Simon Callow
About
Biography
Filmography
Bibliography
Biography
Short, stocky triple-threat talent from the English stage. A deliciously rich character actor, Callow first won notice in 1979 when he originated the starring role of the abrasively immature Mozart in the National Theater's premiere production of Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" and appeared as the opera impresario Emanuel Schikaneder in Milos Forman's film version (1984). He then went on to create a bevy of mostly comic supporting characters, notably in the Merchant-Ivory films based on E.M. Forster novels: "A Room With a View" (1986) as the Reverend Mr. Beebe and "Maurice" (1987) as schoolmaster Mr. Dulcie; he was also featured in their "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" (1990) and played Meryl Streep's sharp-tongued film director in Mike Nichols' "Postcards From the Edge" (1990).
Callow made an uncredited appearance as a music lecturer in James Ivory's well-received period drama "Howards End" (1992), played one half of a gay couple in the much talked about "Four Weddings and A Funeral" (1994), and--in a complete departure--showed up in the Jean-Claude Van Damme action feature "Street Fighter" (1994) as a pompous official of an international organization. He remained in Hollywood for a far more eagerly anticipated commercial venture: playing the hissable villain in "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" (1995).
An established theater ("Shirley Valentine" on the London and Broadway stage), TV and opera director, Callow helmed his first feature, "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" (1991) for the Merchant-Ivory team. He is also the author of the non-fiction books, "Being an Actor" (1984), "Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor" (1988), "Shooting the Actor" based on a diary he kept during the shooting of Dusan Makavejev's "Manifesto" (1988) and "Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu" (1995).
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1950
Father abandoned family eighteen months after Callow's birth (date approximate)
1973
Made professional stage debut in "The Thrie Estates" at the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh
1974
London stage debut at the Open Space
1979
Joined the National Theatre Company; where he originated the role of Mozart in their premiere production of "Amadeus"
1983
Feature acting debut, "Gossip"
1986
First collaboration with Merchant-Ivory, "A Room With A View"
1988
Acted in TV-movie, "David Copperfield" for "Masterpiece Theater"
1991
Made feature film directorial debut, "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe"
1997
Starred on the London stage in "The Importance of Being Oscar", a one-man show about Oscar Wilde
1998
Delivered an hilarious turn as the leader of a New Age Men's group in "Bedrooms & Hallways" (released in the USA in 1999)
1998
Had supporting role as the Master of Revels (censor) in "Shakespeare in Love"
1998
Cast as Rupert Halliday in the mini series "Trial & Retribution"
2003
Cast in the HBO drama "Angels in America" based on the play by Tony Kushner
2004
Cast in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera," the screen adaptation of the long-running stage musical
2004
Cast opposite Dianne Wiest in "Merci Docteur Rey"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
