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John Neville

John Neville

Actor · Died November 19, 2011, aged 86 · Willesden, London, England, UK

John Neville, OBE, CM was an English theatre and film actor who moved to Canada with his family in 1972. He enjoyed a resurgence of international attention as a result of his starring role in Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". He was appointed to the Order of Canada, that nation's highest civilian honor, in 2006. According to publicists at Canada's Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Neville died "peacefully surrounded by family" on 19 November 2011, aged 86. Neville suffered with Alzheimer's disease in his latter years. He is survived by his wife, Caroline (née Hopper), and their six children. Above description from the Wikipedia article John Neville (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 2, 1925
Died
November 19, 2011 (aged 86)
From
Willesden, London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
40 on Motif · 80 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 39 days to Oct 28Up 5% in 30 days

What are John Neville's films like?

Across their 33 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Motif score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Motif score: 31st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Motif score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Motif score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Motif score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Motif score: 44th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif 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
30%
Self
22%
Power
15%
Bonds
12%
Survival
11%
Society
7%
Ideas
2%
Deception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 32 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 10 · Serious 10 · Dark 12

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 7

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 14 · Intense 11

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

A split, not a type: Steady 20 · Shifting 9 · 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 18 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 9

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

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 18 · 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 13 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 5

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 15 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 9

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 16 · Open-ended 11 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 4 of 9 analyzed roles.

Mentor
4 of 9
Hero
3 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
23
Melancholic
17
Absurd
9
Contemplative
10
Dread
8
Other
22

How their films linger

Thought-provoking19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous6
  • 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 John Neville's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 28 of their 40 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Neville's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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

80 credits, 40 with a Motif page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Tragic Story of Nling (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    as Donkey (voice)

  • Separate Lies(2005)

    as Lord Rawston

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood North (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    as Henry Neville

  • White Knuckles (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    as Narrator

  • The Statement(2003)

    as Old Man

    Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Control Factor (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    as Director

  • Moving Malcolm (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    as Malcolm Woodward

  • The Eleventh Hour (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 39 episodes · Actor

  • Spider(2002)

    as Terrence

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Between Strangers(2002)

    as Orson Stewart

    Motif score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Sea and Stars (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Crime and Punishment(2002)

    as Marmeladov, Sonia's alcoholic father

    Motif score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Time of the Wolf(2002)

    as Preacher

    Motif score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Trudeau (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    as British High Commissioner

  • The Stork Derby (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    as Mr. Cummingham

  • The Kid(2001)

    as Banquo

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Education of Max Bickford (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Jameson

  • Harvard Man(2001)

    as Dr. Reese

    Motif score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Custody of the Heart(2000)

    as Judge Chadwick

    Motif score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Sunshine(1999)

    as Gustave Sors

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Water Damage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Jock Beale

  • Goodbye Lover(1998)

    as Bradley

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Duke (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as The Duke

  • Rolie Polie Olie(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Klanky Klaus (voice)

    Motif score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • Urban Legend(1998)

    as Dean Adams

    Motif score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Johnny 2.0(1997)

    as Mr. Bosch

    Motif score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The X Files(1998)

    as The Well-Manicured Man

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Silver Surfer(1998)

    Show 5 episodes · as Eternity (voice)

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Emily of New Moon(1998)

    Show 13 episodes · as Malcolm Murray

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Dinner at Fred's(1997)

    as Uncle Henrick

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Time to Say Goodbye?(1997)

    as Michigan Judge

    Motif score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Regeneration(1997)

    as Dr. Yealland

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Fifth Element(1997)

    as General Staedert

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Swann (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)

    as Cruzzi

  • Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework(1997)

    as Shopkeeper

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • High School High(1996)

    as Thaddeus Clark

    Motif score: 26th percentile of all films

  • FX: The Series (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Oscar Hammond

  • Sabotage(1996)

    as Professor Follenfant

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Song Spinner (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)

    as Frilo, The Magnificent

  • Dangerous Minds(1995)

    as Waiter

    Motif score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Little Women(1994)

    as Mr. Laurence

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Message for Posterity (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    as Sir David Browning

  • The Road to Wellville(1994)

    as Endymion Hart-Jones

    Motif score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Baby's Day Out(1994)

    as Mr. Andrews

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Viper (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Leonard Price

  • Dieppe (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    as Gen. Sir Alan Brooke

  • Stark (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · as De Quincy

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 8 episodes · as Well-Manicured Man

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Journey to the Center of the Earth(1993)

    as Dr. Cecil Chambers

    Motif score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Class of '96 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor Hilton

  • Johann's Gift to Christmas (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    as Viktor (voice)

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

    Show 1 episode · as Sir David Browning

  • Grand (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 25 episodes · as Desmond

  • The Adventures of Baron Munchausen(1988)

    as Hieronymus Karl Frederick Baron von Munchausen

    Motif score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Holodeck Isaac Newton

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Heart of a Dragon (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1987)

    as Narrator

  • Riel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)

    as General Garnet Wolseley

  • Paradise Restored (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    as John Milton

  • The Protectors(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Shirley's World (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Third Party (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    as Andrew

  • The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Thorndyke

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • The Adventures of Gerard(1970)

    as Duke of Wellington

    Motif score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Shadows of Fear (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Pickering

  • The First Churchills (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 12 episodes · as John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

  • ITV Saturday Night Theatre (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry

  • Stand by Your Screen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)

    as Christopher Gritter

  • Shaggy Dog (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)

    as Wilkie

  • The Company of Five (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Christopher Gritter · as Gareth Owen MP · as James Conroy · as Mr Wilkie · as Peter Sinclair · as Quinn

  • George's Room (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)

    as The Man

  • Half Hour Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as The Man

  • Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Jonathan

  • A Study in Terror(1965)

    as Sherlock Holmes

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Wednesday Play (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Insp. Franz Mittermayer

  • Theatre 625 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Maxime / Saint-Just

  • Unearthly Stranger(1963)

    as Dr. Mark Davidson

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Billy Budd(1962)

    as Julian Ratcliffe, 2nd Lieutenant

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • I Like Money(1961)

    as Roger

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Oscar Wilde(1960)

    as Lord Alfred Douglas

    Motif score: 64th percentile of all films

  • H.C. Andersens sagor (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 80 titles from 1952 to 2006; peak year 1997.

Biggest box office

The X Files (1998)

$189M worldwide

Highest rated

Billy Budd (1962)

Motif 96th

Most popular right now

Urban Legend (1998)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19522006

Peak 1997 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 2 Motif 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
Acting80 of 80: 80 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Motif score52nd

By decade

1950s1 · acting1960s15 · acting1970s8 · acting1980s3 · acting1990s34 · acting2000s19 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 15% of 20 roles
6297

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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, 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 John Neville's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 32 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 41st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Motif score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 40 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed19

Most divisive · actor

The Kid (2001)

81st percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The X-Files (1993)

Motif 98th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 32 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif 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 John Neville's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 Motif titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles9–75 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles9–67 · median 42 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles16–71 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles15–48 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles21–72 · median 41 · 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 John Neville work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Neville's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Hugh Jones shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers