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Nicol Williamson

Nicol Williamson

Actor · Died December 16, 2011, aged 75 · Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK

Thomas Nicol Williamson (September 14, 1936 - December 16, 2011) was a British actor. He was once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" and viewed by many critics as "the Hamlet of his generation" during the late 1960s.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 14, 1936
Died
December 16, 2011 (aged 75)
From
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 41 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 37% in 30 days

What are Nicol Williamson's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Action 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
38%
Survival
21%
Self
13%
Bonds
12%
Power
11%
Society
5%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAddiction2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 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 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 11

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 4

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 3 · Intense 9

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

15 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 5 of 15 analyzed roles.

Shadow
5 of 15
Mentor
4 of 15
Ally
3 of 15
Hero
2 of 15
Threshold guardian
1 of 15
Show the 15 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Dread
7
Melancholic
7
Warm
5
Thrilling
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous3

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 Nicol Williamson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nicol Williamson'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

41 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • One for the Money: The Birth of Rock & Roll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Spawn(1997)

    as Cogliostro

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Wind in the Willows(1996)

    as Badger

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Advocate(1993)

    as Seigneur Jehan d'Auferre

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Exorcist III(1990)

    as Father Morning

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • A Curious Suicide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Dr. Stephen McCullough

  • Chillers(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr Stephen McCullough

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Passion Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Albert Coskin

  • Black Widow(1987)

    as William

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 6 episodes · as Lord Louis Mountbatten

  • Return to Oz(1985)

    as Dr. Worley / Nome King

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

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

    Show 4 episodes · as Re Ferdinando

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

    as Malyarov

  • Macbeth(1983)

    as Macbeth

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can(1982)

    as Derek Bauer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Venom(1981)

    as Cmdr. William Bulloch

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Excalibur(1981)

    as Merlin

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Human Factor(1979)

    as Maurice Castle

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The BBC Television Shakespeare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Macbeth

  • The Word (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 4 episodes · as Maertin de Vroome

  • The Cheap Detective(1978)

    as Colonel Schlissel

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Goodbye Girl(1977)

    as Oliver Fry (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Seven-Per-Cent Solution(1976)

    as Sherlock Holmes

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Robin and Marian(1976)

    as Little John

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Wilby Conspiracy(1975)

    as Major Horn

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • I Know What I Meant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Richard Nixon

  • The Gangster Show: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Arturo Ui

  • The Monk(1972)

    as The Duke of Talamur

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Jerusalem File (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Professor Lang

  • Columbo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Eric Mason

  • The Reckoning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Michael Marler

  • Hamlet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Hamlet / King Hamlet

  • Laughter in the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Sir Edward More

  • Inadmissible Evidence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Bill Maitland

  • The Bofors Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Gunner O'Rourke

  • Of Mice and Men(1968)

    as Lennie

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Jim Fitch

  • Horror of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Robin

  • The Day of Ragnarok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Actor

  • Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Six-Sided Triangle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as The Lover

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 41 titles from 1963 to 2006; peak year 1980.

Biggest box office

Spawn (1997)

$88M worldwide

Highest rated

Excalibur (1981)

Midcredits 88th

Most popular right now

Spawn (1997)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19632006

Peak 1980 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. 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
Acting41 of 41: 41 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score59th

By decade

1960s10 · acting1970s14 · acting1980s10 · acting1990s6 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 8% of 13 roles
7580

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 Nicol Williamson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 18; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Macbeth (1983)

51st percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Of Mice and Men (1968)

Midcredits 96th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 44. 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 Nicol Williamson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 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 & Gore5 titles44–75 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles12–57 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles3–43 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles14–33 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles56–86 · median 62 · 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 Nicol Williamson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nicol Williamson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ian Holm shares the most, 3.

Actors

Cinematographers and editors