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1->''"It is true that there are few plays of Shakespeare I haven't done."''
2-->-- '''[[UsefulNotes/KnightFever Dame]] Creator/JudiDench'''
3
4As in "classically trained [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearian]] actor". These actors (male and female), usually Brits, have had some ''serious'' training — often a stint at the Creator/RoyalShakespeareCompany or the Royal National Theatre — and so have developed redoubtable acting skills.
5
6Of course, they won't necessarily limit themselves to Shakespeare, or even to theater. It's entirely possible for these people to do comedy, appear in major action movies and even enter LargeHam territory at times (see, for instance, Creator/BrianBlessed).
7
8Used intelligently, Shakespearian Actors can raise ''everyone'''s game, or turn a blah character into a BreakoutCharacter. But beware: being cast alongside one or more Shakespearian Actors makes it painfully clear if someone can't act (see, for instance, ''Film/TeachingMrsTingle'', in which Creator/HelenMirren out-acts all of her co-stars ''combined'' with her hands quite literally tied behind her back). Think of them as the acting equivalent of Spandex: they make good things better, and bad things much, much worse. Another drawback is the tendency to re-use GratuitousIambicPentameter in stories that don't necessarily call for it, otherwise known as [[Creator/WilliamShatner Shatner]]-speak.
9
10Because these actors will be critically acclaimed (they can be popular as well), they are more likely than most actors, if they're British, to succumb to the K-strain of UsefulNotes/KnightFever, i.e. getting a knighthood.
11
12One of the litmus tests for being a Shakespearian actor is to have played a major/lead role for the Royal Shakespeare Company or the Royal National Theatre. These two theatres are the most prominent and prestigious theatres in Great Britain with the globally-known RSC catering (almost) exclusively Shakespeare's plays. (RSC's closest North American equivalents are probably the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.) Even better, see the Website/YouTube entries for the old educational series, ''Playing Shakespeare'', featuring the RSC players of its day, now in retrospect stock-full of future movie stars like Sir Creator/PatrickStewart, Dame Creator/JudiDench, Sir Creator/BenKingsley, and Sir Creator/IanMcKellen.
13
14!!Shakespearian Actors in fiction
15
16As we've just seen, real-life Shakespearian Actors take a variety of roles for a variety of reasons, and few jobbing actors--even among this exceptionally talented bunch — can afford to be picky about the sorts of roles they accept. In fiction, though, the Shakespearian Actor tends to be a particular subtype of the high-maintenance diva archetype: one who constantly laments his decision to give up theater and who has nothing but contempt for the tripe he's being asked to deliver. This version is the ClassicallyTrainedExtra.
17
18%%PLEASE ADD ACTORS' NAMES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
19%% Also note that many of the names are red links. This is because otherwise it would mess up the index.
20----
21!!Real examples:
22[[index]]
23[[foldercontrol]]
24
25[[folder:A-C]]
26* Creator/FMurrayAbraham
27* Creator/AmyAcker
28* Creator/MarkAddy
29* Creator/WesleyAddy
30* Creator/JennyAgutter: Veteran of both the RSC and the National Theatre, including the title role in ''Theatre/HeddaGabler'' among ''many'' others.
31* Creator/AliAhn
32* Creator/JaneAlexander
33* Creator/RogerAllam: Old hand at the RSC, has turned his hand to film, musicals, television and radio.
34* Creator/WoodyAllen
35* Creator/LaurenAmbrose
36* Creator/AnthonyAndrews
37* Creator/HarryAndrews
38* Creator/GethinAnthony
39* Creator/RichardArmitage
40* Creator/GemmaArterton: Graduated from RADA and was in ''Theatre/LovesLaboursLost'' at the Globe.
41* Creator/BeaArthur
42* Dame Creator/PeggyAshcroft: One of the queens of the British stage from the '30s to the '80s, and an Oscar-winner.
43* Creator/AnnaleighAshford
44* Creator/RogerAshtonGriffiths
45* Dame Eileen Atkins: Has been appearing on stage since the late 1950s
46* Creator/AshlieAtkinson
47* Creator/RowanAtkinson
48* Creator/HayleyAtwell
49* Sir Creator/RichardAttenborough
50* Creator/KellyAuCoin
51* Creator/ErickAvari
52* Creator/TomBaker
53* Creator/AlecBaldwin
54* Creator/ChristianBale
55* Creator/JamieBamber
56* Creator/TallulahBankhead
57* Creator/LeslieBanks
58* Creator/ChristineBaranski
59* Creator/FrancesBarber
60* Creator/BarbaraBarrie
61* Creator/JohnBarrowman
62* Creator/EthelBarrymore
63* Creator/JohnBarrymore
64* Creator/LionelBarrymore
65* Creator/DavidAlanBasche
66* Creator/AngelaBassett
67* Creator/SeanBean: Made his professional debut as Tybalt in ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' and has appeared on several plays (not just Shakespearean) since, in addition to being one of RSC's prominent alumni. He's primarily known as a legendary ChronicallyKilledActor, though.
68* Creator/JimBeaver
69* Creator/KateBeckinsale
70* Creator/TonyBeckley
71* Creator/LauraBenanti
72* Creator/AnnetteBening
73* Creator/MelissaBenoist
74* Creator/JonBernthal
75* Creator/EveBest
76* Creator/PaulBettany
77* Creator/ClaudiaBlack
78* Creator/KarenBlack
79* Creator/MarshaStephanieBlake
80* Creator/CateBlanchett: While not a member of the RSC, is a classically trained theatre actress with a Shakespeare background who has her name mentioned in the same breath as the most famous RSC alums.
81* Creator/JulianBleach
82* Creator/HansChristianBlech
83* Creator/BrianBlessed
84* Claire Bloom: Among other work, played [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Ophelia]] opposite both Creator/RichardBurton and Creator/PaulScofield.
85* Creator/OrlandoBloom
86* Creator/DylanBluestone
87* Creator/EmilyBlunt
88* Creator/MaryBoland
89* Creator/SamanthaBond
90* Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter
91[[/index]]
92* Hugh Bonneville: Best known as the [[Series/DowntonAbbey Earl of Grantham]].
93[[index]]
94* Creator/JessicaBoone
95* Creator/RichardBoone
96* Creator/BarryBostwick
97* Creator/DennisBoutsikaris
98* Creator/JohnBoyega
99* Creator/DavidBradley
100* Creator/ZachBraff
101* Sir Creator/KennethBranagh: Almost singlehandedly revived Shakespeare on film with a string of hits in the Nineties.
102* Creator/MarlonBrando
103* Creator/AndreBraugher
104* Creator/BernardBresslaw: He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but spent the last 20 years of his career frequently appearing in the RSC's theatre productions.
105* Creator/JeremyBrett
106* Creator/LloydBridges
107* Creator/RichardBriers
108* Creator/JimBroadbent
109* Creator/JacquelineBrookes
110* Creator/AveryBrooks
111* Creator/DanielleBrooks
112* Creator/RachelBrosnahan
113* Creator/SterlingKBrown
114* Creator/JessicaBrownFindlay
115* Creator/KarenBryson
116* Creator/JessieBuckley
117* Creator/VictorBuono
118* Creator/MyAnnaBuring
119* Creator/TyBurrell
120* Creator/KateBurton
121* Creator/RichardBurton
122* Creator/GerardButler
123* Creator/LScottCaldwell
124* Creator/JamesCagney
125* Creator/JonathanCake
126* Creator/JDCannon
127* Creator/PeterCapaldi
128* Creator/JessicaCapshaw
129* Creator/LorneCardinal
130* Creator/TantooCardinal
131* Creator/JohnCariani
132* Creator/JaneCarr
133* Creator/RockyCarroll
134* Creator/JohnCarradine
135* Creator/GarryChalk
136* Creator/StockardChanning
137* Creator/OonaChaplin: Best known as [[Series/GameOfThrones Talisa Maegyr/Stark]]. She performed in a few Shakespearean plays even before admitting to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
138* Creator/AnyaChalotra
139* Ian Charleson: Of ''Film/ChariotsOfFire'' and ''Film/{{Gandhi}}''. His Hamlet at the National Theatre in 1990 was widely acclaimed, and Ian [=McKellen=], having won the Evening Standard Best Actor award, gave Charleson the statuette, feeling that he deserved it more. Charleson died soon after (the first UK celebrity death openly attributed to AIDS), and the Ian Charleson Awards were established within the year to recognize actors under the age of thirty.
140* Creator/JessicaChastain
141* Creator/JuanChioran
142* Creator/GwendolineChristie: Best known as [[Series/GameOfThrones Brienne of Tarth]]. She performed as The Queen in a production of ''Theatre/{{Cymbeline}}'', and her first post-''Thrones'' outing was as Titania in a production of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream''.
143* Creator/JulieChristie
144* Creator/MorfyddClark
145* Creator/GlennClose
146* Creator/RhysCoiro
147* Creator/JohnColicos
148* Creator/ToniCollette
149* Creator/LynnCollins
150* Creator/KerryCondon
151* Creator/SeanConnery
152* Creator/KennethConnor
153* Creator/FrancesConroy
154* Creator/KevinConroy
155* Creator/CarrieCoon
156* Creator/ChrisCooper
157* Creator/DominicCooper
158* Creator/GretchenCorbett
159* Creator/JudyCornwell
160* Creator/DavidCostabile
161* Creator/NikolajCosterWaldau
162* Creator/MarionCotillard
163* Creator/JosephCotten
164* Creator/GeorgeCoulouris
165* Creator/BrianCox
166* Creator/CharlieCox
167* Creator/DanielCraig
168* Creator/BernardCribbins
169* Creator/StephenCritchlow
170* Creator/JamesCromwell
171* Creator/HumeCronyn
172* Creator/MackenzieCrook
173* Creator/BenCross
174* Creator/LindsayCrouse
175* Creator/BillyCrudup
176* Creator/MartonCsokas
177* Creator/JohnCullum
178* Creator/BenedictCumberbatch has not yet played for the RSC, but has played lead roles in Royal National Theatre productions; he has twice been nominated for an Olivier Award (winning for ''Theatre/Frankenstein2011'' in 2012).
179* Creator/AnnaCummer
180* Creator/AlanCumming
181* Creator/LiamCunningham
182* Creator/TimCurry
183* Creator/JoanCusack
184* Creator/NiamhCusack
185* Creator/PeterCushing
186* Creator/HenryIanCusick: Attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and appeared in productions with the Strathclyde Theatre Group in Glasgow.
187[[/folder]]
188
189[[folder:D-G]]
190* Creator/JimDale
191* Creator/TimothyDalton: Trained at RADA for two years and spent most of the 1970s performing with the RSC and other troupes.
192* Creator/CharlesDance
193* Creator/ClaireDanes: A weird example in that her first Shakespearean work is [[Film/WilliamShakespearesRomeoAndJuliet a movie adaptation]] before she started regularly appearing on stage.
194* Creator/BenDaniels
195* Creator/NathanDarrow
196* Creator/ArthurDarvill
197* Creator/KeithDavid
198* Creator/LaneDavies
199* Creator/EmbethDavidtz
200[[/index]]
201* Daniel Davis has reportedly been in all but six of Shakespeare's plays, presumably thanks to his ''ridiculously'' good English accent. (He's from Arkansas.) Also performed with both the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
202[[index]]
203* Creator/JudyDavis
204* Creator/ViolaDavis: Graduated from Juilliard, won a Tony for ''Fences'' and then an Oscar for the film adaptation.
205* Creator/BruceDavison
206* Creator/PeterDavison
207* Creator/DavidDawson
208* Creator/RosarioDawson
209* Creator/DanielDayLewis: Performed at the National Youth Theatre, attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and performed with the RSC.
210* Creator/ElizabethDebicki
211* Dame Creator/OliviaDeHavilland
212[[/index]]
213* Frances de la Tour: Madame Olympe Maxime in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' series; she joined the RSC in 1965 and is a three-time Olivier Award winner.
214[[index]]
215* Creator/JohnDeLancie
216* Creator/DanaDelany
217* Creator/JeffreyDeMunn
218* Dame Creator/JudiDench: M in the last half-dozen or so ''Film/JamesBond'' films. Also stole ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'' as Queen Elizabeth I with roughly nine total minutes of screen time. She picked up an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward as Best Supporting Actress for the performance.
219* Creator/BrianDennehy
220* Creator/GerardDepardieu
221* Creator/AngelDesai
222* Creator/WilliamDevane
223* Creator/DannyDeVito
224[[/index]]
225* Colleen Dewhurst: The "Queen of Off-Broadway" who appeared several times in Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival. Won two Tonys and four Emmys (two of them for playing Series/{{Murphy Brown}}'s mother).
226[[index]]
227* Creator/ReedDiamond
228* Creator/DaleDickey
229* Creator/AugustDiehl
230* Creator/DaveedDiggs
231* Creator/StephenDillane
232* Creator/JoeDinicol
233* Creator/PeterDinklage: Best known as [[Series/GameOfThrones Tyrion Lannister]]. He's one of notable actors to portray the titular ''Theatre/RichardIII'' in the modern era.
234* Creator/KenDodd
235* Creator/RobertDonat
236* Creator/ColinDonnell
237* Creator/JeffreyDonovan
238* Creator/NatalieDormer
239* Creator/MelvynDouglas
240* Creator/RobertDowneyJr
241* Creator/RachelDratch
242* Creator/RichardDreyfuss
243* Creator/LindsayDuncan
244* Creator/CharlesDurning
245* Creator/ChristopherEccleston
246* Creator/AdrianEdmondson
247* Creator/SamanthaEggar
248* Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor, the Operative from ''Film/{{Serenity}}''. Has played ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' -- and won the 2008 Olivier for Best Actor in a Play -- and Orsino from ''Theatre/TwelfthNight''.
249* Creator/IdrisElba
250* Creator/DenholmElliott
251* Creator/MaryElizabethEllis
252* Creator/MichaelEmerson
253* Creator/RobertEnglund
254* Creator/CynthiaErivo
255* Creator/NormanEshley
256* Creator/RaulEsparza
257[[/index]]
258* Dame Edith Evans: Three-time Academy Award-nominee.
259[[index]]
260* Creator/MauriceEvans
261* Creator/RupertEvans
262* Creator/RupertEverett
263* Creator/MichelleFairley
264* Creator/VeraFarmiga
265* Creator/MiaFarrow
266* Creator/MichaelFassbender
267* Creator/ColmFeore
268* Creator/JesseTylerFerguson
269* Creator/JosephFiennes, who played the title role in ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'', and is the younger brother of
270* Creator/RalphFiennes
271* Creator/NathanFillion
272* Creator/JonFinch
273* Creator/AlbertFinney
274* Creator/ColinFirth
275* Creator/LaurenceFishburne: A stage veteran and the first African American to portray ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' in a motion picture by a major studio.
276* Creator/RayFisher
277* Creator/TaraFitzgerald
278* Creator/KateFleetwood
279* Creator/GlennFleshler
280* Creator/CalistaFlockhart
281* Creator/DannFlorek
282* Creator/BarrettFoa
283* Creator/MeganFollows
284* Creator/EmiliaFox
285* Creator/ClaireFoy: Has played Lady Theatre/{{Macbeth}} opposite Creator/JamesMcAvoy as the VillainProtagonist.
286* Creator/KayFrancis
287* Creator/DennisFranz
288* Creator/LauraFraser
289* Creator/MartinFreeman
290* Creator/MorganFreeman
291* Creator/AnnaFriel
292* Creator/StephenFry
293* Creator/MichaelGambon
294* Creator/RomolaGarai
295* Creator/AndrewGarfield
296* Creator/GreerGarson
297* Creator/MarkGatiss
298* Creator/WillGeer
299* Creator/RichardGere
300* Creator/PaulGiamatti
301* Creator/MelGibson
302* Creator/ThomasGibson
303* Creator/JohnGielgud: Up there with Olivier as one of the most important British stage actors of the 20th century.
304* Creator/AidanGillen
305* Creator/JessalynGilsig
306* Creator/LillianGish
307* Creator/IainGlen
308* Creator/KimikoGlenn
309* Creator/JohnGlover
310* Creator/JulianGlover
311* Creator/JeffGoldblum: His first professional acting credit was as a chorus member/understudy for Eglamour in the Broadway musical adaptation of ''Theatre/TheTwoGentlemenOfVerona'', which originated as a Shakespeare in the Park production. He played Malvolio in a straight production of ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'' in 1989, though he got bad reviews[[note]]this is VERY likely the unhappy experience he talks about in a ''Creator/ConanOBrien Needs a Friend'' podcast appearance, though he doesn't name the show or the producer who took pity on him (which would have been Joseph Papp in that case)[[/note]].
312* Creator/ReneeEliseGoldsberry
313* Creator/CarolineGoodall
314* Creator/JohnGoodman
315* Creator/GinniferGoodwin
316* Creator/MichelleGomez
317* Creator/BurnGorman
318* Creator/MichaelGough
319* Creator/HughGrant
320* Creator/RichardEGrant
321* Creator/ShalitaGrant
322* Creator/RupertGraves
323* Creator/CharlesGray
324* Creator/MackenzieGray
325* Creator/LorneGreene
326* Creator/ClarkGregg
327* Creator/StephenGreif
328* Creator/RichardGriffiths
329* Creator/IoanGruffudd
330* Sir Creator/AlecGuinness: Spoke the very first lines at the Stratford Festival (namely, "[[Theatre/RichardIII Now is the winter of our discontent]]").
331* Creator/PeterGuinness
332* Creator/DanaiGurira
333* Creator/MaggieGyllenhaal
334[[/folder]]
335
336[[folder:H-L]]
337* Creator/JonathanHadary
338* Creator/DavidHaig
339* Creator/RonHalder
340* Creator/MichaelCHall
341* Creator/RebeccaHall
342* Creator/HarryHamlin
343* Creator/JonHamm
344* Creator/TomHanks
345* Creator/JohnHannah
346* Creator/DavidHarbour
347* Creator/MarciaGayHarden
348* Creator/CedricHardwicke
349* Creator/RobertHardy has appeared on stage in ''Theatre/{{Coriolanus}}'' and ''Theatre/HenryV'' (and played the latter role in the 1960 mini-series ''An Age of Kings'').
350* Creator/DorisHare
351* Creator/DavidHarewood
352* Creator/KitHarington
353* Creator/WilliamJacksonHarper
354* Creator/LauraElenaHarring
355* Creator/EdHarris
356* Creator/JaredHarris
357* Julie Harris: Possibly ''the'' most acclaimed American stage actress, with ten Tony Award nominations and five wins.
358* Creator/NeilPatrickHarris
359* Creator/RichardHarris
360* Creator/RosemaryHarris
361* Creator/WilliamHartnell: Appeared in a number of Shakespeare productions starting in 1925.
362* Creator/JoshHartnett
363* Creator/HurdHatfield
364* Creator/AnneHathaway
365* Creator/EthanHawke
366* Creator/SallyHawkins
367* Creator/GoldieHawn
368* Creator/NigelHawthorne
369* Creator/CHarlesHawtrey
370[[/index]]
371* Helen Hayes, "First Lady of the American Theatre" and an EGOT-winner.
372[[index]]
373* Creator/DavidHedison
374* Creator/DonHenderson
375* Creator/ShirleyHenderson
376* Creator/IanHendry
377* Creator/BrianTyreeHenry
378* Creator/GreggHenry
379* Creator/GuyHenry
380* Creator/KatharineHepburn
381* Creator/EdwardHerrmann
382* Creator/CharltonHeston
383* Creator/SamHeughan
384* Creator/TomHiddleston, trained at RADA. Played [[Theatre/HenryIV Prince Hal]][=/=]Theatre/HenryV in a new BBC production of the Henriad coinciding with Britain's hosting the Olympics. Nominated at the Olivier awards for Best Newcomer in a Play twice, once in 2008 for Cassio in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' with the aforementioned Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role and again -- also in 2008 -- for his double performance as Cloten and Posthumus in the lesser-known Shakespeare play ''Cymbeline''. He won for ''Cymbeline''. He also starred as Caius Martius in the National Theatre production of ''Theatre/{{Coriolanus}}'' from December 2013 to February 2014, which earned him his third nomination at the Oliver awards, this time for Best Actor in a Play.
385* Creator/FreddieHighmore
386* Creator/ConlethHill
387* Creator/JacquelineHill
388* Creator/WendyHiller
389* Creator/CiaranHinds
390* Creator/DouglasHodge
391* Creator/DustinHoffman
392* Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman
393* Creator/EdwardHogg
394* Creator/HalHolbrook
395* Creator/LaurieHolden
396* Creator/TomHollander
397* Creator/IanHolm
398* Creator/CharlotteHope
399* Sir Creator/AnthonyHopkins: Despite his stated uninterest in "Shakespeare and all that British nonsense," he studied at RADA and was Laurence Olivier's understudy for a while.
400* Creator/OskarHomolka
401* Creator/MichaelHordern
402* Creator/BernardHorsfall
403* Creator/BobHoskins
404* Creator/JayneHoudyshell
405* Creator/BryceDallasHoward
406* Creator/LeslieHoward
407* Creator/TrevorHoward
408* Creator/FrankieHowerd
409* Creator/NealHuff
410* Creator/HelenHunt
411* Creator/KathrynHunter
412* Creator/IsabelleHuppert
413* Creator/JohnHurt
414* Creator/MaryBethHurt
415* Creator/WilliamHurt
416* Creator/OliviaHussey
417* Creator/JosephineHutchinson
418* Creator/JonathanHyde
419* Creator/RhysIfans
420* Creator/CeliaImrie
421* Creator/JeremyIrons: Educated at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
422* Creator/JeremyIrvine
423* Creator/AmyIrving
424* Creator/BillIrwin
425* Creator/OscarIsaac
426* Creator/ZeljkoIvanek
427* Creator/DanaIvey
428* Creator/ChukwudiIwuji
429* Sir Creator/DerekJacobi: Invited by Lawrence Olivier to be a founding member of the National Theatre, and played Laertes in the Theatre's inaugural production of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''. He's won two Lawrence Olivier Awards and a Tony.
430* Creator/GillianJacobs
431* Creator/LennieJames
432* Creator/LilyJames
433* Creator/LouiseJameson
434* Creator/AllisonJanney
435* Creator/TonyJay
436* Creator/MichaelJayston
437* Creator/IsabelJeans
438* Creator/RichardJenkins
439* Creator/CarolineJohn
440* Creator/HannahJohnKamen
441* Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson
442* Creator/RichardJohnson
443* Creator/CherryJones: Five-time Tony Award nominee, two-time winner, including one for the original production of ''Film/{{Doubt}}''.
444* Creator/FelicityJones
445* Creator/FreddieJones
446* Creator/JamesEarlJones: Played Theatre/{{Othello}} (duh) and numerous other Shakespeare roles, and won two Tonys.
447* Creator/MarkLewisJones
448* Creator/NealJones
449* Creator/RonCephasJones
450* Creator/PatersonJoseph
451* Creator/RaulJulia
452* Creator/CushJumbo: Nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Mark Antony in an all-female ''Theatre/JuliusCaesar''.
453* Creator/CarolKane
454* Creator/JohnKani
455* Creator/KareenaKapoor
456* Tunji Kasim: Now on ''Series/NancyDrew2019'', he was part of the RSC from 2009 to 2011, and read Shakespearian sonnets for a phone app.
457* Creator/LloydKaufman
458* Creator/HakeemKaeKazim
459* Creator/StacyKeach: Appeared in Shakespearean plays from the early 1960s until well into the 2000s.
460* Creator/MichaelKeaton
461* Creator/HughKeaysByrne
462* Creator/TobyKebbell
463* Creator/PenelopeKeith
464* Creator/EllieKendrick
465* Creator/JohnKeston: Became famous for the character Gehn in VideoGames/RivenTheSequelToMyst. Atrus' father and the main antagonist of said game.
466* Creator/ValKilmer
467* Creator/KimYunjin
468* Sir Creator/BenKingsley: Joined the RSC in 1967 and spent most of the next fifteen years on stage.
469* Creator/FerdinandKingsley
470* Creator/AlexKingston of ''Series/{{ER}}'' and ''Series/DoctorWho'' fame.
471* Creator/RoryKinnear
472* Creator/EmilyKinney
473* Creator/VanessaKirby: Has appeared in ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' and ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt''.
474* Creator/MichaelKitchen
475* Creator/GertanKlauber
476* Creator/KevinKline: Studied at Juilliard and formed, with some of his classmates (including Creator/PattiLuPone and Creator/DavidOgdenStiers), the City Center Acting Company (later renamed The Acting Company) and spent the next few years performing on stage, including Shakespeare. He's won three Tony Awards.
477* Creator/TRKnight
478* Creator/ThomasKopache
479* Creator/YaphetKotto
480* Creator/RikiyaKoyama
481* Creator/StephenKunken
482* Creator/JenniferLafleur
483* Creator/PhilLaMarr
484* Creator/EriqLaSalle
485* Creator/DianeLane
486* Creator/NathanLane
487* Creator/StephenLang
488* Creator/JessicaLange
489* Creator/FrankLangella
490* Dame Creator/AngelaLansbury
491* Creator/LizaLapira
492* Creator/SanaaLathan
493* Creator/CharlesLaughton
494* Creator/DanLauria, the father on ''Series/TheWonderYears''.
495* Creator/JohnLaurie
496* Creator/PiperLaurie
497* Creator/JudeLaw
498* Creator/AlexLawther
499* Creator/ClorisLeachman
500* Creator/ChristopherLee
501[[/index]]
502* Eva Le Gallienne: Nominated for an Oscar for ''Resurrection'', one of only three movies she made because she was so devoted to the theater. One of the women (like her idol Sarah Bernhardt) to have played Theatre/{{Hamlet}}.
503[[index]]
504* Creator/JohnLeguizamo
505* Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh
506* Creator/VivienLeigh
507* Creator/MargaretLeighton
508* Creator/HarryLennix
509* Creator/RoseLeslie
510* Creator/AntonLesser
511[[/index]]
512* Adrian Lester of ''Series/{{Hustle}}''
513[[index]]
514* Creator/MattLetscher
515* Creator/KatieLeung
516* Creator/DamianLewis
517* Creator/AndrewLincoln
518* Creator/RobertLindsay
519* Creator/HamishLinklater
520* Creator/LauraLinney: Studied at Juilliard, four-time Tony nominee.
521* Creator/MaureenLipman
522* Creator/JohnLithgow
523* Creator/ChristopherLloyd
524* Creator/HarryLloyd
525* Creator/NormanLloyd
526* Creator/BelaLugosi
527* Creator/PattiLuPone
528[[/folder]]
529
530[[folder:M-R]]
531* Creator/JeanetteMacDonald (starred in operatic version of ''Romeo and Juliet'')
532* Creator/AngusMacfadyen
533* Creator/MatthewMacfadyen
534* Creator/KyleMacLachlan
535* Creator/PatrickMacnee
536* Creator/PeterMacNicol
537* Creator/AnnaMadeley
538* Creator/RichardMadden
539* Creator/PatrickMagee: Appeared in Anew [=McMaster's=] theatre company and later joined the RSC.
540* Creator/PatrickMalahide
541* Creator/ChristopherMalcolm
542* Creator/PaulaMalcomson
543* Creator/LesleyManville
544* Creator/StephanieMarch
545* Creator/NancyMarchand
546* Creator/MiriamMargolyes
547* Creator/JeanMarsh
548* Creator/EGMarshall
549* Creator/HerbertMarshall
550* Creator/FayeMarsay
551[[/index]]
552* William Marshall: Film/{{Blacula}} himself; played Theatre/{{Othello}} in no less than six productions.
553[[index]]
554* Creator/JesseLMartin
555* Creator/NanMartin
556* Creator/ElizabethMarvel
557* Creator/JamesMason
558* Creator/AnnaMassey
559* Creator/MaryElizabethMastrantonio
560* Creator/DannyMastrogiorgio
561* Creator/CarmenMathews
562* Creator/RikMayall
563* Creator/GuguMbathaRaw: Has played [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Juliet]] to Creator/AndrewGarfield's Romeo and [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Ophelia]] to Creator/JudeLaw's Hamlet.
564* Creator/JamesMcAvoy
565* Creator/DavidMcCallum
566* Creator/AlecMcCowen
567* Creator/SylvesterMcCoy
568* Creator/HelenMcCrory
569* Creator/IanMcDiarmid: Best known as [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]]. He's an acclaimed stage director and actor, often involved with Shakespearean works.
570* Creator/AudraMcDonald
571* Creator/FrancesMcDormand
572* Creator/RoddyMcDowall
573* Creator/MalcolmMcDowell: Trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
574* Creator/MichaelMcElhatton
575* Creator/IanMcElhinney
576* Creator/NataschaMcElhone
577* Creator/PeterMcEnery
578* Creator/PaulMcGann
579* Creator/KellyMcGillis
580* Creator/ElizabethMcGovern
581* Creator/EwanMcGregor
582* Creator/TimMcInnerny
583* Creator/NeveMcIntosh
584* Creator/MichaelMcKean
585* Sir Creator/IanMcKellen
586* Creator/JacquelineMcKenzie
587* Creator/LeoMcKern
588* Creator/IanMcShane
589* Creator/GrahamMcTavish
590* Music/MeatLoaf
591* Creator/TobiasMenzies
592* Creator/BurgessMeredith
593* Creator/SimonMerrells
594* Creator/JaneMerrow
595* Creator/JonathanRhysMeyers
596* Creator/SarahMiles
597* Creator/AnnMiller
598* Creator/SiennaMiller
599* Creator/HayleyMills
600* Creator/JohnMills
601* Creator/JosephMillson
602* Dame Creator/HelenMirren
603* Creator/ElizabethMitchell
604* Creator/KatherineMoennig
605* Creator/AlfredMolina
606* Creator/JulianneMoore
607* Sir Creator/RogerMoore
608* Creator/EsaiMorales: A veteran screen and stage actor, one of his earliest roles was in ''Theatre/TheTempest'' during the 1981 New York Shakespeare festival.
609* Creator/JeanneMoreau
610* Creator/ColinMorgan
611* Creator/MichaelMoriarty
612* Creator/DavidMorrissey
613* Creator/JoeMorton
614* Creator/WunmiMosaku graduated from RADA.
615* Creator/AnsonMount
616* Creator/JosephMawle, best known for his role as [[Series/GameOfThrones Benjen Stark]], [[Film/MrJones2019 George Orwell]] and [[Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower Adar]], graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2002.
617* Creator/KateMulgrew
618* Creator/CareyMulligan
619* Creator/CillianMurphy
620* Creator/BillMurray
621* Creator/BrianMurray
622* Creator/JaimeMurray
623* Creator/EveMyles
624[[/index]]
625* Jason Narvy: Skull from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' to ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'', has a doctorate in the craft.
626[[index]]
627* Creator/MatthewNeedham
628* Creator/RuthNegga
629* Creator/KateNelligan
630* Creator/TimBlakeNelson
631[[/index]]
632* John Neville: Among other work, did a production of ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' in which he and Richard Burton alternated the roles of Othello and Iago.
633[[index]]
634* Creator/BillNighy
635* Creator/LeonardNimoy
636* Creator/AlessandroNivola
637* Creator/DeanNorris
638* Creator/LupitaNyongo: Attended the Yale School of Drama and appeared in ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'' and ''Theatre/TheWintersTale''.
639* Creator/DerrickOConnor
640* Creator/FrancesOConnor
641* Creator/JoshOConnor
642* Creator/KateOMara
643* Creator/TerryOQuinn
644* Creator/AnnOgbomo: Has performed with the RSC and National Theatre.
645* Creator/SophieOkonedo: Trained at RADA and won a Tony for ''Theatre/ARaisinInTheSun''.
646* Creator/GaryOldman
647* Creator/PeterOToole, trained at RADA and began his acting career on stage at the Bristol Old Vic before doing a stint with the RSC.
648* Sir Creator/LaurenceOlivier, Lord Olivier: ''the'' Shakesperian actor.
649* Creator/JasonOMara
650* Creator/DeObiaOparei
651* Creator/BrianOsborne
652* Creator/KellyOverton
653* Creator/CliveOwen
654* Creator/DavidOyelowo became the first black actor to play an English king in a major Shakespeare production when he appeared as the title character in the RSC's 2000-01 production of the ''Theatre/HenryVI'' plays.
655* Creator/LeePace
656* Creator/AlPacino
657* Creator/GwynethPaltrow
658* Creator/AnnieParisse
659* Creator/CraigParker
660* Creator/NathanielParker of ''Series/TheInspectorLynleyMysteries'' fame began his career at the RSC.
661* Creator/EstelleParsons
662* Creator/JimParsons
663* Creator/PedroPascal
664* Creator/MandyPatinkin
665* Creator/TrevorPeacock
666* Creator/MaryBethPeil
667* Creator/ElizabethPerkins
668* Creator/HaroldPerrineau
669* Creator/SeanPertwee: Toured with the RSC for three years.
670* Creator/WilliamPetersen
671* Creator/MichellePfeiffer
672* Creator/EthanPhillips
673* Creator/SianPhillips
674* Creator/GeoffPierson
675* Creator/RosamundPike
676* Creator/BilliePiper
677* Creator/OliverPlatt
678* Creator/AmandaPlummer
679* Creator/ChristopherPlummer, trained at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
680* Creator/PeggyPope
681* Creator/AnnaPopplewell
682* Creator/BillyPorter
683* Creator/RayPorter
684* Creator/PetePostlethwaite
685* Creator/MichaelPotts
686* Creator/CCHPounder
687* Creator/CarriePreston
688* Creator/BryanPringle
689* Creator/JonathanPryce: Can't get much more Shakespearian than winning an Olivier Award for playing Theatre/{{Hamlet}}.
690* Creator/JamesPurefoy
691* Creator/LilyRabe
692* Creator/ClaudeRains
693* Creator/DaleRaoul
694* Creator/AnthonyRapp
695* Creator/CondolaRashad
696* Creator/PhyliciaRashad
697* Creator/BasilRathbone
698* Creator/BillRaymond
699* Creator/ElizabethReaser
700* Creator/RachelRedford
701* Creator/JemmaRedgrave
702* Creator/LynnRedgrave
703* Creator/MichaelRedgrave
704* Creator/VanessaRedgrave
705* Creator/EddieRedmayne
706* Creator/RogerRees
707* Creator/ChristopherReeve
708* Creator/KeanuReeves
709* Creator/HalinaReijn
710* Creator/KellyReilly
711* Creator/JohnRhysDavies
712* Creator/MatthewRhys
713* Creator/IanRichardson, worked for the RSC for fifteen years before making glorious infamy as one of fiction's most {{Magnificent Bastard}}s ala [[Series/HouseOfCardsUK Francis Urquhart]].
714* Creator/JoelyRichardson
715* Creator/NatashaRichardson
716* Sir Creator/RalphRichardson: One of the "big three" of the British stage in the mid-20th century alongside Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud.
717* Creator/AlanRickman: Trained at RADA, performed with the RSC, won a Tony, and made his screen debut playing Tybalt in 1978.
718* Creator/DanielRigby
719* Dame Creator/DianaRigg
720* Creator/MollyRingwald
721* Creator/AndreaRiseborough
722* Creator/LinusRoache
723* Creator/MaggieRobertson
724* Creator/LailaRobins
725* Creator/AndrewRobinson
726* Creator/SebastianRoche
727* Creator/MickeyRooney
728* Creator/PatriciaRoutledge
729* Creator/PaulRudd
730* Creator/DeborahRush
731* Creator/GeoffreyRush
732* Creator/MattRyan: Member of the RSC since 2004 and has appeared in ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', ''Theatre/TheTempest'' and ''Theatre/HenryV''.
733* Creator/RobertRyan
734* Creator/WinonaRyder
735* Creator/MarkRylance
736[[/folder]]
737
738[[folder:S-W]]
739* Creator/RobinSachs
740* Creator/ThomasSadoski
741* Creator/DianeSalinger
742* Creator/HiroyukiSanada
743* Creator/JayOSanders
744* Creator/StarkSands
745* Creator/SusanSarandon
746* Creator/PeterSarsgaard
747* Creator/RaphaelSbarge
748* Creator/DianaScarwid
749* Creator/AugustSchellenberg
750* Creator/DavidSchramm
751* Creator/LievSchreiber is one of the more prominent Americans of this type.
752* Creator/PaulScofield: His two Oscar nominations came twenty-eight years apart because he was much more interested in the stage than the screen.
753* Creator/AndrewScott
754* Creator/GeorgeCScott
755[[/index]]
756* Margaretta Scott: Best remembered as Mrs. Pumphrey on ''Series/{{All Creatures Great And Small|1978}}''; she was educated at RADA and was one of the first actresses to perform Shakespeare on television (''Much Ado About Nothing'', way back in ''1937'').
757[[index]]
758* Creator/AndySerkis
759* Creator/NestorSerrano
760* Creator/TonyShalhoub
761* Creator/JeremyShamos
762* Creator/DanielSharman
763* Creator/WillSharpe
764* Creator/WilliamShatner, trained at the Canadian National Reparatory Theatre and performed at the Stratford Festival in the 1960s. He repeated some of his roles on TV as well.
765* Creator/FionaShaw: Five Olivier Award nominations, two wins.
766* Creator/MartinShaw
767* Creator/RobertShaw
768* Creator/NormaShearer
769* Creator/MartinSheen
770* Creator/MichaelSheen
771* Creator/PaulShenar - Founding member of the American Conservatory Theater.
772* Creator/SamShepard
773* Creator/WMorganSheppard: RADA graduate and member of the RSC.
774* Creator/JameySheridan
775* Creator/VladekSheybal
776* Creator/AlastairSim
777* Creator/JohnSimm
778* Creator/JoanSims
779* Creator/ElisabethSladen
780* Creator/SharonSmall has played for the Royal National Theatre (U.K.), the Donmar Warehouse, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
781* Creator/JeanSmart
782* Creator/AnnaDeavereSmith
783* Dame Creator/MaggieSmith
784* Creator/SheridanSmith
785* Creator/JimmySmits
786* Creator/PaulSoles
787* Creator/PaulSorvino
788* Creator/KevinSpacey
789* Creator/RafeSpall
790* Creator/TimothySpall
791* Creator/CliveStanden
792* Creator/RobertStanton
793* Creator/ImeldaStaunton
794* Creator/TobyStephens
795* Creator/DanStevens
796* Creator/FisherStevens
797* Creator/CatrinStewart
798* Sir Creator/PatrickStewart, his classical training has allowed him to dodge being [[TypeCasting type cast]] by either ''Franchise/StarTrek'' or ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', and he's returned to the RSC since (most recently, as Claudius to Creator/DavidTennant's ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'').
799* Creator/DavidOgdenStiers
800* Creator/JuliaStiles
801* Creator/RachaelStirling
802* Creator/NigelStock
803* Creator/CoreyStoll
804* Creator/PeterStormare
805* Creator/MalcolmStorry
806* Creator/KenStott
807* Creator/MerylStreep
808* Creator/MarkStrong
809* Creator/MichaelStuhlbarg
810* Creator/DavidSuchet
811* Creator/DonaldSumpter
812* Creator/TildaSwinton: Performed on stage in college, then joined the RSC in 1984.
813* Creator/MeeraSyal
814* Creator/JeffreyTambor
815* Creator/JessicaTandy: Spent the Thirties on stage alongside such luminaries as Gielgud and Olivier.
816* Creator/CatherineTate did small parts in her youth for the RSC, and in 2011 played Beatrice opposite Creator/DavidTennant's Benedick in ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing''.
817* Dame Creator/ElizabethTaylor
818* Creator/RodTaylor
819* Creator/EricaTazel
820* Creator/NataliaTena
821* Creator/DavidTennant, the Tenth Doctor in ''Series/DoctorWho'', was an RSC man (including a well-regarded [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Romeo]]) before his stint in the TARDIS, and moonlighted as a critically-acclaimed ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' between filming the 2009 specials. He then played Benedick opposite real-life best friend and former ''Who'' co-star Creator/CatherineTate in ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'', and a few years later returned to the RSC to play the title role in ''Theatre/RichardII''.
822* Creator/OliviaTennet (Dr. K) from ''Series/PowerRangersRPM''. Shortly after her stint on the show, she left for the Globe Theatre in London to participate in workshops with the Young Shakespeare Company as a prize for winning a national Shakespeare competition in New Zealand.
823* Creator/MichaelTherriault
824* Creator/DavidThewlis
825* Creator/GarethThomas
826* Creator/EmmaThompson: Oddly has never played for either the RSC or the RNT,[[note]]in fact, she's done surprisingly little theatre work in general[[/note]] but starred on film as Queen Catherine in ''Film/HenryV'' and Beatrice in ''Film/MuchAdoAboutNothing1993'' (both opposite Kenneth Branagh), as well as Helena in ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' and The Fool in ''Theatre/KingLear'' onstage.
827* Creator/TessaThompson
828* Creator/LindaThorson: Has appeared in a London production of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream''.
829* Creator/MarisaTomei: Starred in ''Theatre/TheComedyOfErrors'' during the 1992 season of the New York Shakeseapre festival.
830* Creator/AnnaTorv: Graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art, and has played [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Ofelia]] on stage.
831* Creator/LorraineToussaint
832* Creator/RussellTovey
833* Creator/DavidTroughton
834* Creator/PatrickTroughton
835* Creator/StanleyTucci
836* Creator/UlrichTukur
837* Creator/TamaraTunie
838* Creator/AidanTurner
839* Creator/KathleenTurner
840* Creator/AnaUlaru: Did a theatre version of Measure For Measure.
841* Creator/TraceyUllman
842* Creator/BlairUnderwood
843* Creator/CourtneyBVance
844* Creator/IndiraVarma: Graduated from RADA and has appeared in various stage productions in between her film and television work.
845* Creator/JimVarney
846* Creator/TomVaughanLawlor
847* Creator/JohnVernon
848* Creator/SaraVickers
849* Creator/ElliotVillar
850* Creator/GoranVisnjic
851* Creator/AlexanderVlahos
852* Creator/JonVoight
853* Creator/MaxVonSydow
854* Creator/BeckyWahlstrom
855* Creator/RalphWaite
856* Creator/ChristopherWalken
857* Creator/EamonnWalker: The first black actor to play ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'' at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and also played Mark Anthony in ''Theatre/JuliusCaesar''.
858* Creator/PollyWalker (Atia of the Julii of ''Series/{{Rome}}'' fame).
859* Creator/EliWallach
860* Creator/PhoebeWallerBridge
861* Creator/GwynythWalsh
862* Creator/KateWalsh
863* Creator/JulieWalters
864[[/index]]
865* Sam Wanamaker
866[[index]]
867* Creator/ZoeWanamaker
868* Creator/LallaWard
869* Creator/DavidWarner
870* Creator/DenzelWashington
871* Creator/KenWatanabe
872* Creator/MatthewWaterhouse
873* Creator/SamWaterston
874* Creator/EmilyWatson
875* Creator/RubyWax
876* Creator/FritzWeaver
877* Creator/SigourneyWeaver
878* Creator/HugoWeaving
879* Creator/PeterWeller
880* Creator/OrsonWelles: Involved in a number of Shakespeare productions early in his career, including directing, at the age of 20, the celebrated "Voodoo ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''", which transplanted the action to Haiti and featured an entirely African-American cast.
881* Creator/DavidWenham
882* Creator/DominicWest
883* Creator/SamuelWest: Spent two seasons with the Royal Shaekspeare Company, with roles including Hamlet and Richard II.
884* Creator/BenWhishaw
885* Creator/FionnWhitehead
886* Creator/BillieWhitelaw
887* Creator/MayWhitty
888* Creator/DianneWiest
889* Creator/TomWilkinson
890* Creator/OliviaWilliams
891* Creator/RobinWilliams
892* Creator/WadeWilliams
893* Creator/NicolWilliamson: Best known as Merlin in John Boorman's ''Film/{{Excalibur}}''; his Theatre/{{Hamlet}} in the late '60s was wildly successful in both London and New York and then filmed (with Anthony Hopkins as Claudius) in 1969.
894* Creator/RichardWilson
895* Creator/RuthWilson
896* Creator/StuartWilson
897* Creator/PenelopeWilton (aka [[Series/DoctorWho Harriet Jones, Prime Minister]][[note]] Yes, we know who you are[[/note]] and [[Series/DowntonAbbey Isobel Crawley]]) is a Royal National Theatre veteran many times over with a CV that includes [[Creator/AntonChekhov Chekhov]] and [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]]. (Yes, [[RunningGag we know who she is]].)
898* Creator/PhilipWinchester
899* Creator/BarbaraWindsor
900* Creator/KateWinslet
901* Creator/RayWinstone
902* Creator/FinnWittrock
903* Creator/JohnWood: Joined the RSC in 1971.
904* Creator/AlfreWoodard
905* Creator/EdwardWoodward
906* Creator/AlisonWright
907* Creator/JeffreyWright
908* Creator/KitYoung
909* Creator/MichaelYork
910* Creator/HarrisYulin
911* Creator/ShaneZaza
912[[/folder]]
913
914[[/index]]

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