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Oliver Reed

Oliver Reed

Actor · Died May 2, 1999, aged 61 · Wimbledon, London, England, UK

Robert Oliver Reed (February 13, 1938 – May 2, 1999) was an English actor known for his "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his notable films include The Trap (1966), playing Bill Sikes in the 1968 Best Picture Oscar winner Oliver! (a film directed by his uncle Carol Reed), Women in Love (1969), Hannibal Brooks (1969), The Devils (1971), portraying Athos in The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974); the lover and stepfather in Tommy (1975), Funny Bones (1995) and Gladiator (2000). For playing Antonius Proximo, the old, gruff gladiator trainer in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, in what was his final film, Reed was posthumously nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2000. At the peak of his career, in 1971, British exhibitors voted Reed fifth most popular star at the box office. The British Film Institute (BFI) stated that "partnerships with Michael Winner and Ken Russell in the mid-60s saw Reed become an emblematic Brit-flick icon", but from the mid-1970s his alcoholism began affecting his career, with the BFI adding "Reed had assumed Robert Newton's mantle as Britain's thirstiest thespian".

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 13, 1938
Died
May 2, 1999 (aged 61)
From
Wimbledon, London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
67 on MovieCove · 125 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 41 days to Oct 27Up 21% in 30 days

What are Oliver Reed's films like?

Across their 59 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 58 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 23 · Serious 12 · Dark 23

Grounded 12 · Stylized 31 · Heightened 15

Gentle 7 · Charged 31 · Intense 20

Steady 16 · Shifting 35 · Whiplash 7

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 33 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 8

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 36 · Relentless 1

A split, not a type: Casual 30 · Engaged 25 · Full focus 3

A split, not a type: Easy watch 27 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 19

Resolved 42 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

50 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 25 of 50 analyzed roles.

Shadow
25 of 50
Hero
14 of 50
Mentor
4 of 50
Ally
3 of 50
Threshold guardian
2 of 50
Shapeshifter
1 of 50
Herald
1 of 50
Show the 50 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
43
Dread
18
Melancholic
20
Thrilling
16
Absurd
13
Other
46

How their films end · 15 with a twist

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet23
  • Tragic12
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

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 Oliver Reed's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 36 of their 67 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (26).

Subscription and free streaming for Oliver Reed'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

125 credits, 67 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Larry Kramer in Love and Anger(2015)

    as Gerald Crich

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • The Devils Original on-set footage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Actor

  • Living Famously (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as (archive footage)

  • L'esattore (parodia de "Il gladiatore") (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Actor

  • Orpheus & Eurydice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Narrator

  • Gladiator(2000)

    as Proximo

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Parting Shots(1998)

    as Jamie Campbell-Stewart

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
  • The Bible Collection: Jeremiah(1998)

    as General Safan

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • The Incredible Adventures of Marco Polo(1998)

    as Captain Cornelius Donovan

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
  • The Bruce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Bishop Wisharton

  • Superbrain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Professor Norbert Marcus

  • Funny Bones(1995)

    as Dolly Hopkins

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • Luise knackt den Jackpot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Matthias

  • Russian Roulette - Moscow 95 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • The World of Hammer: Lands Before Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Narrator

  • The World of Hammer: Chiller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as narrator

  • The World of Hammer: Trials of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Narrator

  • The World of Hammer: Wicked Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The World of Hammer: Vamp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The World of Hammer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 13 episodes · as Narrator · as Self (archive footage)

  • Return to Lonesome Dove(1993)

    Show 4 episodes · as Gregor Dunnigan

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
  • Severed Ties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Dr. Hans Vaughan

  • Prisoner of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Gen. de Boisdeffre

  • The Pit and the Pendulum(1991)

    as Cardinal

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
  • That's Action (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as General Turner (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • The Word (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Treasure Island(1990)

    as Billy Bones

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • Panama Sugar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Generale

  • Hired to Kill(1990)

    as Michael Bartos

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
  • A Ghost in Monte Carlo(1990)

    as The Rajah

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
  • The House of Usher(1989)

    as Roderick Usher

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
  • The Revenger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Jack Fisher

  • Captive Rage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as General Belmondo

  • Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • The Lady and the Highwayman(1988)

    as Sir Phillip Gage

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Rage to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as General Turner

  • Skeleton Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Captain Simpson

  • Blind Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Ian Ballinger

  • The Misfit Brigade(1987)

    as The General

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
  • Master of Dragonard Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Captain Shanks

  • Dragonard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Captain Shanks

  • Gor(1987)

    as Sarm

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
  • Captive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Gregory Le Vay

  • Castaway(1986)

    as Gerald Kingsland

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
  • Black Arrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Sir Brackley

  • Christopher Columbus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 4 episodes · as Martin Pinzon

  • Masquerade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · as Peter Serkov / Wolfen

