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October 10, Mr Dance is 79 years old
Mr Dance was at the U.K. premiere of Frankenstein at the 69th edition of the BFI London Film Festival.
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Watch: Charles Dance: Del Toro 'made everyone on Frankenstein set feel comfortable' | Metro Video
https://www.tiktok.com/@randellaonline/video/7561823674186091798
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A German interview
“So that we do not sink into mediocrity”
October 17, 2025
Briton Charles Dance (78) is an all-round actor who excels in both supporting and leading roles. He spoke with us about the importance of independent cinema, his role in "Game of Thrones," curiosity as a lifeblood, and his observations on the Ku'damm.
Mr. Dance, which actors have impressed you the most in your career spanning over 50 years?
- There were many who inspired me. Sometimes I learned something from their technique, how they interacted with other actors, or how they coped with the often intense stress of filming. There's always something to learn if you keep your ears and eyes open, as an actor should. As a young actor, I always wanted to bring everything—my great enthusiasm, all my skill, and my creative imagination—to a role. As I grew older and gained more experience, it became more and more important to me to leave something out. The goal is actually to make acting invisible.
You've worked extensively in theater, film, and television. When you reflect on it all, what stands out?
- I have to admit, to my shame, that I don't remember a lot of things. My girlfriend Alessandra, with whom I've been together for seven years, often asks me if I remember this or that film. And I say, "No, I wasn't in that. It must have been someone else." And she says, "Yes, yes, it was you!" (laughs). So my honest answer is: I simply love working as an actor. It's a job that I completely immerse myself in. A lot of people have to earn a living doing something they don't like. I feel really privileged in that respect. That's probably one of the reasons why I'm hesitant to turn down a film offer. And even though I'm not in Tom Cruise's league, I'm always paid very well for my work. There are so many unemployed actors. So who am I to just turn down a job?
You once said that you don't turn down any film unless it's total crap. How far from crap was your last film, "Dance of the Titans,"?
- (laughs) What a heretical question! Quite a stretch. It's a very unusual and original film. "Dance of the Titans" is a surreal comedy, or satire, if you will. It's a kind of cross between a Luis Buñuel film and an episode from Monty Python's "Flying Circus."
You've performed a lot of Shakespeare in the theater. How does it feel to get your hands on a script for a Hollywood film again?
- I truly consider Shakespeare the greatest author in the English language! What he wrote over 400 years ago still has essential relevance today. Everyone can learn something from Shakespeare's plays for their own lives. And now comes a harsh cut: Out of ten screenplays, six or seven are usually not exactly great, to put it politely. So you just do what's available. For me as an actor, it's simply a great joy to say the words someone has thought up for my character. And sometimes something truly extraordinary comes along.
Like the scripts for the TV series “Game of Thrones.”
- How right you are! The two main writers of "Game of Thrones," David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, studied English at Trinity College in Dublin. So it was no surprise to me that the quality of the "Game of Thrones" scripts was far superior to most of what I've ever read, especially for television.
You played Lord Tywin Lannister, the leader of the powerful clan, with a Machiavelli touch. Not as a simple villain, but as someone who will do absolutely anything to stay in power. A rather ambivalent role.
- That's precisely why I enjoyed it so much. The character was perfectly coherent in the individual scripts. There was no reason to change a single line. And at the beginning of each new season, all ten scripts were already available. Which is usually never the case. This, of course, helped me tremendously in shaping Tywin Lannister's character and incorporating him meaningfully into the dramatic progression of the stories.
Is it true that you stuttered as a teenager?
- Oh, yes, unfortunately. At 13, I suddenly started stuttering. No one knew exactly why. My self-confidence was at rock bottom at the time...
...isn't that the end for an aspiring actor? Yet they didn't end up as laborers on the Plymouth docks, but were accepted into the Royal Shakespeare Company.
- Yes, because at 18 I suddenly stopped stuttering. Like puberty spots, the stuttering disappeared. I owe the fact that I learned to speak properly to two men: an Englishman and a German. They were preparing a friend of mine for an audition at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. My friend gave me their phone numbers and I introduced myself to them. They worked with me for two years. They taught me the correct technique and how to breathe properly. I still remember how they once gave me a volume of Shakespeare and told me to learn it by heart. I asked, "Which role?" They said, "All of them! And I'll see you again in a week." I paid them with the meager wages I received as a laborer. And during my lunch breaks I would learn Shakespeare plays by heart. That's how it all started.
You then made the leap from theater to film and television seemingly effortlessly.
Well, it took a lot of hard work. I was already over 30 when I really got my foot in the door in the film business. And I was lucky enough to be cast not only in independent films, but also in box office hits. Since then, I've moved—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse—between the two poles of art and commerce. Ideally, the film business, despite all its commercial orientation, should always have artistic integrity. Or at least strive for artistic excellence, which, unfortunately, is often not the case. That's why independent films are so important. "Dance of the Titans" is such an art-house movie. I would be very surprised if the investors got their money back... But I really hope they'll continue to invest so that we don't sink into mediocrity or commercial insignificance. A good film is like a great symphony. It touches the heart and mind. And you can always rediscover it.
How do you actually keep yourself so fit?
-I swim every day. And I try not to shut myself down. There are so many interesting things in life. I'm still very curious.
Curiosity as an elixir of life?
Oh my God, yes! I never want to stop wondering what life is like and why!
When you think of Germany, what comes to mind?
- The first time I came to Germany was 55 years ago. The Wall was still there. I was at art school at the time, and we had a student exchange. I first went to the GDR, to Leipzig, Meissen, and Dresden. But as an Englishman, you could easily get to West Berlin via Checkpoint Charlie. That was something really special. When I came back to Berlin later, the Wall was gone, and I could walk through the Brandenburg Gate. I've always felt very welcome in Germany. I've done two tours in Germany with the Royal Shakespeare Company—always from Paris to Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne. And I can assure you: if you're not French, it takes at least a week to get used to French arrogance ( laughs ). In Germany, I walked along the Ku'damm, and people smiled at me. How lovely. I like Germany very much.
Interview: Ulrich Lössl
Mr Dance was at the National Harvest Festival Service 2025
On October 16, 2025, Queen Camilla attended the National Harvest Festival Service at Westminster Abbey in London to mark World Food Day, celebrating farmers and their vital role in feeding the nation. Organised by Love British Food, the service featured readings by Charles Dance and Matt Baker, as well as a special poem titled “Bread of Heaven” written by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.
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Mr Dance will be at the Chiswick Fikm Festival 2025
Charles Dance and Emma Hayter talk to Andrea Carnevali about Charles' debut film as a Writer and Director : Ladies in Lavender (2004)
Sunday 16 Nov at 5pm
Mr Dance will be at at Carols by Candlelight
3 Dec... 19:00 - 21:00
at St-Paul's Church, Knightsbridge
".... readings from our wonderful celebrity guests, Baroness Floella Benjamin and Charles Dance. Laura Kerby, CEO of Prostate Cancer UK, will also reflect on the incredible strides and huge impact we’ve made together in 2025 for those living with prostate cancer."
Mr Dance is in the cast of Wildcat as (?)
From an interview with Chris Williamson, architect and author
In terms of who could potentially play the leads, there are some intriguing possibilities. The manuscript has been read by none other than Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance, who Williamson happened to be sat next to at an alumni dinner – also attended by Make founder Ken Shuttleworth – for former Leicester De Montfort University students. Dance, who studied photography at the university, “started chatting to me about my play, because I couldn’t think of anything else to talk to him about,” Williamson recalls. “He was genuinely interested in it.”
