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Simon McBurney

Simon McBurney

Actor, also writer and producer · Born August 25, 1957 (69) · Cambridge, England, UK

Screen Actors Guild Award nominee

Simon Montagu McBurney, OBE (born 25 August 1957) is an English Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of Théâtre de Complicité in England, now called Complicite. Description above from the Wikipedia article Simon McBurney, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 25, 1957 (69)
From
Cambridge, England, UK
Works as
Actor, also writer and producer
Titles
44 on MovieCove · 64 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 27Down 11% in 30 days

What are Simon McBurney's films like?

Across their 32 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 96th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
21%
Morality
19%
Power
17%
Self
17%
Society
11%
Survival
11%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themePower5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 28 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 5 · Dark 17

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

Grounded 9 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 8

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 11 · Intense 12

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

Steady 12 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3

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 15 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 1

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

A split, not a type: Casual 11 · Engaged 7 · 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 7 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 17

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 15 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 3 of 9 analyzed roles.

Trickster
3 of 9
Threshold guardian
2 of 9
Mentor
2 of 9
Herald
1 of 9
Shadow
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
21
Melancholic
17
Dread
12
Contemplative
9
Warm
5
Other
35

How their films linger

Bittersweet16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet22
  • 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 Simon McBurney's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 44 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Simon McBurney'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

64 credits, 44 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Betrayers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • The Actor(2025)

    as Doctor Croft / Doctor Edgarton

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Nosferatu(2024)

    as Herr Knock

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Gardening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Detective Danforth

  • A Mistake(2024)

    as Andrew McGrath

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Hijack(2023)

    Show 2 episodes · as Edgar Janssen

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Art Direction

  • Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • The Pale Blue Eye(2022)

    as Captain Hitchcock

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Can I Live? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Co-Director

  • Wolfwalkers(2020)

    as Lord Protector (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Siberia(2020)

    as Magician

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Carnival Row(2019)

    Show 18 episodes · as Runyan Millworthy

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • The Loudest Voice(2019)

    Show 5 episodes · as Rupert Murdoch

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Mercy(2018)

    as Sir Francis Chichester

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Encounter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · as Himself

  • Allied(2016)

    as S.O.E. Official

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Conjuring 2(2016)

    as Maurice Grosse

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation(2015)

    as Atlee

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Casual Vacancy(2015)

    Show 3 episodes · as Colin Wall

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • The Theory of Everything(2014)

    as Frank Hawking

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Magic in the Moonlight(2014)

    as Howard Burkan

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • For Those Who Can Tell No Tales(2013)

    as Tim Clancy

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Utopia(2013)

    Show 3 episodes · as Professor Donaldson

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy(2011)

    as Oliver Lacon

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Borgias(2011)

    Show 5 episodes · as Johannes Burchart

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Jane Eyre(2011)

    as Mr. Brocklehurst

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1(2010)

    as Kreacher (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: A Disappearing Number (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Writer

  • Rev.(2010)

    Show 19 episodes · as Robert

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Robin Hood(2010)

    as Father Tancred

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Boogie Woogie(2009)

    as Robert Freign

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Body of Lies(2008)

    as Garland

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Duchess(2008)

    as Charles Fox

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Golden Compass(2007)

    as Fra Pavel

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Bean's Holiday(2007)

    Executive Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Last King of Scotland(2006)

    as British Diplomat

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Friends with Money(2006)

    as Aaron

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Lenny Henry Live - So Much Things To Say (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Creative Consultant

  • The Manchurian Candidate(2004)

    as Dr. Atticus Noyle

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Reckoning(2003)

    as Stephen

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Bright Young Things(2003)

    as Sneath

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Elephant Vanishes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Skagerrak(2003)

    as Thomas

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

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

    as Sergei Eisenstein

  • Onegin(1999)

    as Triquet

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Inside-Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Market researcher

  • Cousin Bette(1998)

    as Vauvinet

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Midsomer Murders(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Henry Carstairs

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Ogre(1996)

    as Brigadier

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Mesmer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Franz Mesmer junior

  • Being Human(1994)

    as Hermas

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Tom & Viv(1994)

    as Dr. Reginald Miller

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • A Business Affair(1994)

    as Salesman

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Vicar of Dibley(1994)

    Show as Cecil

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Madman

  • The Crying Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Mick

  • Kafka(1991)

    as Assistant Oscar

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Performance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Pistol

  • He-Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Colin

  • Burning Ambition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Martin

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

    Show 1 episode · as Martin

  • Friday Night, Saturday Morning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Quo Vadis, Aida? – The Missing Mart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 63 titles, 62 of them dated from 1979 to 2026; peak year 2015.

Biggest box office

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

$961M worldwide

Highest rated

Wolfwalkers (2020)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutNomination
19792026

Peak 2015 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 5 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
Acting55 of 63: 55 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67thDirecting5 of 63: 4 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting2 of 63: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing1 of 63: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 63: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s14 · acting2000s13 · 10 acting · 3 crew2010s20 · 18 acting · 2 crew2020s12 · 9 acting · 3 crew

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 29 roles
91011116

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

Nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2015, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

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 Simon McBurney's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 35; across their 28 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 28

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Midcredits score across 44 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 44 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

For Those Who Can Tell No Tales (2013)

79th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Wolfwalkers (2020)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 27 reviewed titles; fans 85, detractors 54. 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 Simon McBurney's work okay for kids?

Across up to 22 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 titles20–87 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity22 titles7–73 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity19 titles13–63 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs18 titles14–40 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense18 titles23–87 · median 56 · 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 Simon McBurney work with?

People who share at least 2 of Simon McBurney's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Willem Dafoe shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers