Acting · Dublin, Ireland · Born August 20, 1961
Stanley Townsend (born August 1961) is an Irish actor. Townsend was born and brought up in Dublin. After attending Wesley College, Dublin, he studied mathematics and civil engineering at Trinity College. While there he joined the Dublin University Players, the college's Amateur Dramatic Society. He later co-founded co-operative theatre company Rough Magic with writer/director Declan Hughes and theatre director Lynne Parker, performing in numerous productions including The Country Wife, Nightshade, and Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He subsequently went on to perform in several productions at The Gate and The Abbey Theatres in Dublin. In London, he has worked with such directors as Sam Mendes in The Plough and the Stars, Richard Eyre in Guys and Dolls and Rufus Norris in Under the Blue Sky. Theatre appearances at the Royal Court include The Alice Trilogy directed by Ian Rickson and Shining City directed by Conor McPherson, for which he won an Irish Theatre Award and was nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor in 2004. Townsend's television work began on a number of shows for RTÉ in Dublin. Since moving to London, television appearances have included Spooks, The Commander, Hustle, Waking the Dead, and Omagh Bombing. ilm credits include Mike Newell's Into the West, Jim Sheridan's In the Name of the Father with Daniel Day-Lewis, The Van by Stephen Frears, Peter Greenaway's The Tulse Luper Suitcases, The Libertine with Johnny Depp, Paul Morrison's Wondrous Oblivion with Delroy Lindo, John Boorman's The Tiger's Tale and Michael Radford's Flawless. He currently lives in London.
MovieThe Uprising
2026
MovieOnce Upon a Time in a Cinema
2026
as Harry Conway
MovieJay Kelly
2025
as First Voice (voice)
MovieNational Theatre Live: Retrograde
2025
as Mr Parks
TVKAOS
2024
as President Minos
MovieThe Teacher
2024
as Simon Cohen
TVThe Regime
2024
as Emil Bartos
TVBlackshore
2024
as Bill McGuire
MovieKinked
2023
TVAndor
2022
as Commandant Jayhold Beehaz
TVBecoming Elizabeth
2022
as Anthony Denny
MoviePhil Lynott: The Long Goodbye
2022
as Narrator
MovieThe Song of Names
2019
as Gilbert
MovieAgatha and the Curse of Ishtar
2019
as Sir Constance
MovieA Girl from Mogadishu
2019
as Joe Costello
TVThe Spy
2019
as General Ad-Din
MovieNational Theatre Live: All About Eve
2019
as Addison Dewett
TVTraitors
2019
as Henry
TVResistance
2019
as Senator Daniel Shea
MoviePsychomanteum
2018
as Narrator
MovieThe Current War
2018
as Franklin Pope
MovieFlorence Foster Jenkins
2016
as Phineas Stark
TVGalavant
2015
as King of Valencia
TVDer Medicus
2014
as Bar Kappara
MovieStandby
2014
as Paul
MovieNational Theatre Live: King Lear
2014
as The Earl of Kent
TVNew Worlds
2014
as Colonel Blood
TVQuirke
2014
as Inspector Hackett
TVFleming
2014
as Colonel William Donovan
MovieThe Voices
2014
as Sheriff Weinbacher
MovieThe Physician
2013
as Bar Kappara
TVToast of London
2013
MovieOne Chance
2013
as Luciano Pavarotti
MovieLovely Louise
2013
as Bill
MovieBurton and Taylor
2013
as Milton Katselas
TVRipper Street
2012
as Aiden Galvin
TVThe Hollow Crown
2012
as Warwick
TVTitanic: Blood and Steel
2012
as Rex Riley
TVCall the Midwife
2012
as Father Joe
TVFresh Meat
2011
as John Frobisher
MovieCars 2
2011
as Victor Hugo / Vladimir Trunkov / Ivan the Tow Truck (voice)
MovieKilling Bono
2011
as Danny Machin
TVZen
2011
as Moscati
TVSherlock
2010
as Angelo
MovieThe Pizza Miracle
2010
as Gianni
MovieHoly Water
2009
as Inspector Brian Hogan
MovieNational Theatre Live: Phèdre
2009
as Theseus
MovieHilde
2009
as David O. Selznick
TVWhistleblower
2008
as Michael Neary
MovieHappy-Go-Lucky
2008
as Tramp
TVAshes to Ashes
2008
as Sacks
MovieFlawless
2007
as Henry
MovieSaddam's Tribe
2007
as Saddam
MovieThe Nativity Story
2006
as Zechariah
MovieThin Lizzy: Outlawed - The Real Phil Lynott
2006
as Narrator
MovieIsolation
2005
as Garda Hourigan
MovieOmagh
2005
as Sam Pollock
MovieDot.Kill
2005
as Capt. Tommy Byrnes
MovieFallen
2004
as Mara
MovieInside I'm Dancing
2004
as Interview Panelist
MovieThe Libertine
2004
as Keown
MovieWondrous Oblivion
2004
as Victor
TVMurder City
2004
TVHustle
2004
as Johnny Keyes
MovieMystics
2003
as Mickey Mac
MovieByron
2003
as Turkish Governor
MovieWhat a Girl Wants
2003
as Bride's Father
TVThe Commander
2003
MovieMonsieur N.
2003
as Dr. O'Meara
TVWire in the Blood
2002
TVFoyle's War
2002
as Jose De Perez
TVSpooks
2002
as Roy Woodring
Station Jim
2001
as Matapan
TV24
2001
as Anatol Stolnavich
TVWaking the Dead
2001
as DI Bailey
MovieRat
2000
as Newsreader
Altmann's Tongue
2000
as Narrator
TVThe Ambassador
1998
TVJonathan Creek
1997
as Det. Inspector Barrison
MovieThe Van
1996
as Des, Health Inspector
MovieMy Friend Joe
1996
as Mr. Doyle
TVBallykissangel
1996
as Micky Keeler
TVJake's Progress
1995
as Consultant
MovieBeyond Reason
1995
as John Horan
MovieIn the Name of the Father
1993
as Hooker's Driver
MovieThe Snapper
1993
as Anaesthetist
TVPeak Practice
1993
as Keith Johnson
TVHeartbeat
1992
as Igor Saukas
MovieThe Miracle
1991
as Washington, Destry Rides Again
Parnell & the Englishwoman
1991
as Thomas Sexton
MovieTaffin
1988
as Les
MovieInk
1988
TVHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Constable
Another Turn of the Screw
as Henry James
Golden Boy
