Skip to content
MovieCove
Pete Postlethwaite

Pete Postlethwaite

Actor · Died January 2, 2011, aged 64 · Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK

Oscar nominee · BAFTA Award nominee

Peter William "Pete" Postlethwaite, OBE (February 7, 1946 – January 2, 2011) was an English stage, film and television actor. After minor television appearances including in The Professionals, Postlethwaite's first success came with the film Distant Voices, Still Lives in 1988. He played a mysterious lawyer, Mr. Kobayashi, in The Usual Suspects, and he appeared in Alien 3, In the Name of the Father, Amistad, Brassed Off, The Shipping News, The Constant Gardener, The Age of Stupid, Inception, The Town, Romeo + Juliet, and Æon Flux. In television, Postlethwaite's most notable performance was as the villain Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill in the Sharpe television series and television movies opposite actor Sean Bean's character of Richard Sharpe. Postlethwaite was born in Warrington, England in 1946. He trained as a teacher and taught drama before training as an actor. Steven Spielberg called Postlethwaite "the best actor in the world" after working with him on The Lost World: Jurassic Park. He received an Academy Award nomination for his role in In the Name of the Father in 1993, and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2004 New Year's Honours List. He died of pancreatic cancer.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 7, 1946
Died
January 2, 2011 (aged 64)
From
Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
52 on MovieCove · 107 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 21% in 30 days

What are Pete Postlethwaite's films like?

Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
Bonds
22%
Self
20%
Morality
19%
Survival
13%
Power
12%
Ideas
9%
Society
7%
Family bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 40 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 9 · Dark 26

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 11

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 6 · Charged 16 · Intense 18

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

Steady 16 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 31 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 21 · Relentless 4

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

Casual 13 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 10

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 11 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 19

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 23 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 7

Roles they play

17 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 5 of 17 analyzed roles.

Shadow
5 of 17
Mentor
5 of 17
Threshold guardian
4 of 17
Herald
2 of 17
Hero
1 of 17
Show the 17 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Melancholic
24
Dread
9
Contemplative
10
Warm
8
Other
29

How their films linger

Hopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous8

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 Pete Postlethwaite's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 52 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Pete Postlethwaite'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

107 credits, 52 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Killing Bono(2011)

    as Karl

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Town(2010)

    as Fergus "Fergie" Colm

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Inception(2010)

    as Maurice Fischer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Clash of the Titans(2010)

    as Spyros

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Solomon Kane(2009)

    as William Crowthorn

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Age of Stupid(2009)

    as The Archivist

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Clough: The Brian Clough Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Narrator

  • Waving at Trains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Douglas Warren

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

    as Colin

  • Criminal Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 5 episodes · as Hooch

  • Closing the Ring(2007)

    as Quinlan

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Doc

  • The Omen(2006)

    as Father Brennan

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Valley of the Heart's Delight(2006)

    as Albion Munson

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Æon Flux(2005)

    as Keeper

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Constant Gardener(2005)

    as Lorbeer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Dark Water(2005)

    as Veeck

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Red Mercury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Gold Commander

  • The Limit(2004)

    as Gale

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Strange Bedfellows(2004)

    as Russell McKenzie (taxman)

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Wilde Stories: The Nightingale and the Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Arthur (voice)

  • Thora Hird Tribute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Deric Longden (archive footage, uncredited)

  • Cowboy Up(2001)

    as Reid Braxton

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Between Strangers(2002)

    as John

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Triggermen(2002)

    as Ben Cutler

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Shipping News(2001)

    as Tert Card

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Victoria Wood: With All the Trimmings(2000)

    as Various Characters

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

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

    Show 7 episodes · as Len Green

  • Rat(2000)

    as Hubert Flynn

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • When the Sky Falls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Martin Shaughnessy

  • Animal Farm(1999)

    as Benjamin (voice) / Farmer Jones

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Wayward Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Ben Alexander

  • Butterfly Collectors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as DI John McKeown

  • Alice in Wonderland(1999)

    as Carpenter

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Lost for Words (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Deric Longden

  • The Divine Ryans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Uncle Reg Ryan

  • Among Giants(1998)

    as Ray

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Amistad(1997)

    as Holabird

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Brute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Sincai

  • Sharpe: The Legend(1997)

    as Hakeswill

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Lost World: Jurassic Park(1997)

    as Roland Tembo

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Serpent's Kiss(1997)

    as Thomas Smith

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Brassed Off(1996)

    as Danny

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Romeo + Juliet(1996)

    as Father Laurence

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Crimetime(1996)

    as Sidney

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • DragonHeart(1996)

    as Gilbert

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • James and the Giant Peach(1996)

    as The Magic Man

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • When Saturday Comes(1996)

    as Ken Jackson

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • TFI Friday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Usual Suspects(1995)

    as Kobayashi

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Suite 16 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Glover

  • Martin Chuzzlewit(1994)

    Show 5 episodes · as Montague Tigg

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Sharpe's Enemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill

  • Sharpe's Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill

  • Sin Bin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Mitch

  • Pie in the Sky(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Kevin Tasker

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • In the Name of the Father(1993)

    as Giuseppe Conlon

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Anchoress(1993)

    as William Carpenter

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Sharpe(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Obadiah Hakeswill

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Quince (voice)

  • Between the Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Ch. Supt. Jameson

  • The Last of the Mohicans(1992)

    as Captain Beams

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Waterland(1992)

    as Henry Crick

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Alien³(1992)

    as David

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Quince (voice)

  • Split Second(1992)

    as Paulsen

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Grass Arena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as The Dipper

  • They Never Slept (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Panter

  • Hamlet(1990)

    as Player King

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • A Box of Swan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Tony

  • Kingdom Come (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Keef

  • Needle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Paula's Father

  • Debut on Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Keef · as Tony

  • Treasure Island(1990)

    as George Merry

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • El C.I.D. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Vince

  • Zorro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Bandit

  • Tales of Sherwood Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 7 episodes · as Eric

  • The Dressmaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Jack

  • Distant Voices, Still Lives(1988)

    as Father

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Number 27 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Becket

  • To Kill A Priest(1988)

    as Josef

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

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

    as Major (Rehabilitation Centre)

  • Coast to Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Kecks McGuinness

  • Casualty(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Hank · as Ralph Peters

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • ScreenPlay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Paula's Father

  • Lovejoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Terence Sullivan

  • A Crack in the Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Painter

  • Cyrano de Bergerac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Ragueneau

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

    Show 1 episode · as Kecks McGuinness · as Mitch · as Panter · as The Dipper

  • A Private Function(1984)

    as Nuttol

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Mitch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Frost

  • Fords on Water(1983)

    as Winston's Boss

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Strike: The Birth of Solidarity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Ireneusz Lesniak

  • The Muscle Market (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Danny Duggan

  • Minder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Wragg · as Logie

  • Afternoon Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Attendant in Art Gallery

  • Doris and Doreen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Mr. Lomax

  • Going Straight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Thomas Clifford Crowther

  • The Duellists(1977)

    as Orderly shaving Gen. Treillard

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Plays for Britain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Soldier

  • The Paradise Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Soldier

  • Occupy! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Player in Everyman Theatre Company, Liverpool

  • Thwum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Duffy

  • The Racer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Ecco

  • Second City Firsts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Duffy

  • Last of the Summer Wine(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Man in Cafe

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Danny Duggan

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 107 titles from 1970 to 2011; peak year 1996.

Biggest box office

Inception (2010)

$840M worldwide

Highest rated

Inception (2010)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutNomination
19702011

Peak 1996 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 8 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
Acting107 of 107: 107 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60th

By decade

1970s13 · acting1980s18 · acting1990s46 · acting2000s26 · acting2010s4 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 3% of 40 roles
7792970207

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.

Awards

5 major nominations and no wins, 1994–2011.

  1. 2011
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
  2. 2001
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actor
  3. 2000
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actor
  4. 1995
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actor
  5. 1994
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Pete Postlethwaite's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 47; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Midcredits score across 52 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 52 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · actor

The Limit (2004)

73rd percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Inception (2010)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 38 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 49. 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 Pete Postlethwaite's work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore19 titles48–84 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles8–54 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity19 titles11–88 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs17 titles9–61 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense19 titles42–82 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most 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 Pete Postlethwaite work with?

People who share at least 2 of Pete Postlethwaite's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steven Spielberg shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles