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Anton Lesser

Anton Lesser

Actor · Born February 14, 1952 (74) · Birmingham, England, UK

BAFTA Award nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee

Anton Lesser is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Qyburn in the HBO series Game of Thrones, Harold Macmillan in The Crown, Clement Attlee in A United Kingdom, Chief Superintendent Bright in Endeavour, and Major Lio Partagaz in Andor. An associate of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he has performed numerous Shakespearean roles on stage and television.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 14, 1952 (74)
From
Birmingham, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
65 on MovieCove · 128 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 1% in 30 days

What are Anton Lesser's films like?

Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 97th 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
Morality
27%
Bonds
18%
Self
15%
Society
14%
Survival
12%
Power
9%
Ideas
4%
Justice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 9 · Intense 5

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 1

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 1 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 9

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 3 of 9 analyzed roles.

Shadow
3 of 9
Ally
2 of 9
Mentor
2 of 9
Herald
1 of 9
Threshold guardian
1 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
14
Hopeful
7
Warm
4
Dread
4
Other
11

How their films linger

Thought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

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 Anton Lesser's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 50 of their 65 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (21).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Anton Lesser'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

128 credits, 65 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • ViQueens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Lars (voice)

  • Faraway Home(2026)

    as Mr. Senesh

  • The Yellow Tie(2025)

    as Martin Steinke

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Beshert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Mr Pinsky

  • The World Will Tremble(2025)

    as Robbi Schulman

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Better(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · as Vernon Marley

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • 1899(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Mr. Franklin

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Andor(2022)

    Show 24 episodes · as Major Partagaz

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Benediction(2021)

    as Stephen Tennant (Older)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Dalgliesh(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Father John

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • From A Strange Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Professor Dr Wolfgang Engel

  • Doughnut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Thanks

  • Kindred(2020)

    as Dr. Richards

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Gatecrash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Sid

  • The Courier(2020)

    as Bertrand

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Trial of Christine Keeler(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · as Michael Eddowes

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • A Discovery of Witches(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Rabbi Loew

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Disobedience(2017)

    as Rav Krushka

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Killing Eve(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Robert

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • On Chesil Beach(2017)

    as Reverend Woollett

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Exception(2016)

    as General Falkenberg

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • A United Kingdom(2016)

    as Prime Minister Attlee

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Allied(2016)

    as Emmanuel Lombard

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Crown(2016)

    Show 10 episodes · as Harold Macmillan

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Hooten & The Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Dickensian(2015)

    Show 20 episodes · as Fagin

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Life in Squares(2015)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dr. Hyslop

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Qyburn

  • Wolf Hall(2015)

    Show 6 episodes · as Thomas More

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Game(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as C

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Closer to the Moon(2014)

    as Holban

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Musketeers(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • The Escape Artist(2013)

    Show 3 episodes · as Richard Mayfield QC

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Atlantis(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Kyros

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • Endeavour(2012)

    Show 35 episodes · as CS Reginald Bright

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Father Brown(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Father Ignatius

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Spies of Warsaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · as Doctor Lapp

  • Ripper Street(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dr. Karl Crabbe

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Secret State(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sir Michael Rix

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Scapegoat(2012)

    as Father McReady

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Hollow Crown(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · as Exeter

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • The Lady(2011)

    as Professor Finnis

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

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

    as Bruno

  • The Man who Crossed Hitler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Rudolf Olden

  • The Hour(2011)

    Show 6 episodes · as Clarence Fendley

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides(2011)

    as Lord John Carteret

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Game of Thrones(2011)

    Show 22 episodes · as Qyburn

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Five Daughters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dr Nat Cary

  • Garrow's Law(2009)

    Show 4 episodes · as John Farmer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Einstein and Eddington(2008)

    as Fritz Haber

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Little Dorrit(2008)

    Show 14 episodes · as Mr. Merdle

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The History of the World Backwards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • Miss Potter(2006)

    as Harold Warne

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Vital Signs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 4 episodes · as Dr Lindsay

  • Einstein's Big Idea(2005)

    as Voltaire

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Class of '76 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Martin Gibson

  • Class of '76 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · as Martin Gibson

  • River Queen(2005)

    as Baine

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Ahead of the Class (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Graham Ranger

  • The Girl in the Café(2005)

    as George

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Dirty Filthy Love(2004)

    as Charles

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

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

    Show 3 episodes · as Charles Dickens

  • New Tricks(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

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

    as Sukowaty

  • Imagining Argentina(2003)

    as General Guzmán

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

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

    as Teyrnon (voice)

  • Danielle Cable: Eyewitness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Batten

  • The Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Stanley Hall

  • Foyle's War(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Austin Carmichael

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Bertilak / Green Knight (voice)

  • MI-5(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Nicholas Ashworth

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Dickens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 3 episodes · as Charles Dickens

  • Charlotte Gray(2001)

    as Renech

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · as Vidas Merlinis

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Uprising(2001)

    as Nathan Lensky

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Uprising (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · as Nathan Lensky

  • Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Milburn

  • Waking the Dead(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · as Professor Ray Levin

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Messiah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Samuel Waite

  • Perfect Strangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 3 episodes · as Stephen

  • Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Counsellor Doone

  • Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · as Counsellor Doone

  • Esther Kahn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Sean

  • The Miracle Maker(1999)

    as Herod (voice)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Scarlet Pimpernel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 3 episodes · as Antoine Picard

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

    Show 2 episodes · as Billy Blake

  • Vanity Fair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 5 episodes · as Mr Pitt Crawley

  • Invasion: Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 6 episodes · as Lt. Charles Terrell

  • FairyTale: A True Story(1997)

    as Wounded Corporal

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Into the Blue(1997)

    as Dr. John Ockleton

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Dusan Mesic

  • Midsomer Murders(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Eddie Darwin · as Rev. Wallace Stone

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Moonstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Ezra Jennings

  • Testament: The Bible in Animation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Joseph (voice)

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

    Show 2 episodes · as Eliav

  • Dalziel and Pascoe(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Paul Goodman

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Silent Witness(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Marcus Gwilym

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Politician's Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mark Hollister

  • Sharman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Galilee

  • Bugs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Patrick Marcel

  • Guinevere(1994)

    as Envoy

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • A Touch of Frost(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Dennis Prior

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Leontes (voice)

  • The Strauss Dynasty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Levi

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

    as Robert Cecil

  • Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story(1989)

    as Karl/Stein

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Twelfth Night, or What You Will (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Feste

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

    as Vincenzo

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

    as Stanley Spencer

  • The Play on One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Vincenzo

  • The Assam Garden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Mr. Sutton

  • Anna of the Five Towns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 3 episodes · as Willie Price

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

    Show 1 episode · as Stanley Spencer

  • Monsignor Quixote (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Robber

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

    Show 5 episodes · as Wilhelm Fliess

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

    as Valery Chalidze

  • Good and Bad at Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • The Missionary(1982)

    as Young Man at Shoot

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • King Lear(1982)

    as Edgar

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Troilus & Cressida (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Troilus

  • The Cherry Orchard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Trofimov

  • The Serpent Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · as Orestes

  • The Mill on the Floss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 6 episodes · as Philip Wakem

  • The Mill on the Floss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Philip Wakem

  • Nova(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Voltaire

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • A Blue Butterfly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Santo Subito! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Father Mattew

  • Tick Tick Tick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Narrator

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 127 titles, 123 of them dated from 1974 to 2025; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

Miss Potter (2006)

$35M worldwide

Highest rated

Endeavour (2012)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Andor (2022)

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19742025

Peak 2017 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 3 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
Acting126 of 127: 126 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndOther crew1 of 127: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s4 · acting1980s16 · acting1990s21 · acting2000s36 · acting2010s33 · acting2020s13 · 12 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 12th · top billed in 0% of 26 roles
82020717

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

3 major nominations and no wins, 2016–2018.

  1. 2018
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated ×2 · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  2. 2016
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor

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 Anton Lesser's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of the 30 of 31 with a score; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 64 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up42
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

33 of their 64 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved17
  • Crowd Pleaser33
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · actor

Guinevere (1994)

75th percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Game of Thrones (2011)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 50. 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 Anton Lesser's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, 2 of the 5 categories sit near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 32 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles13–54 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles14–46 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian 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 Anton Lesser work with?

People who share at least 2 of Anton Lesser's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Abigail Thaw shares the most, 2.

Actors

Composers

Producers