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Frank Finlay

Frank Finlay

Actor · Died January 30, 2016, aged 89 · Farnworth, Lancashire, England, UK

Frank received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations for his performance as William Shakespeare’s Iago in Stuart Burge’s 1965 film of Laurence Olivier’s staging of Othello. He also won the Best Actor Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. He later essayed the definitive screen portrayal of Alexandre Dumas’ musketeer Porthos in three movies for director Richard Lester: The Three Musketeers (1974), The Four Musketeers (1975) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989). Frank’s many other films include The Longest Day; Tony Richardson’s The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner; Martin Ritt’s The Molly Maguires; Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree; Alan Bridges’ The Return of the Soldier (for which he recieved a BAFTA Award nomination); Franco Zeffrelli’s Sparrow; and Eric Styles’ Dreaming of Joseph Lees; and most recently Roman Polanski’s multi-award winning The Pianist and Norma Jewison’s The Statement. His similarly extensive television projects have earned him two BAFTA Awards, for his performances in The Death of Adolf Hitler (starring as Hitler, with Rex Firkin directing); The Adventures of Don Quixote (as Sancho Panza, opposite Rex Harrison, for director Alvin Rakoff); the ground breaking Bouquet of Barbed Wire and Another Bouquet; 84 Charing Cross Road; and recently the critically acclaimed series The Sins. Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Finlay had already begun performing on stage when he earned the Sir James Knott Scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Since then he has led theatre companies in London and on Broadway. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1984 New Year’s Honours List, and was presented with his CBE by the Queen in February1984.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 6, 1926
Died
January 30, 2016 (aged 89)
From
Farnworth, Lancashire, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
56 on MovieCove · 136 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 41% in 30 days

What are Frank Finlay's films like?

Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 41 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 12 · Serious 12 · Dark 17

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 6

A split, not a type: Gentle 8 · Charged 16 · Intense 17

A split, not a type: Steady 20 · Shifting 18 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 6

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 25 · Relentless 0

Casual 12 · Engaged 22 · Full focus 7

A split, not a type: Easy watch 14 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 14

Resolved 29 · Open-ended 11 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

22 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 8 of 22 analyzed roles.

Ally
8 of 22
Shadow
6 of 22
Mentor
3 of 22
Hero
2 of 22
Shapeshifter
1 of 22
Threshold guardian
1 of 22
Trickster
1 of 22
Show the 22 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Dread
13
Melancholic
13
Warm
7
Absurd
7
Other
40

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet21
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Frank Finlay's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 56 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Subscription and free streaming for Frank Finlay's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

136 credits, 56 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Fifty Shades of Erotica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as (archive footage)

  • Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 3 episodes · as Alexander 'Alex' Combe

  • Merlin(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Anhora

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
  • The Waiting Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Roger

  • Johnny and the Bomb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 3 episodes · as Tom Maxwell

  • Lighthouse Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Alfred

  • Life Begins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 20 episodes · as Eric Thornhill

  • The Statement(2003)

    as Commissaire Vionnet

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
  • Eroica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Josef Haydn

  • The Lost Prince(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · as Asquith

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
  • The Pianist(2002)

    as Father

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Station Jim(2001)

    as Riorden Snr

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • The Martins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Mr Heath

  • The Sins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 7 episodes · as Uncle Irwin Green

  • For My Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Rudi Wittfogel

  • Longitude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Admiral Wagner

  • The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as General Bulstrode

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • Stiff Upper Lips(1997)

    as Hudson Junior

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
  • How Do You Want Me? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 12 episodes · Actor

  • Romance and Rejection (So This Is Romance?) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Mike's Dad

  • The Grand(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Edward Lawrence

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
  • Limited Edition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as John Rathbone

  • Gospa(1995)

    as Monsignor

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
  • A Mind to Murder(1995)

    as Professor Etherege

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor Coram / Sergius

  • Charlemagne, le prince à cheval (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · as Alcuin

  • Sparrow(1993)

    as Father Nunzio

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • The Voyeur(1994)

    as Nino Rolfe

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
  • An Exchange of Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Pavel Rhele

  • Stalin(1992)

    as Sergei

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • The Other Side (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Arthur Conan Doyle

  • Heartbeat(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Howard Franklin

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
  • Cthulhu Mansion(1992)

    as Chandu

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
  • Mountain of Diamonds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Garrick

  • Mountain of Diamonds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · as Garrick

  • Prime Suspect(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · as Arnold Tennison

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
  • The Burning Shore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · as Garrick

  • King of the Wind(1989)

    as Edward Coke

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
  • Erebus: The Aftermath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 4 episodes · as Justice Peter Mahon

  • Casanova(1987)

    as Razetta

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
  • Lovejoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Harold Plumb

  • Nineteen Nineteen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Sigmund Freud (voice)

  • Lifeforce(1985)

    as Dr. Hans Fallada

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • In the Secret State (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Frank Strange

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank Strange

  • Arch of Triumph(1984)

    as Col. Boris Morosov

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • A Christmas Carol(1984)

    as Jacob Marley

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • Sakharov (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Kravtsov

  • Sherlock Holmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor Coram / Sergius

  • The Key(1983)

    as Nino Rolfe

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
  • The Black Adder(1983)

    Show 1 episode · as The Witchsmeller Pursuivant

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
  • The Ploughman's Lunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Matthew Fox

  • The Spanish Civil War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 6 episodes · Vocals · as Self - Narrator

  • The Return of the Soldier(1982)

    as William Grey

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • Enigma(1982)

    as Canarsky

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Mona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Captain Manson

  • All for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Manson

  • Tales from the Thousand and One Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Shahriar

  • Dear Brutus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Dearth

  • Ring of Darkness(1979)

    as Paul

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
  • Tales of the Unexpected(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Pearson

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
  • Murder by Decree(1979)

    as Inspector Lestrade

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • Betzi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Napoleon

  • The Wild Geese(1978)

    as Fr. Geoghagen

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
  • The Thief of Baghdad(1978)

    as Abu Bakar

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
  • Saturday, Sunday, Monday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Peppino

  • Count Dracula(1977)

    as Abraham van Helsing

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Count Dracula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Professor Van Helsing

  • Another Bouquet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 9 episodes · Actor

  • Laurence Olivier Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Peppino

  • Bouquet of Barbed Wire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 7 episodes · as Peter Manson

  • 84 Charing Cross Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Frank Doel

  • Van der Valk and the Scapegoat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk

  • Van der Valk: Gun Before Butter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk

  • The Four Musketeers(1974)

    as Porthos

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Van der Valk and the Rich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk

  • The Three Musketeers(1973)

    as Porthos / O'Reilly

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Shaft in Africa(1973)

    as Vincent Amafi

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • The Adventures Of Don Quixote (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Sancho Panza

  • The Death of Adolf Hitler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Adolf Hitler

  • Neither the Sea Nor the Sand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as George Dabernon

  • Danny Jones(1972)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Sitting Target(1972)

    as Marty Gold

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • The Merchant of Venice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Shylock

  • Gumshoe(1971)

    as William Ginley

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • Casanova (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 6 episodes · as Giovanni Jacopo Casanova

  • In the Devil's Garden(1971)

    as Det. Chief Supt. Velyan

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
  • The Lie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Andrew Firth

  • Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dearth

  • The Body (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Narrator

  • Cromwell(1970)

    as John Carter

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
  • The Molly Maguires(1970)

    as Davies

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
  • Blood of the Lamb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Albert

  • Julius Caesar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Brutus

  • The Piano Tuner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Wilfred Tilley

  • ITV Saturday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Adolf Hitler · as Wilfred Tilley

  • This Happy Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Frank Gibbons

  • Twisted Nerve(1968)

    as Henry Durnley

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
  • The Shoes of the Fisherman(1968)

    as Igor Bounin

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Inspector Clouseau(1968)

    as Supt. Weaver

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • Les Misérables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 10 episodes · as Jean Valjean

  • Robbery(1967)

    as Robinson

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
  • The Jokers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Harrassed Man

  • Much Ado About Nothing(1967)

    as Dogberry

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • The Spare Tyres (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Council foreman

  • The Deadly Bees(1966)

    as H.W. Manfred

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
  • NET Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Marcus Brutus

  • The Sandwich Man(1966)

    as Second Fish Porter

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Othello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Iago

  • The Wild Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Drunk

  • BBC Play of the Month (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Marcus Brutus · as Sancho Panza · as Shylock · as Voltaire

  • Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as The Man

  • A Study in Terror(1965)

    as Inspector Lestrade

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • The Wednesday Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Albert

  • The Comedy Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Prout

  • Theatre 625 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr Dee

  • Agent 8 3/4(1964)

    as British Embassy Porter

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
  • The Informers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Leon Sale

  • Doctor in Distress(1963)

    as Corsetiere

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
  • The Longest Day(1962)

    as Pvt. Coke (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner(1962)

    as Booking Office Clerk (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
  • Life for Ruth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Teddy's Father

  • The Hard Knock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Franco Angelo

  • Studio 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Fernand Destayac

  • Z-Cars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Private Potter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Capt. Patterson

  • You Can't Win (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as George Lander

  • The Younger Generation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as George Tremaine · as Ross Mayer

  • Drama 61-67 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Albert Hope

  • Target Luna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 6 episodes · as Conway Henderson

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Bosun · as David Field · as Franco Angelo · as Patrick Kelly

  • Sunday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Louis

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 136 titles from 1950 to 2015; peak year 2003.

Film career

19502015

Peak 2003 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting135 of 136: 135 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thOther crew1 of 136: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1950s2 · acting1960s39 · acting1970s33 · acting1980s23 · 22 acting · 1 crew1990s23 · acting2000s15 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 6% of 31 roles
6267728292

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Frank Finlay's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 48; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 56 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 56 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned2
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed13

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 40 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Frank Finlay's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles46–86 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles10–76 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 62 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Frank Finlay work with?

People who share at least 2 of Frank Finlay's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Oliver Reed shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers