Biography
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (/ˈbrænə/ BRAN-ə; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. His accolades include an Academy Award, four BAFTAs, two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Olivier Award. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in 2012 and was given Freedom of the City in his native Belfast in 2018. In 2020, he was ranked in 20th pla...
Known For
Complete Filmography
The Thomas Crown Affair
2027
A reimagining of the 1968 film, but set in Europe. Plot TBA.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
2026
Miranda's career goes into decline, forcing her to go face-to-face with Emily, now a major executive at a luxury group, whose advertising dollars Mira...

The King of Kings
2025
as Charles Dickens (voice)
Charles Dickens tells his young son Walter the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vi...

A Haunting in Venice
2023
as Hercule Poirot
Celebrated sleuth Hercule Poirot, now retired and living in self-imposed exile in Venice, reluctantly attends a Halloween séance at a decaying, haunte...

A Haunting in Venice
2023
Director, Producer
Celebrated sleuth Hercule Poirot, now retired and living in self-imposed exile in Venice, reluctantly attends a Halloween séance at a decaying, haunte...

Oppenheimer
2023
as Niels Bohr
The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba
2022
as Self
Reflecting Peter O'Toole's theatrical legacy, this feature documentary is structured into four acts, each introduced by a quote about O'Toole that enc...

Denzel Washington: A Model American
2022
as Self
In 30 years of a deeply committed career and 50 roles, Denzel Washington, double-Oscar winner, placed the figure of the Black man in all its complexit...

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder
2022
as Self - Director (archive footage)
Settle in with the likes of Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Tessa Thompson, and as they divulge the secrets behin...

Death on the Nile
2022
as Hercule Poirot
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfec...

Death on the Nile
2022
Director, Producer
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfec...

Fireheart
2022
as Shawn Nolan (voice)
The film explores the world of firefighters in 1920s New York City and tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who will have to become a hero in order t...

Belfast
2021
Producer, Director, Writer
Buddy is a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his b...

Looking at the World in a New Way: The Making of ‘Tenet’
2020
as Self
A look behind the scenes of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

Tenet
2020
as Sator
Armed with only one word - Tenet - and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of internation...

Artemis Fowl
2020
Director, Producer
Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old genius and descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds. He soon finds himself in an epic battle against a race of ...

Lost Lives
2019
This poignant testament to the physical and emotional cost of war, centres on the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

All Is True
2018
as William Shakespeare
London, June 29th, 1613. The Globe Theater, ran by the famous playwright William Shakespeare, accidentally burns to ashes. Seriously affected, he stop...

All Is True
2018
Director, Producer
London, June 29th, 1613. The Globe Theater, ran by the famous playwright William Shakespeare, accidentally burns to ashes. Seriously affected, he stop...

Avengers: Infinity War
2018
as Asgardian Distress Call (voice) (uncredited)
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from ...

Murder on the Orient Express
2017
as Hercule Poirot
Genius Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of an American tycoon aboard the Orient Express train.

Murder on the Orient Express
2017
Director, Producer
Genius Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of an American tycoon aboard the Orient Express train.

Dunkirk
2017
as Commander Bolton
The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army...

Branagh Theatre Live: The Entertainer
2016
as Archie Rice
Set against the backdrop of post-war Britain, John Osborneʼs modern classic conjures the seedy glamour of the old music halls for an explosive examina...

Mindhorn
2016
as Himself
A washed up actor best known for playing the title character in the 1980s detective show "Mindhorn" must work with the police when a serial killer say...

Branagh Theatre Live: Romeo and Juliet
2016
Director
Live theatre presentation of Shakespeare's classic play about two teenagers from warring families whose love affair ends in tragedy.

Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale
2015
as Leontes
A jealous king jeopardizes his family, friendships and succession.

Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale
2015
Director
A jealous king jeopardizes his family, friendships and succession.

Cinderella
2015
Director
When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, ...

Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
2014
as Self
A look at the story behind Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from all of the Marvel...

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
2014
as Viktor Cherevin
Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
2014
Director
Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.

Thor: The Dark World
2013
Producer
Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Fa...

National Theatre Live: Macbeth
2013
as Macbeth, Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, general in the King's army
Performing from within the walls of a deconsecrated Manchester church, Kenneth Branagh takes the lead role in this ambitious production of William Sha...

National Theatre Live: Macbeth
2013
Stage Director
Performing from within the walls of a deconsecrated Manchester church, Kenneth Branagh takes the lead role in this ambitious production of William Sha...

Stars In Shorts
2012
as Mark Snow
Seven short films, all of which feature name actors, including Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth, Lily Tomlin, Keira Knightley, Jesse Tyler Fer...

London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder
2012
as Isambard Kingdom Brunel
The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes ...

My Week with Marilyn
2011
as Sir Laurence Olivier
London, 1956. Genius actor and film director Laurence Olivier is about to begin the shooting of his upcoming movie, premiered in 1957 as The Prince an...

Discovering Hamlet
2011
as Hamlet (archive footage)
Journey into "Hamlet"-the play and the man-through the experiences of some of the major actors and directors who have brought Shakespeare's great trag...

Thor: From Asgard to Earth
2011
as Self
A strong and fast-paced overview piece that looks at the picture's set design, the inspirations from various versions of the comic, costume constructi...

Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope
2011
as Self
A behind-the-scenes look at San Diego Comic-Con, the world's largest comic book convention, and the fans who attend every year.

Prodigal
2011
as Mark Snow
A father seeks to rescue his daughter from two organizations intent on acquiring her "special" abilities.

Thor
2011
Director
Against his father Odin's will, The Mighty Thor - a powerful but arrogant warrior god - recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Eart...

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story
2010
as Self
At 89 years old, Stan Lee's name appears on more than one BILLION comics in 75 countries in 25 languages. Arguably the most recognized name in comics,...

A Night at the Movies: The Gigantic World of Epics
2009
as Self
A Night at the Movies: The Gigantic World of Epics looks at Hollywood’s biggest screen spectaculars from all sides, including the genre’s beginnings, ...

A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers
2009
as Self
A look at thrillers from all sides, including different types of thrillers and the stylistic tools filmmakers use to give their audiences a shot of ad...

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009
as Narrator (voice)
This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips and insight into what made the year so special.

The Boat That Rocked
2009
as Dormandy
An ensemble comedy, where the romance is between the young people of the 60s, and pop music. It's about a band of DJs that captivate Britain, playing ...

Valkyrie
2008
as Henning von Tresckow
Wounded in Africa during World War II, Nazi Col. Claus von Stauffenberg returns to his native Germany and joins the Resistance in a daring plan to cre...

Alien Love Triangle
2008
as Steven Chesterman
Physics lecturer Steven Chesterman finally realizes his long cherished dream of perfecting a teleportation device and rushes home to tell his wife, Al...

Sleuth
2007
as Other Man on T.V.
On his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.

Sleuth
2007
Director, Producer
On his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.

Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out
2007
as Self
Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out was a one-off, one-hour documentary/biography about Stephen Fry released in 2007 by the BBC, celebrating Stephen Fry's fiftiet...

James Ellis: An Actor's Life
2007
as Himself
Documentary tracing the life of James Ellis, one of Northern Ireland’s best loved actors.

The Magic Flute
2006
Director, Screenplay, Adaptation
During World War I, in an unnamed country, a soldier named Tamino is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from the clutches of...

As You Like It
2006
as Self (voice)
Witty, playful and utterly magical, the story is a compelling romantic adventure in which Rosalind and Orlando's celebrated courtship is played out ag...

As You Like It
2006
Writer, Director, Producer
Witty, playful and utterly magical, the story is a compelling romantic adventure in which Rosalind and Orlando's celebrated courtship is played out ag...

Walking with Monsters
2005
as Narrator (voice)
Many people think of the dinosaurs as the first inhabitants of the earth, but this prequel to the acclaimed "Walking with Dinosaurs" puts viewers in t...

Warm Springs
2005
as Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt, left a paraplegic from polio at 39 years of age, seeks out a miracle cure in the backwoods of Georgia.

Five Children and It
2004
as Uncle Albert
A Psammead is 'It', an ancient, irritable, ugly sand fairy, which five children find one day in a gravel pit. As a reward for finding him, It grants t...

The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
2004
as Self
A 2004 documentary on the first three “Harry Potter” films detailing the behind-the-scenes journey of making them.

Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic
2004
as Narrator (voice)
Documentary about the legendary American film director from his introduction to the film industry in its early years to his death in 1959.
Listening
2003
Director, Writer
At a spa where talking is forbidden, an emotionally distraught woman finds solace in the company of a kind man and the two of them gradually fall in l...
Following the Rabbit-Proof Fence
2003
as Himself / Narrator
This documentary follows Phillip Noyce as he tries to find three aboriginal girls able to act in his film Rabbit Proof Fence. The film sees a cast of ...

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002
as Gilderoy Lockhart
Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger aw...

How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog
2002
as Peter McGowan
The story of Peter McGowan, a chain-smoking, impotent, insomniac playwright who lives in Los Angeles. Once very successful, he is now in the tenth yea...

The Tramp and the Dictator
2002
as Narrator (voice)
A look at the parallel lives of Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler and how they crossed with the creation of the film “The Great Dictator,” released in ...

Rabbit-Proof Fence
2002
as A. O. Neville
In 1931, three Aboriginal girls escape after being plucked from their homes to be trained as domestic staff, and set off on a trek across the Outback.

The Beasts Within
2001
as Narrator (voice)
A closer look at the science of Human evolution, and how much early humans might've contributed to the extinction of large mammals during the Ice Age.

Triumph of the Beasts
2001
as Narrator (voice)
A deeper look at the science behind Walking with Beasts (2001)

Conspiracy
2001
as Reinhard Heydrich
At the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish...
Schneider's 2nd Stage
2001
as Joseph Barnett
Which way lies madness? A man named Joe drives his Land Rover into a remote field. The purpose of his trip is obscure. Is he scouting a location? Has ...

Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
2000
as Self / Narrator
Lon Chaney, the silent movie star and makeup artist, renowned for his various characterizations and celebrated for his horror films, becomes the subje...

The Book That Wrote Itself
2000
as Kenneth Branagh
"Vincent believes he has written the great Irish novel. When publishers turn it down he decides to prove them wrong by turning it into a movie. The fi...

The Road to El Dorado
2000
as Miguel (voice)
Stowing away after a failed con, a pair of swindlers end up on El Dorado, the fabled "city of gold", where they quickly get in over their heads when t...

Love's Labour's Lost
2000
as Berowne
A scholarly king and his three companions swear off the society of women for three years, only to have a diplomatic visit from a French princess and h...

Love's Labour's Lost
2000
Writer, Director, Screenplay
A scholarly king and his three companions swear off the society of women for three years, only to have a diplomatic visit from a French princess and h...
The Making of Walking with Dinosaurs
2000
as Narrator
A behind-the-scenes look at how the animators, sculptors and palaeontologists, using the latest state-of-the-art animatronics and computer graphics, c...

Altman on His Own Terms
2000
as Self
A look at the life and career of acclaimed independent filmmaker Robert Altman...on his own words. The genius director who shook the cinema industry w...
Wild Wild West: Loveless's Ladies
1999
as Himself
Interviews with the actresses who are the character's assistants in the movie

Wild Wild West: Evil Devices
1999
as Himself
A documentary taking a look at the giant spider and other "bad guy" weapons in the film

The Periwig-Maker
1999
as Periwig-maker (voice)
Europe; the plague years. A wigmaker, locked in his shop, observes the events and writes about them in his journal. Mostly, we see shrouded bodies, an...

IMAX: Galapagos 3D
1999
as Narrator
Retrace the groundbreaking footsteps of Charles Darwin with a young scientist as she explores the biological diversity and unique geologic history of ...

Wild Wild West
1999
as Dr. Arliss Loveless
Legless Southern inventor Dr. Arliss Loveless plans to rekindle the Civil War by assassinating President Ulysses S. Grant. Only two men can stop him: ...

It's a Whole New West: The Making of 'Wild, Wild West'
1999
as Self
This is a promotional behind the scenes featurette that originally appeared on HBO. A lot of the usual interviews and behind-the-scenes clips, but enj...

The Theory of Flight
1999
as Richard
A dreamer who aspires to human flight is assigned public service after one of his attempts off a public building. This leads him to meeting a young wo...

The Dance of Shiva
1998
as Colonel Evans
In the trenches of the Western Front in 1915, a British army chaplain is forced to question his faith as he witnesses hundreds of Hindu soldiers riski...

Universal Horror
1998
as Narrator
A documentary about the era of classic monster movies that were made at Universal Studios during the 1930s and 1940s.

Celebrity
1998
as Lee Simon
The career and personal life of writer Lee are at a standstill, so he divorces his bashful wife, Robin, and dives into a new job as an entertainment j...

The Proposition
1998
as Father Michael McKinnon
Father Michael McKinnon goes from the UK to Boston circa 1935. For unknown reasons, he avoids at all costs the most prominent parishioners, Arthur and...

The Gingerbread Man
1998
as Rick Magruder
A successful Savannah defense attorney gets romantically involved with a sexy, mysterious waitress troubled by psychopaths and dark family secrets.

Hamlet
1996
as Prince Hamlet
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother now marrying the murderer... his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.

Hamlet
1996
Director, Adaptation
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother now marrying the murderer... his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.

Looking for Richard
1996
as Self - Interviewee
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Ric...

Othello
1995
as Iago
The evil Iago pretends to be friend of Othello in order to manipulate him to serve his own end in the film version of this Shakespeare classic.

Shadow of a Gunman
1995
as Donal Davoren
The first part of O'Casey's "The Dublin Trilogy". Set in 1920, as the War of Independence rages, "Shadow of a Gunman" is the story of two young men, D...

In the Bleak Midwinter
1995
Director, Writer
Out of work actor Joe volunteers to help try and save his sister's local church for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet, some...

Anne Frank Remembered
1995
as Narration (voice)
Using previously unreleased archival material in addition to contemporary interviews, this Academy Award-winning documentary tells the story of the Fr...

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994
as Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead ...

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994
Director, Co-Producer
Victor Frankenstein is a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead ...

It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
1994
as Self
Mary Shelley created a monster in 1818, and writers, actors and filmmakers haven't been able to get enough of it ever since. The history of the creatu...

Much Ado About Nothing
1993
as Benedick
In this Shakespearean farce, Hero and her groom-to-be, Claudio, team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro, the week before their wedding to...

Much Ado About Nothing
1993
Producer, Director, Writer
In this Shakespearean farce, Hero and her groom-to-be, Claudio, team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro, the week before their wedding to...

Swing Kids
1993
as Herr Knopp, Gestapo (uncredited)
The story of a close-knit group of young kids in Nazi Germany who listen to banned swing music from the US. Soon dancing and fun leads to more difficu...

Peter's Friends
1992
as Andrew Benson
After inheriting a large country estate from his late father, Peter invites his friends from college: married couple Roger and Mary, the lonely Maggie...

Peter's Friends
1992
Director, Producer
After inheriting a large country estate from his late father, Peter invites his friends from college: married couple Roger and Mary, the lonely Maggie...
Swan Song
1992
Director
An aging actor remembers his past stage triumphs and contemplates a dim future on the stage of an empty theatre. The film was nominated for an Oscar f...

Dead Again
1991
as Roman Strauss / Mike Church
In 1949, composer Roman Strauss is executed for the murder of his wife. In 1990s Los Angeles, a detective comes across a mute amnesiac woman who is so...

Dead Again
1991
Director
In 1949, composer Roman Strauss is executed for the murder of his wife. In 1990s Los Angeles, a detective comes across a mute amnesiac woman who is so...

Discovering Hamlet
1990
as Himself / Hamlet
IN 1988, rising star Kenneth Branagh tackled the role of Shakespeare’s prince of Denmark for the first time in his professional career under the guida...

Look Back in Anger
1989
as Jimmy Porter
Look Back in Anger is a love triangle involving the brilliant-but-disaffected young Jimmy Porter, his upper-middle-class, impassive wife Alison Porter...

Henry V
1989
as Henry V
In the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.

Henry V
1989
Director, Writer
In the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.

Twelfth Night, or What You Will
1988
Stage Director, Director
The tale begins when a brother and sister are separated in a shipwreck, but survive to be washed up on the shore of Illyria. The sister, Viola, disgui...

Strange Interlude
1988
as Gordon Evans
Adaptation of an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. Strange Interlude makes extensive use of a soliloquy technique,...

Thames Wallah
1988
as Narrator
Documentary on David Triggs, who works for Thames Water, and is also a frequent visitor to India, as a consultant on the Indian Government's £200 mill...

A Month in the Country
1987
as James Soon
A destitute WWI veteran is hired to help carry out restoration work on a medieval mural in a rural Yorkshire church. While living in the quiet village...

High Season
1987
as Rick
On the isle of Rhodes, Katherine, an expatriate English photographer, lives with her daughter. A young local wants to encourage tourism, so he commiss...

Ghosts
1987
as Oswald Alving
Helene Alving leads an outwardly contented life. On the eve of the 10th anniversary of her husband's death, she is about to open an orphanage as a mem...

Lorna
1987
as Billy Martin
In the follow-up to Graham Reid’s trilogy of ‘Billy’ plays, Billy's sister Lorna Martin is left to care for their Uncle Andy. Lorna feels trapped, but...

The Lady's Not For Burning
1987
as Thomas Mendip
A war and world weary soldier tries to talk a witch-hunting cleric into hanging him; he is shaken from his quest for death when the beautiful Jennet i...

Coming Through
1985
as D.H. Lawrence
While researching the work of author D.H. Lawrence (Kenneth Branagh), Kate (Alison Steadman) begins a romance with a fellow academic, and learns about...

A Coming to Terms for Billy
1984
as Billy Martin
Belfast, 1980: July, the marching season ... Norman Martin, away for two years, returns with his 'English woman', Mavis. How will the family - particu...

A Matter of Choice for Billy
1983
as Billy Martin
Belfast 1978: the Martin family, a year on. Norman is away in England, and his eldest son, Billy, and daughter, Lorna, are in charge of their younger ...

To the Lighthouse
1983
as Charles Tansley
A faithful dramatization of Virginia Woolf's novel. A lecturer, his family, the spinster Aunt Lily, an old friend, and a student, Charles Tansley, spe...

Easter 2016
1982
as Student
Set in 2016 prior to the centennial of the Easter Rising at Northern Ireland's only integrated teacher training college. A struggle develops between t...

Too Late to Talk to Billy
1982
as Billy Martin
Relationships are strained in a Belfast family, particularly between a father and his son. First in a multi-year trilogy.

Chariots of Fire
1981
as Cambridge Student at Society Day (uncredited)
In the class-obsessed and religiously divided UK of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell, a d...

Mayday
N/A
Lieutenant Troy Brennan's reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes awry, forcing him to crash-land and survive in Russian wilderness while ev...
Atonement
N/A
Based on Dexter Filkins’ resonant New Yorker article of the same name, about Marine Lu Lobello, haunted by memories of a deadly incident in Baghdad, w...
The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde
N/A
Director, Screenplay
Described as a contemporary psychological thriller. Plot TBA.