Skip to content
MovieCove
Stanley Townsend

Stanley Townsend

Actor · Born August 20, 1961 (65) · Dublin, Ireland

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.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 20, 1961 (65)
From
Dublin, Ireland
Works as
Actor
Titles
64 on MovieCove · 100 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What are Stanley Townsend's films like?

Across their 28 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
26%
Bonds
21%
Survival
15%
Morality
13%
Society
12%
Power
8%
Ideas
4%
Purpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 24 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 17 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 14 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 4 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 7

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Threshold guardian: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Threshold guardian
3 of 7
Mentor
2 of 7
Shadow
1 of 7
Herald
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Melancholic
11
Warm
6
Bittersweet
9
Dread
5
Other
32

How their films linger

Bittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet16
  • Ambiguous7

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 Stanley Townsend's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 45 of their 64 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Stanley Townsend'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

100 credits, 64 with a MovieCove page.

  • National Theatre Live: Golden Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Mr. Bonaparte

  • The Uprising(2026)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Time in a Cinema(2026)

    as Harry Conway

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Jay Kelly(2025)

    as First Voice (voice)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: Retrograde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Mr Parks

  • Kaos(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · as President Minos

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Teacher(2023)

    as Simon Cohen

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Regime(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · as Emil Bartos

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Blackshore(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · as Bill McGuire

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Kinked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Actor

  • Andor(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Commandant Jayhold Beehaz

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Becoming Elizabeth(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · as Anthony Denny

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Phil Lynott: The Long Goodbye(2022)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • About Joan(2022)

    as Doug

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Song of Names(2019)

    as Gilbert

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar(2019)

    as Sir Constance

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • A Girl from Mogadishu(2019)

    as Joe Costello

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Spy(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · as General Ad-Din

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • National Theatre Live: All About Eve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Addison Dewett

  • Traitors(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · as Henry

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Resistance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 5 episodes · as Senator Daniel Shea

  • Psychomanteum(2018)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Current War(2017)

    as Franklin Pope

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Thin Lizzy: Rocker on the Loose(2018)

    as Narration

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Florence Foster Jenkins(2016)

    as Phineas Stark

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Galavant(2015)

    Show 14 episodes · as King of Valencia

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Der Medicus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · as Bar Kappara

  • Standby(2014)

    as Paul

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: King Lear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as The Earl of Kent

  • New Worlds(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Colonel Blood

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Quirke(2013)

    Show 3 episodes · as Inspector Hackett

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Fleming(2014)

    Show 4 episodes · as Colonel William Donovan

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Voices(2014)

    as Sheriff Weinbacher

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Physician(2013)

    as Bar Kappara

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Toast of London(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • One Chance(2013)

    as Luciano Pavarotti

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Lovely Louise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Bill

  • Burton and Taylor(2013)

    as Milton Katselas

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Ripper Street(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Aiden Galvin

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Hollow Crown(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · as Warwick

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Titanic: Blood and Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Rex Riley

  • Call the Midwife(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Father Joe

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Fresh Meat(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as John Frobisher

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Cars 2(2011)

    as Victor Hugo / Vladimir Trunkov / Ivan the Tow Truck (voice)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Killing Bono(2011)

    as Danny Machin

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Zen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · as Moscati

  • Sherlock(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Angelo

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • The Pizza Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Gianni

  • Hard Times(2009)

    as Inspector Brian Hogan

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: Phèdre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Theseus

  • Hilde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as David O. Selznick

  • Whistleblower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 2 episodes · as Michael Neary

  • Happy-Go-Lucky(2008)

    as Tramp

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Ashes to Ashes(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Sacks

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Flawless(2007)

    as Henry

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Saddam's Tribe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Saddam

  • The Nativity Story(2006)

    as Zechariah

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Thin Lizzy: Outlawed - The Real Phil Lynott (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Narrator

  • Rough Diamond(2006)

    Show as Charlie Carrick

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Isolation(2005)

    as Garda Hourigan

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Omagh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Sam Pollock

  • Dot.Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Capt. Tommy Byrnes

  • Fallen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Mara

  • Rory O'Shea Was Here(2004)

    as Interview Panelist

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Libertine(2004)

    as Keown

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Wondrous Oblivion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Victor

  • Murder City(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Hustle(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Johnny Keyes

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Mystics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Mickey Mac

  • Byron(2003)

    as Turkish Governor

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • What a Girl Wants(2003)

    as Bride's Father

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Commander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Monsieur N. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Dr. O'Meara

  • Wire in the Blood(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Foyle's War(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Jose De Perez

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • MI-5(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Roy Woodring

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Station Jim(2001)

    as Matapan

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • 24(2001)

    Show 5 episodes · as Anatol Stolnavich

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Waking the Dead(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · as DI Bailey

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Best of Both Worlds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 3 episodes · as Paddy

  • The Seventh Stream(2001)

    as Constable

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Rat(2000)

    as Newsreader

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Altmann's Tongue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Narrator

  • The Ambassador (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Jonathan Creek(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · as Det. Inspector Barrison

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Van(1996)

    as Des, Health Inspector

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • My Friend Joe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Mr. Doyle

  • Ballykissangel(1996)

    Show 3 episodes · as Micky Keeler

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Jake's Progress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 6 episodes · as Consultant

  • Beyond Reason (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as John Horan

  • In the Name of the Father(1993)

    as Hooker's Driver

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Snapper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Anaesthetist

  • Peak Practice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Keith Johnson

  • Heartbeat(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Igor Saukas

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Washington, Destry Rides Again

  • Parnell & the Englishwoman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · as Thomas Sexton

  • Taffin(1988)

    as Les

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Ink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Constable

  • Another Turn of the Screw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Henry James

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 96 titles, 94 of them dated from 1951 to 2026; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

The Physician (2013)

$57M worldwide

Highest rated

Rory O'Shea Was Here (2004)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

The Uprising (2026)

Film career

19512026

Peak 2013 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 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.

  • 1993Screen debut· The Snapper
  • 2016Career best· Florence Foster Jenkins
  • 2024Best so far· The Regime

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting96 of 96: 96 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score69th

By decade

1950s1 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s13 · acting2000s33 · acting2010s33 · acting2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 25 roles
9308

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 Stanley Townsend's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 35; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Midcredits score across 64 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up25
  • 50th to 74th24
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

29 of their 64 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved15
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser29
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Psychomanteum (2018)

98th percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

In the Name of the Father (1993)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 21 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 48. 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 Stanley Townsend's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles25–86 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles10–59 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles12–86 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles7–39 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles25–73 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian 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 Stanley Townsend work with?

People who share at least 2 of Stanley Townsend's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Lynch shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Producers