Timothy Spall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Timothy Spall
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Spall at the world premiere of The Party in Berlin, 2017
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| Born |
Timothy Leonard Spall
27 February 1957 London, England
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| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Shane Spall
(m. 1981) |
| Children | 3, including Rafe Spall |
Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is a famous English actor. He is well-known for playing many different kinds of characters in movies and on TV.
In 2000, he was given a special award called the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. This award recognized his great work in acting.
Timothy Spall has worked a lot with director Mike Leigh. He appeared in six of Leigh's films, including Secrets & Lies (1996) and Mr. Turner (2014). For his role in Mr. Turner, he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
He has also been in many other popular movies. These include Hamlet (1996), Enchanted (2007), and The King's Speech (2010). Kids might know him best as Peter Pettigrew (also called Wormtail) in five of the Harry Potter films. He also voiced Nick the rat in the animated movie Chicken Run (2000).
On television, Spall played Barry Spencer Taylor in the comedy-drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. In 2024, he won an International Emmy Award and a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. This was for his role as Peter Farquhar in the TV series The Sixth Commandment.
From 2010 to 2012, the BBC showed three documentary series called Timothy Spall: ...at Sea. These shows followed Spall and his wife as they sailed around Britain in their boat.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Timothy Spall was born in Battersea, London, on 27 February 1957. He was the third of four sons. His mother, Sylvia, was a hairdresser, and his father, Joseph, worked for the post office.
When he was 16, Timothy decided he wanted to be an actor. This happened after he played the lion in a school play of The Wizard of Oz. He said, "I was up there on stage being funny, and people laughed. I wanted to do it again and again." He trained at the National Youth Theatre and then at RADA, a famous acting school. He graduated in 1978 and was even named the most promising actor in his year.
Acting Career Highlights
Spall started his acting career in theatre. He performed in plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre.
His first film role was in Quadrophenia. He became more widely known for playing Barry Taylor in the TV series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He also played Aubrey, a chef, in Mike Leigh's film Life is Sweet.
Over the years, Spall has appeared in many different movies. These include Secrets & Lies, The Last Samurai, and The King's Speech. He is well-known for his role as Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail) in the Harry Potter film series.
In 2000, he was honored with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award.
Spall also sang a song called "The Devil is an Englishman" for the film Gothic (1986). In 2007, he played Nathaniel in Disney's Enchanted. He also appeared as Beadle Bamford in Tim Burton's movie Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
In 2010, he played Winston Churchill in the film The King's Speech. For this role, he and the other actors won an award for best cast from the Screen Actors Guild. He even played Churchill again at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2014, Timothy Spall won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival. This was for his role as J. M. W. Turner in the movie Mr. Turner. Spall has said that this role is his favorite because it made him want to try painting himself. In 2016, he played David Irving in the film Denial.
From March to May 2016, Spall starred in the play The Caretaker in London. In 2018, he played Terry Perkins in the TV series Hatton Garden.
In 2021, Spall played Major Alistair Gregory in the dramatic film Spencer. He had important scenes with Kristen Stewart, who played Princess Diana.
In 2023, Spall starred in the BBC drama series The Sixth Commandment. His performance earned him a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor in 2024. Also in 2024, he played the Duke of Norfolk in the BBC show Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.
In May 2025, to mark 80 years since the end of World War 2 in Europe, Spall read a speech by Winston Churchill in London.
Personal Life
Timothy Spall is married to Shane, and they have three children. One of their children, Rafe Spall, is also an actor. The family lives in Forest Hill, South East London.
In 1996, Spall was diagnosed with a serious illness called acute myeloid leukaemia. Luckily, he recovered. He has said that this experience made him more careful about stress and more selective about his acting roles.
He owns a special boat called a Dutch barge. He and his wife sailed around the British Isles in it. Their journey was even made into a BBC Four TV series called Timothy Spall: ...at Sea.
Filmography
Awards and Recognitions
Timothy Spall has won many awards for his acting.
- In 2014, he won the Best Actor Award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for his role in Mr. Turner.
- He also won the European Film Award for Best Actor in 2014 for Mr. Turner.
- In 2010, he was part of the cast that won the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for The King's Speech.
- In 2024, he won both the International Emmy Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his work in The Sixth Commandment.
See also
In Spanish: Timothy Spall para niños
