | ||||
| Gulliver's Travels | Channel 4 | Professor of Sunlight | ||
| Channel 4 | ||||
| Merlin | NBC (USA) |
| Film or Production | Year | Award | Category | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Award | Outstanding Foreign Company | |||||
| Julius Caesar | BAFTA Film Award | Best British Actor | ||||
| Ages of Man | Tony Award | Special Award | ||||
| Ages of Man | Grammy Award | Best Documentary or Spoken Word Recording | ||||
| Hamlet | Grammy Award | Best Documentary or Spoken Word Recording | ||||
| Big Fish, Little Fish | Tony Award | Director (Dramatic) | ||||
| Tony Award | Director (Dramatic) | |||||
| Becket | Academy Award | Actor in a Supporting Role | ||||
| Ages of Man, Volume 2 (One Man in His Time) Part Two – Shakespeare | Grammy Award | Best Documentary or Spoken Word Recording | ||||
| Tiny Alice | Tony Award | Actor (Dramatic) | ||||
| Home | Evening Standard Award | Best Actor | ||||
| Home | Tony Award | Actor (Dramatic) | ||||
| No Man's Land | Evening Standard Award | Best Actor | ||||
| Murder on the Orient Express | BAFTA Film Award | Best Supporting Actor | ||||
| Providence | New York Film Critics Circle Award | Best Actor | ||||
| Ages of Man – Recordings from Shakespeare | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording | ||||
| Arthur | New York Film Critics Circle Award | Best Supporting Actor | ||||
| Arthur | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | ||||
| Arthur | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actor | ||||
| Arthur | Academy Award | Actor in a Supporting Role | ||||
| Brideshead Revisited | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special | ||||
| Evening Standard Award | Special Award for Lifetime Achievement | |||||
| No Man's Land | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording | ||||
| Brideshead Revisited | BAFTA Television Award | Best Actor in Television | ||||
| Arthur | BAFTA Film Award | Best Supporting Actor | ||||
| Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special | |||||
| Laurence Olivier Award | Special Award | |||||
| Romance on the Orient Express | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special | ||||
| Plenty and The Shooting Party | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | ||||
| Gulliver | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | ||||
| Plenty | BAFTA Film Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | ||||
| Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | |||||
| War and Remembrance | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television | ||||
| War and Remembrance | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special | ||||
| Sir John Gielgud Reads Alice in Wonderland | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | ||||
| War and Remembrance | Golden Globe Award | Best Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television | ||||
| Summer's Lease | BAFTA Television Award | Best Actor | ||||
| Summer's Lease | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie | ||||
| Grammy Award | Best Album for Children | |||||
| BAFTA Film Award | Fellowship | |||||
| Shine | BAFTA Film Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
Notes
References