  • Two of a Kind(1983)

    as Beasley

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
  • Spasms(1983)

    as Jason Kincaid

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
  • The Sting II(1983)

    as Lonnegan

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
  • Clash of Loyalties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Colonel Leachman

  • Fanny Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Edward Widdlecome

  • Venom(1981)

    as Dave Averconnelly

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
  • Condorman(1981)

    as Krokov

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
  • Lion of the Desert(1980)

    as General Rodolfo Graziani

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
  • Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype(1980)

    as Dr. Henry Heckyl/Mr. Hype

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
  • A Touch of the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Captain Daniel Nelson

  • The Brood(1979)

    as Dr. Hal Raglan

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • The Class of Miss MacMichael(1978)

    as Terence Sutton

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
  • The Big Sleep(1978)

    as Eddie Mars

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Tomorrow Never Comes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Jim Wilson

  • Crossed Swords(1977)

    as Miles Hendon

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
  • The Ransom(1977)

    as Nick McCormick

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
  • Burnt Offerings(1976)

    as Ben Rolf

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • The Sell Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Gabriel Lee

  • Royal Flash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Otto von Bismarck

  • Lisztomania(1975)

    as Princess Carolyn's Servant

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • Tommy(1975)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Blue Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Tom the butler

  • The Four Musketeers(1974)

    as Athos

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Ten Little Indians(1974)

    as Hugh Lombard

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
  • Mahler(1974)

    as Train Conductor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • The Three Musketeers(1973)

    as Athos

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Revolver(1973)

    as Vito Cipriani

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • Dirty Weekend(1973)

    as Fabrizo

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • One Russian Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Palizyn

  • The Triple Echo(1972)

    as Arthur, the Sergeant

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • Dead Planet(1972)

    as Russ

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
  • Sitting Target(1972)

    as Harry Lomart

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • The Devils(1971)

    as Father Urbain Grandier

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • The Hunting Party(1971)

    as Frank Calder

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • Take a Girl Like You(1970)

    as Patrick Standish

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
  • Women in Love(1969)

    as Gerald Crich

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • The Assassination Bureau(1969)

    as Ivan Dragomiloff

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • Hannibal Brooks(1969)

    as Brooks

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Oliver!(1968)

    as Bill Sikes

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Dante's Inferno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Dante Gabriel Rossetti

  • I'll Never Forget What's'isname(1967)

    as Andrew Quint

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • The Shuttered Room(1967)

    as Ethan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
  • The Jokers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as David Tremayne

  • The Trap(1966)

    as La Bete

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
  • The Brigand of Kandahar(1965)

    as Ali Kahn

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • Always on Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Debussy Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Claude Debussy

  • The Party's Over(1965)

    as Moise

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
  • R3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 26 episodes · as Dr. Richard Franklin

  • The System (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Tinker

  • The Scarlet Blade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Captain Sylvester

  • Paranoiac(1963)

    as Simon Ashby

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • The Damned (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as King

  • The Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Aristides Koralis · as Joe Catelli

  • Night Creatures(1962)

    as Harry Cobtree

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • The Pirates of Blood River(1962)

    as Pirate Brocaire

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
  • The Curse of the Werewolf(1961)

    as Leon Corledo

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • The Rebel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Artist in Cafe

  • No Love for Johnnie(1961)

    as Man with Bucket on His Head (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • His and Hers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Oliver Borlinski

  • Sword of Sherwood Forest(1960)

    as Lord Melton (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
  • The Bulldog Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Teddy Boy in Cinema Fight (uncredited)

  • Hello London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Photographer (uncredited)

  • The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll(1960)

    as Nightclub Bouncer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
  • Wild for Kicks(1960)

    as Plaid Shirt

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
  • The League of Gentlemen(1960)

    as Chorus Boy (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • The Angry Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Mick

  • Life Is a Circus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Spectator at Sideshow (uncredited)

  • Upstairs and Downstairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Train Passenger (uncredited)

  • Knight Errant Limited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Benny Falconer

  • The Third Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Pepi

  • The Captain's Table(1959)

    as Suntanning Passenger (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • The Square Peg(1958)

    as (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • Monitor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Claude Debussy

  • Value for Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Extra (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 124 titles from 1955 to 2012; peak year 1972.

Film career

19552012

Peak 1972 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 26 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
Acting124 of 124: 124 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rd

By decade

1950s7 · acting1960s33 · acting1970s28 · acting1980s27 · acting1990s24 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 19% of 54 roles
60657075808590

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 Oliver Reed's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 66; across their 58 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Midcredits score across 67 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th22
  • 25th to 49th23
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 67 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed23

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 58 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 46. 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 Oliver Reed's work okay for kids?

Across up to 20 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 & Gore12 titles42–86 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity20 titles15–65 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles2–45 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles12–39 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense11 titles30–83 · median 64 · intenseheavier 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 Oliver Reed work with?

People who share at least 2 of Oliver Reed's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Christopher Lee shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles