Sir Ben Kingsley is a British actor known for his extensive career on stage and screen. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career which spans over five decades, including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Grammy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Laurence Olivier Awards.
Kingsley started his career on stage when he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967, where he starred in numerous productions of William Shakespeare including King Lear (1968), Bartholomew Fair (1969), Measure for Measure (1970), The Tempest (1970), Hamlet (1975), The Merry Wives of Windsor (1979), and Othello (1985). He made his Broadway debut playing Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1971). He portrayed the title role in Edmund Kean (1983) on both the West End at the Aldwych Theatre and on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theater.
He is best known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi (1982), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He expanded his career in film earning acclaim for his performances in Maurice (1987), Bugsy (1990), Schindler's List (1993), Sexy Beast (2000), House of Sand and Fog (2003), Elegy (2008), Shutter Island (2010), and Hugo (2011). Other notable films include Sneakers (1992), Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Dave (1993), Death and the Maiden (1994), Twelfth Night (1996), Tuck Everlasting (2002), and Learning to Drive (2014). He portrayed Trevor Slattery in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, acting in Iron Man 3 (2013), All Hail the King (2014), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and the Disney+ series Wonder Man (2026). He also acted in the blockbusters Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), Ender's Game (2013). He voiced roles in The Boxtrolls (2014), and The Jungle Book (2016).
On television, Kingsley has portrayed numerous real life figures including Simon Wiesenthal in the HBO film Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989), Potiphar in the TNT miniseries Joseph (1995), Otto Frank in the ABC miniseries Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001), and Herman Tarnower in the HBO film Mrs. Harris (2005). He also played Sweeney Todd in the TV film The Tale of Sweeney Todd (1997), and Ay, the Grand Vizier in the miniseries Tut (2015). Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1972 Fear Is the Key Royale 1982 Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi 1983 Betrayal Robert 1985 Harem Selim 1986 Turtle Diary William Snow 1987 Maurice Lasker-Jones 1988 Pascali's Island Basil Pascali Without a Clue Dr. John Watson Testimony — The Story of Shostakovich Dmitri Shostakovich 1989 Slipstream Avatar 1990 Cunda A Violent Life Governor 1991 Bugsy Meyer Lansky Necessary Love Ernesto 1992 Sneakers Cosmo Freddie as F.R.O.7 Freddie the Frog Voice 1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer Bruce Pandolfini Dave Vice-President Gary Nance Schindler's List Itzhak Stern 1994 Death and the Maiden Dr. Roberto Miranda 1995 Species Xavier Fitch 1996 Twelfth Night Feste 1997 Amos Photographing Fairies Minister Templeton 1999 Harry Fertig Parting Shots Renzo Locatelli CNN Millennium Narrator 2000 Spooky House The Great Zamboni What Planet Are You From? Graydon Rules of Engagement Ambassador Mourain Islam: Empire of Faith Narrator Voice; Documentary Sexy Beast Don Logan 2001 A.I. Artificial Intelligence Specialist Voice Triumph of Love Hermocrates 2002 Tuck Everlasting Man in the Yellow Suit 2003 House of Sand and Fog Massoud Behrani 2004 Thunderbirds "The Hood" Suspect Zero Benjamin O'Ryan 2005 Charles Hatton Oliver Twist Fagin BloodRayne Kagan 2006 Lucky Number Slevin The Rabbi 2007 You Kill Me Frank Falenczyk Ambrosinus Narrator Voice 2008 Elegy David Kepesh War, Inc. Walken Guru Tugginmypudha Dr. Squires Transsiberian Grinko China's Stolen Children Narrator Voice; Documentary Fifty Dead Men Walking Fergus 2009 Noah's Ark: The New Beginning Narrator Voice Journey to Mecca Voice; Documentary 2010 Shutter Island Dr. John Cawley Teen Patti Perci Trachtenberg Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Nizam 1001 inventions and the library of secrets The Librarian Short Educational Film 2011 Hugo Georges Méliès The Desert of Forbidden Art Narrator Voice; Documentary Beatles Stories Himself Documentary 2012 The Dictator Tamir A Therapy Therapist Short film It Is No Dream Narrator Voice; Documentary 2013 Iron Man 3 Trevor Slattery / The Mandarin Ender's Game Mazer Rackham A Common Man The Man Walking with the Enemy Regent Horthy The Physician Ibn Sina A Birder's Guide to Everything Lawrence Konrad 2014 Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King Trevor Slattery Short film War Story Albert The Boxtrolls Archibald Snatcher Voice Learning to Drive Darwan Stonehearst Asylum Silas Lamb Exodus: Gods and Kings Nun Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Merenkahre Robot Overlords Robin Smythe 2015 Knight of Cups The Voice Voice Life Jack L. Warner Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse Drago the Dragon Voice Unity Narrator Voice; Documentary Self/less Damian The Walk Papa Rudy 2016 The Jungle Book Bagheera Voice Collide Geran 2017 The Ottoman Lieutenant Garrett Woodruff Security Charlie War Machine Hamid Karzai An Ordinary Man The General Also Producer 2018 Backstabbing for Beginners Pasha Operation Finale Adolf Eichmann Night Hunter Michael Cooper Intrigo: Death of an Author Henderson 2019 The Red Sea Diving Resort Ethan Levin Spider in the Web Adereth 2021 Locked Down Solomon Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Trevor Slattery 2022 Dalíland Salvador Dalí 2023 Jules Milton Robinson The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Imdad Khan / The Dealer Short film Poison Dr. Ganderbai 2024 William Tell King Albert The Killer's Game Zvi Rabinowitz 2025 The King of Kings High Priest Caiaphas Voice The Thursday Murder Club Ibrahim Arif Desert Warrior Emperor Kisra 2026 Deep Water Rich Young Washington Robert Dinwiddie TBA Post-production 2027 TBA Voice; post-production TBA TBA Post-production
Television YearTitle Role Notes 1966 Pardon the Expression Roy Episode: "The Switched-On Scene" Orlando Peter Batterby 6 episodes 1966–1967 Coronation Street Ron Jenkins 5 episodes 1973 The Adventurer Pierre Episode: "The Good Book" Play for Today Naseem Episode: "Hard Labour" Full House "A Misfortune" Cast Member Episode: "13 January 1973" Wessex Tales Lord Uplandtowers Episode: "Barbara of the House of Grebe" 1974 Antony and Cleopatra Thidias Television film 1975 The Love School Rosetti 5 episodes 1976 Dickens of London Dr. John Elliotson 2 episodes 1976–1979 Crown Court Jeremy Leigh 5 episodes 1977 Velvet Glove Chakravarti Episode: "The Warrior's Return" 1978–1979 BBC2 Playhouse IvanovRobert Cibrario 2 episodes 1982 The Merry Wives of Windsor Frank Ford Television film 1983 Kean Edmund Kean 1984 Camille Duval Oxbridge Blues Geoff Craven Episode: "Sleeps Six" 1985 Silas Marner Silas Marner Television film 1986 Stanley's Vision Stanley Spencer Television film 1988 The Secret of the Sahara Sholomon 4 episodes Lenin: The Train Lenin Television film 1989 Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story Simon Wiesenthal 1991 The War That Never Ends Pericles 1995 Joseph Potiphar Moses Moses 1997 Weapons of Mass Distraction Julian Messenger 1998 The Tale of Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd Crime and Punishment Porfiry 1999 Alice in Wonderland Major Caterpillar 2001 Anne Frank: The Whole Story Otto Frank 2 episodes 2005 Mrs. Harris Herman Tarnower Television film 2006 The Sopranos Himself Episode: "Luxury Lounge" 2014 Garfunkel & Oates Episode: "The Fadeaway" 2015 Tut Ay 3 episodes 2018 All or Nothing: Manchester City Narrator VoiceDocuseries Watership Down General Woundwort Voice4 episodes 2019 Perpetual Grace, LTD Pastor Byron Brown 10 episodes Schindler: The Real Story Narrator VoiceDocumentary 2026 Wonder Man Trevor Slattery 7 episodes The Old Stories: Moses Moses 3 episodes 2027 The White Lotus TBA Upcoming season
Theatre Year Title Role(s) Playwright Venue(s) Ref.1967 The Taming of the Shrew Huntsman William Shakespeare Royal Shakespeare Theatre The Revenger's Tragedy Lord 3 Cyril Tourneur Royal Shakespeare Theatre As You Like It Lord 2 William Shakespeare Royal Shakespeare Theatre The Relapse Wigmaker, unnamed parts John Vanbrugh Aldwych Theatre, London 1968 As You Like It Amiens William Shakespeare Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles King Lear Oswald Stratford-Upon-Avon, London Troilus and Cressida Aeneas Royal Shakespeare Theatre Much Ado About Nothing Conrade Royal Shakespeare Theatre 1969 Troilus and Cressida Aeneas UK tour Bartholomew Fair Ned Winwife Ben Jonson Aldwych Theatre, West End The Silver Tassie The Croucher Sean O'Casey Aldwych Theatre, London 1970 Richard III Richard Ratcliffe William Shakespeare Royal Shakespeare Theatre Measure for Measure Claudio Stratford-Upon-Avon, London The Tempest Ariel 1971 A Midsummer Night's Dream Demetrius Billy Rose Theatre, Broadway Enemies Sintsov Maxim Gorky Aldwych Theatre, London Occupations Gramsci Trevor Griffiths UK tour Subject To Fits Ippolit Robert Montgomery The Place, London The Oz Trial Richard Neville devised by David Illingworth and Geoffrey Roberton The Place, London 1973 A Lesson in Blood and Roses Fritz John Wiles The Place, London 1973 Hello and Goodbye Johnnie Smit Athol Fugard The Place, London 1974 Statements Made After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act Errol Philander Athol Fugard Royal Court Theatre, London 1975 Man Is Man Bonze Wang Bertolt Brecht The Other Place, Stratford-Upon-Avon The Merry Wives of Windsor Master Slender William Shakespeare Royal Shakespeare Theatre 1975–1976 Hamlet Hamlet Stratford-Upon-Avon, London 1979 Cymbeline Iachimo Royal Shakespeare Theatre Julius Caesar Marcus Brutus Royal Shakespeare Theatre Baal Baal, music composer Bertolt BrechtThe Other Place, Stratford-Upon-Avon 1979–1980 The Merry Wives of Windsor Master Frank Ford William Shakespeare Aldwych Theatre, London 1980 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Furious Gentleman, Mr Squeers, Mr Wagstaff Charles Dickens, adapted by David Edgar Aldwych Theatre, London Baal Baal, music composer Bertolt BrechtGulbenkian Studio, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Warehouse, London 1983 Edmund Kean Edumnd Kean Raymund Fitzsimons Haymarket Theatre, West End Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway 1984 Melons Caracol Bernard Pomerance The Other Place, Stratford-Upon-Avon 1985–1986 Othello Othello William Shakespeare Barbican Theatre, London
Video games
Year Title Role Notes 1995 Kiyeko and the Lost Night Storyteller Voice role 1997 Ceremony of Innocence Victor Frolatti 2010 Fable III Sabine Voice role Credited as Sir Ben Kingsley
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