# John Gielgud on stage and screen

Sir John Gielgud (/ˈɡiːlɡʊd/; 1904–2000) was an English actor and theatre director. He appeared on stage, television and radio and in film in a career that spanned eight decades. Film historian Brian McFarlane, writing for the British Film Institute, wrote of Gielgud that "in terms of the performing arts, it is no exaggeration to say that he towered over the century".
Gielgud, a member of the theatrical dynasty the Terry family, began working on stage in 1921 before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After completing his studies he worked in repertory theatre and in the West End before establishing himself at the Old Vic in the 1930s. He continued working on the stage until 1990 both as a director and actor. Although he made some films early in his career, he did not start working regularly in the medium until he was in his sixties; in the course of just over thirty years between 1964 and 1998 he appeared in over sixty films. He was active on television and radio, appearing in numerous plays and interviews, and was also in demand as a narrator.
Gielgud is one of the few people who have received all four major annual American entertainment awards, these being an Oscar (for Arthur, 1981); an Emmy, (for Summer's Lease, 1991); a Grammy (for Ages of Man, 1979); and Tony Awards (for The Importance of Being Earnest, 1948; Ages of Man, 1959; Big Fish, Little Fish, 1961). He also won BAFTA Awards, (for Julius Caesar, 1953; Murder on the Orient Express, 1975) and Golden Globe Awards, (for Arthur and War and Remembrance, 1988). He was awarded with a BAFTA Fellowship in 1992 and a Laurence Olivier Special Award in 1985. Gielgud died on 21 May 2000, at the age of 96.

## Stage credits
### As actor

This table contains Gielgud's known professional theatrical roles. It also contains the occasions when he both acted and directed. It does not contain those productions where Gielgud was a director but did not appear on stage.
Gielgud's stage credits :
| Production | Date | Theatre (London, unless otherwise noted) | Role | Notes |
| Henry V | November 1921 | The Old Vic | Herald | |
| King Lear | March 1922 | The Old Vic | Walk on role | |
| Peer Gynt | March – April 1922 | The Old Vic | Walk on role | |
| As You Like It | April 1922 | The Old Vic | Walk on role | |
| Wat Tyler | April 1922 | The Old Vic | Walk on role | |
| Love is the Best Doctor | April 1922 | The Old Vic | Walk on role | |
| The Comedy of Errors | April 1922 | The Old Vic | Walk on role | |
| The Wheel | September 1922 | New Theatre Oxford, then touring | Lt. Manners | |
| The Masque of Comus | December 1922 | Eton College | Younger Brother | |
| The Insect Play | May 1923 | Regent Theatre | Felix, the Poet Butterfly | |
| Robert E. Lee | June 1923 | Regent Theatre | Aide-de-camp | |
| Charley's Aunt | December 1923 | Comedy Theatre | Charles Wykeham | |
| Captain Brassbound's Conversion | January 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Johnson | |
| Mr Pim Passes By | February 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Brian Strange | |
| Love for Love | February 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Valentine | |
| She Stoops to Conquer | February 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Young Marlowe | |
| Monna Vanna | February 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Prinzevalle | |
| Romeo and Juliet | April 1924 | RADA Theatre | Count Paris | |
| Romeo and Juliet | May 1924 | Regent Theatre | Romeo | |
| The Return Half | October 1924 | RADA Theatre | John Sherry | |
| Candida | October 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Eugene Marchbanks | |
| Deirdre of the Sorrows | October 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Naoise | |
| A Collection will be Made | November 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Paul Roget | |
| Everybody's Husband | November 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | A Domino | |
| The Cradle Song | November 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Antonio | |
| John Gabriel Borkman | November 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Erhart Borkman | |
| His Widow's Husband | November 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Zurita | |
| Madame Pepita | December 1924 | Oxford Playhouse | Augusto | |
| French Leave | December 1924 | Charterhouse | Lt. George Graham | |
| A Collection will be Made | January 1925 | Oxford Playhouse | Paul Roget | |
| Smith | January 1925 | Oxford Playhouse | Algernon Peppercorn | |
| The Cherry Orchard | January 1925 | Oxford Playhouse | Peter Trofimov | |
| The Vortex | February 1925 | Royalty Theatre | Understudy | |
| The Vortex | March 1925 | Comedy Theatre | Nicky Lancaster | |
| The Nature of the Evidence | April 1925 | RADA Players | Ted Hewitt | |
| The Orphan | May 1925 | Aldwych Theatre | Castalio | |
| The Vortex | May 1925 | Little Theatre | Nicky Lancaster | |
| The Cherry Orchard | May 1925 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Peter Trofimov | |
| The High Constable's Wife | June 1925 | Garden Theatre | Julien de Boys-Bourredon | |
| The Cherry Orchard | May 1925 | Royalty Theatre | Peter Trofimov | |
| The Lady from the Sea | August 1925 | Oxford Playhouse | A Stranger | |
| The Man with the Flower in His Mouth | August 1925 | Oxford Playhouse | Title role | |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | September 1925 | Apollo Theatre | Valentine | |
| The Seagull | October 1925 | Little Theatre | Constantin Treplyov | |
| Doctor Faustus | October 1925 | New Oxford Theatre | Good Angel | |
| Gloriana | December 1925 | Little Theatre | Sir John Harrington | |
| L'École des cocottes | December 1926 | Prince's Theatre | Robert | |
| Nativity Play | December 1925 | Daly's Theatre | Second shepherd | |
| The Tempest | January 1926 | Savoy Theatre | Ferdinand | Matinees only |
| Sons and Fathers | January 1926 | RADA Theatre | Richard Southern | |
| Three Sisters | February 1926 | Barnes Theatre | Baron Nikolaj Lvovich Tuzenbach | |
| Katerina | March 1926 | Barnes Theatre | Georg Stibelev | |
| Hamlet | May 1926 | Royal Court Theatre | Rosencrantz | |
| Romeo and Juliet | June 1926 | London Coliseum | Romeo | Excerpt only |
| Henry VI | June 1926 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Richard | Dramatised reading |
| The Lady of the Camellias | July 1926 | Garrick Theatre | Armand Duval | |
| Confession | July 1926 | Royal Court Theatre | Wilfred Marley | |
| The Constant Nymph | October 1926 | New Theatre | Lewis Dodd | |
| Othello | April 1927 | Apollo Theatre | Cassio | |
| The Good Old Days | April 1927 | New Theatre | Boulter | |
| The Hectic Present | April 1927 | New Theatre | Guest | |
| The Great God Brown | June 1927 | Strand Theatre | Dion Anthony | |
| The Constant Nymph | October 1926 | King's Theatre | Lewis Dodd | |
| The Patriot | January 1928 | Majestic Theatre, New York | Tsarevitch | Broadway debut |
| Ghosts | March 1928 | Wyndham's Theatre | Oswald | Matinees only |
| Ghosts | April 1928 | Arts Theatre | Oswald | |
| Holding out the Apple | June 1928 | Globe Theatre | Gerald Marlowe | |
| Prejudice | June 1928 | Arts Theatre | Jacob Slovak | |
| The Skull | August 1928 | Shaftesbury Theatre | Capt. Allenby | |
| The Lady from Alfaqueque | October 1928 | Court Theatre | Felipe Rivas | |
| Out of the Sea | November 1928 | Strand Theatre | John Martin | |
| The Seagull | January 1929 | Arts Theatre | Constantin Treplyov | |
| Red Rust | February 1929 | Little Theatre | Fedor | |
| Hunter's Moon | March 1929 | Prince of Wales Theatre | Paul de Tressailles | |
| The Lady with a Lamp | April 1929 | Garrick Theatre | Henry Tremayne | |
| Shall We Join the Ladies? | April 1929 | Palace Theatre | Capt. Jennings | Matinees only |
| Red Sunday | June 1929 | Arts Theatre | Bronstein | |
| Romeo and Juliet | September 1929 | The Old Vic | Romeo | |
| The Merchant of Venice | October 1929 | The Old Vic | Antonio | |
| The Imaginary Invalid | October 1929 | The Old Vic | Cléante | |
| Romeo and Juliet | October 1929 | The Old Vic | Romeo | Special performance |
| Richard II | November 1929 | The Old Vic | Richard II | |
| Douaumont | December 1929 | Prince of Wales Theatre | The Prologue | |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | December 1929 | The Old Vic | Oberon | |
| Julius Caesar | January 1930 | The Old Vic | Mark Antony | |
| Romeo and Juliet | January 1930 | Haymarket Theatre | Romeo | Matinees only |
| As You Like It | February 1930 | The Old Vic | Orlando | |
| Androcles and the Lion | February 1930 | The Old Vic | Emperor | |
| Macbeth | March 1930 | The Old Vic | Macbeth | |
| The Man with the Flower in His Mouth | April 1930 | The Old Vic | Title role | |
| Hamlet | April 1930 | The Old Vic | Hamlet | |
| Hamlet | June 1930 | Queen's Theatre | Hamlet | |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | July 1930 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | John Worthing | |
| Hamlet | July 1930 | Smallhythe | Hamlet | Scene only |
| Henry IV, Part 1 | September 1930 | The Old Vic | Hotspur | |
| The Tempest | October 1930 | The Old Vic | Prospero | |
| The Jealous Wife | November 1930 | The Old Vic | Lord Trinket | |
| Richard II | November 1930 | The Old Vic | Richard II | |
| Antony and Cleopatra | November 1930 | The Old Vic | Mark Antony | |
| Twelfth Night | January 1931 | Sadler's Wells Theatre | Malvolio | |
| The Tempest | February 1931 | Sadler's Wells Theatre | Prospero | |
| Arms and the Man | February 1931 | The Old Vic | Sergius Saranoff | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | March 1931 | The Old Vic | Benedick | |
| King Lear | April 1931 | The Old Vic | King Lear | |
| Shakespeare Birthday Festival | April 1931 | The Old Vic | Hamlet | Scenes only |
| The Good Companions | May 1931 | His Majesty's Theatre | Inigo Jollifant | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | July 1931 | Smallhythe | Benedick | Scenes only |
| Musical Chairs | November 1931 | Arts Theatre | Schindler | |
| The Good Companions | November 1931 | Touring | Inigo Jollifant | |
| Musical Chairs | April 1932 | Criterion Theatre | Schindler | |
| Shakespeare Birthday Festival | April 1932 | The Old Vic | Richard II | Scenes only |
| Richard of Bordeaux | June 1932 | New Theatre | Richard II | |
| Twelfth Night | July 1932 | Smallhythe | Orsino | Scenes only |
| Musical Chairs | December 1932 | Golders Green | Schindler | |
| Richard of Bordeaux | July 1933 | New Theatre | Richard II | Also co-director |
| Richard II | July 1933 | New Theatre | Richard II | Scenes only |
| A Kiss for Cinderella | December 1933 | New Theatre | The Censor | Matinees only |
| Richard of Bordeaux | April 1934 | Touring | Richard II | |
| The Maitlands | July 1934 | Wyndham's Theatre | Roger Maitland | |
| Shakespeare Sonnets | July 1934 | Smallhythe | Speaker | |
| Hamlet | November 1934 | New Theatre | Hamlet | Also director |
| Richard of Bordeaux | April 1935 | Touring | Richard II | |
| The Player's Masque | May 1935 | Drury Lane | Mercury | Jubilee performance |
| Noah | July 1935 | New Theatre | Noah | |
| Hamlet | July 1935 | Smallhythe | Hamlet | Scenes only |
| Romeo and Juliet | October 1935 | New Theatre | Mercutio/Romeo | Also director |
| Romeo and Juliet | April – May 1936 | Touring | Romeo | Also director |
| The Seagull | May 1936 | New Theatre | Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin | |
| Hamlet | September 1936 | Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto | Hamlet | |
| Hamlet | October 1936 | Empire Theatre, New York | Hamlet | |
| Hamlet | October 1936 | St James' Theatre, New York | Hamlet | |
| Hamlet | February 1937 | Shubert Theatre | Hamlet | |
| He was Born Gay | April 1937 | Touring | Mason | Also director |
| He was Born Gay | May 1937 | Queen's Theatre | Mason | |
| Nijinsky Matinee | May 1937 | His Majesty's Theatre | Speaker | |
| Richard II | September 1937 | Queen's Theatre | Richard II | |
| Richard II | November 1937 | Golders Green Theatre | Richard II | |
| The School for Scandal | November 1937 | Queen's Theatre | Joseph Surface | |
| King George's Pension Fund Matinee | December 1937 | Winter Garden Theatre | Speaker | |
| Three Sisters | January 1938 | Queen's Theatre | Aleksandr Ignatyevich Vershinin | |
| The Merchant of Venice | April 1938 | Queen's Theatre | Shylock | Also director |
| Dear Octopus | September 1938 | Manchester | Nicholas Randolph | |
| Dear Octopus | September 1938 | Queen's Theatre | Nicholas Randolph | |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | January 1939 | Globe Theatre | John Worthing | Also director |
| Shakespeare Birthday Festival | April 1939 | The Old Vic | Hamlet | |
| Hamlet | June 1939 | Lyceum Theatre | Hamlet | Also director |
| Hamlet | July 1939 | Elsinore | Hamlet | Also director |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | August 1939 | Globe Theatre | John Worthing | Also director |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | September 1939 | Touring | John Worthing | Also director |
| Shakespeare in Peace and War | October 1939 | Touring | Speaker | |
| The Beggar's Opera | March 1940 | Haymarket Theatre | Macheath | |
| King Lear | April 1940 | The Old Vic | King Lear | |
| The Tempest | May 1940 | The Old Vic | Prospero | |
| Fumed Oak | July 1940 | Globe/ENSA tour | Henry Gow | Also director |
| Hands Across the Sea | July 1940 | Globe/ENSA tour | Peter Gilpin | Also director |
| Hard Luck Story | July 1940 | Globe/ENSA tour | Old Actor | Also director |
| The Dark Lady of the Sonnets | August 1940 | Edinburgh (ENSA) | Shakespeare | Also director |
| Dear Brutus | January 1941 | Globe Theatre | Will Dearth | Also director |
| Dear Brutus | June 1941 | Touring | Will Dearth | Also director |
| All Star Concert | December 1941 | Royal Albert Hall | Speaker | |
| Macbeth | January 1942 | Touring | Macbeth | Also director |
| Macbeth | July 1942 | Piccadilly Theatre | Macbeth | Also director |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | October 1942 | Phoenix Theatre | John Worthing | |
| The Way of the World | November 1942 | New Theatre | Mirabell | Special Matinee |
| ENSA tour revue | December 1942 | Gibraltar | Various | |
| The Doctor's Dilemma | January 1943 | Haymarket Theatre | Louis Dubedat | |
| Love for Love | January 1943 | Touring | Valentine | Also director |
| Love for Love | January 1943 | Phoenix Theatre | Valentine | Also director |
| Hamlet | July 1944 | Touring | Hamlet | |
| Love for Love | August 1944 | Touring | Valentine | Also director |
| The Circle | September 1944 | Touring | Arnold Champion-Cheney | |
| The Circle | October 1944 | Haymarket Theatre | Arnold Champion-Cheney | |
| Love for Love | October 1944 | Haymarket Theatre | Valentine | Also director |
| Hamlet | October 1944 | Haymarket Theatre | Hamlet | Also director |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | January 1945 | Haymarket Theatre | Oberon | |
| The Duchess of Malfi | April 1945 | Touring | Ferdinand | |
| The Duchess of Malfi | April 1945 | Haymarket Theatre | Ferdinand | |
| Hamlet | October 1945 | Touring: Far East (ENSA) | Hamlet | Also director |
| Blithe Spirit | October 1945 | Touring: Far East (ENSA) | Charles Condomine | Also director |
| Shakespeare in Peace and War | October 1945 | Touring: Far East (ENSA) | Speaker | |
| Crime and Punishment | June 1946 | Touring | Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov | |
| Crime and Punishment | June 1946 | New Theatre | Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov | |
| Macbeth | July 1946 | Smallhythe | Reader | Reading only |
| Crime and Punishment | June 1946 | Globe Theatre | Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov | |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | January 1947 | Touring (USA & Canada) | John Worthing | Also director |
| Love for Love | May 1947 | Touring (USA) | Valentine | Also director |
| Medea | October 1947 | Royale Theatre, New York | Valentine | Also director |
| Crime and Punishment | December 1947 | Royale Theatre, New York | Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov | |
| The Return of the Prodigal | December 1948 | Globe Theatre | Eustace Jackson | |
| The Lady's Not for Burning | May 1949 | Globe Theatre | Thomas Mendip | Also director |
| Henry IV | July 1949 | Smallhythe | Hotspur | Scene only |
| Gala: Richard of Bordeaux | November 1949 | London Coliseum | Richard II | |
| Measure for Measure | March 1950 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Angelo | |
| Julius Caesar | May 1950 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Cassius | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | June 1950 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Benedick | Also director |
| King Lear | July 1950 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | King Lear | Also co-director |
| The Lady's Not for Burning | October 1950 | Shubert Theatre | Thomas Mendip | Also director |
| The Lady's Not for Burning | November 1950 | Royale Theatre, New York | Thomas Mendip | Also director |
| The Winter's Tale | June 1951 | Phoenix Theatre | Leontes | |
| Ellen Terry Anniversary Performance | July 1951 | Smallhythe | Speaker | |
| The Winter's Tale | August 1951 | Touring | Leontes | |
| Salute to Ivor Novello | October 1951 | London Coliseum | Speaker | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | January 1952 | Phoenix Theatre | Benedick | Also director |
| Richard II | December 1952 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Richard II | |
| The Way of the World | February 1953 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Mirabell | Also director |
| Venice Preserv'd | May 1953 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Jaffeir | |
| Richard II | July 1953 | Royal, Bulawayo | Richard II | Also director |
| A Day by the Sea | November 1953 | Haymarket Theatre | Julian Anson | Also director |
| King Lear | June 1955 | Touring | Lear | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | July 1955 | Palace Theatre | Benedick | Also director |
| King Lear | July 1955 | Palace Theatre | Lear | |
| Much Ado About Nothing & King Lear | July 1955 | Touring (Europe) | Benedick & Lear | Also director (Much Ado only) |
| King Lear | November 1955 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Lear | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | December 1955 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Benedick | Also director |
| Much Ado About Nothing | July 1956 | Smallhythe | Benedick | Scene only |
| Nude with Violin | October 1956 | Touring | Sebastien | Also co-director |
| Nude with Violin | November 1956 | Globe Theatre | Sebastien | Also co-director |
| The Ages of Man | December 1956 | Royal Festival Hall | Speaker | |
| The Tempest | August 1957 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Prospero | |
| The Ages of Man | August 1957 | Touring | Speaker | |
| The Tempest | December 1957 | Drury Lane | Prospero | |
| The Potting Shed | February 1958 | Globe Theatre | James Callifer | |
| Henry VIII | May 1958 | The Old Vic, then touring | Cardinal Wolsey | |
| The Ages of Man | September 1958 | Touring (America and Europe) | Speaker | |
| The Ages of Man | June 1959 | Queen's Theatre | Speaker | |
| The Ages of Man | April 1960 | Haymarket Theatre | Speaker | |
| The Last Joke | September 1960 | Phoenix Theatre | Prince Cavanati | |
| The Ages of Man | September 1961 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Speaker | |
| Othello | October 1961 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Othello | |
| The Cherry Orchard | December 1961 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford | Leonid Andreieveitch Gaev | |
| The Cherry Orchard | December 1961 | Aldwych Theatre | Leonid Andreieveitch Gaev | |
| The Ages of Man | April 1962 | Touring | Speaker | |
| The School for Scandal | October 1962 | Haymarket Theatre | Joseph Surface | Also director |
| The School for Scandal | November 1962 | Touring (USA) | Joseph Surface | Also director |
| The Ages of Man | January 1963 | Majestic Theatre, New York | Speaker | |
| The Ages of Man | April 1963 | Lyceum Theatre, New York | Speaker | |
| The Ides of March | July 1963 | Touring | Caesar | Also co-director |
| The Ides of March | August 1963 | Haymarket Theatre | Caesar | Also co-director |
| The Ages of Man | December 1963 | Touring (Australia & New Zealand) | Speaker | |
| Hamlet | February 1964 | O'Keefe Centre, Toronto | Voice of Ghost | Also director |
| Homage of Shakespeare | March 1964 | New York/Princeton | Speaker | |
| Hamlet | March 1964 | Shubert Theatre | Voice of Ghost | Also director |
| The Ages of Man | April 1964 | Touring (UK & Europe) | Speaker | |
| Hamlet | July 1964 | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York | Voice of Ghost | Also director |
| Tiny Alice | December 1964 | Billy Rose Theatre, New York | Julian | |
| The Ages of Man | March 1965 | White House | Reader | |
| Ivanov | August 1965 | Touring | Nikolai Ivanov | Also director |
| Ivanov | September 1965 | Phoenix Theatre | Nikolai Ivanov | Also director |
| Ivanov | March 1966 | Shubert Theatre | Nikolai Ivanov | Also director |
| The Ages of Man | October 1966 | Norway | Speaker | |
| Men, Women and Shakespeare | November 1966 | Touring (international) | Speaker | |
| Oedipus Rex | 16 March 1967 | Royal Festival Hall | Narrator | |
| The Ages of Man | June 1967 | Ankara, Turkey | Speaker | |
| Tartuffe | November 1967 | The Old Vic, then touring | Orgon | |
| Oedipus | March 1968 | The Old Vic, then touring | Oedipus | |
| Forty Years On | October 1968 | Apollo Theatre | Headmaster | |
| A Talent to Amuse | December 1969 | Phoenix Theatre | Speaker | |
| The Battle of Shrivings | February 1970 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | Sir Gideon Petrie | |
| Home | June 1970 | Royal Court Theatre | Harry | |
| Home | July 1970 | Apollo Theatre | Harry | |
| Home | November 1970 | Morosco Theatre | Harry | |
| Caesar and Cleopatra | July 1971 | Chichester | Caesar | |
| Veterans | March 1972 | Royal Court Theatre | Sir Geoffrey Kendle | |
| The Tempest | March 1974 | The Old Vic | Prospero | |
| Tribute To The Lady | May 1974 | The Old Vic | Hamlet | |
| Bingo | August 1974 | Royal Court Theatre | William Shakespeare | |
| No Man's Land | April 1975 | The Old Vic | Spooner | |
| No Man's Land | July 1975 | Wyndham's Theatre | Spooner | |
| Tribute To The Lady | February 1976 | The Old Vic | Hamlet | |
| No Man's Land | April 1976 | Lyttelton, Royal National Theatre | Spooner | |
| No Man's Land | November 1976 | Longacre Theatre, New York | Spooner | |
| Julius Caesar | March 1977 | Olivier, Royal National Theatre | Caesar | |
| Volpone | April 1977 | Olivier, Royal National Theatre | Sir Politic Would-Be | |
| Half-Life | November 1977 | Cottesloe, Royal National Theatre | Sir Noël Cunliffe | |
| Half-Life | March 1978 | Duke of York's Theatre | Sir Noël Cunliffe | |
| Half-Life | January 1979 | Touring | Sir Noël Cunliffe | |
| Gala Performance | February 1984 | Duke of York's Theatre | Speaker | |
| Old Vic Tribute Dinner | May 1984 | Marriott Hotel | Speaker | |
| The Best of Friends | January 1988 | Apollo Theatre | Sir Sydney Cockerell | |
| A Tale of Two Cities | March 1988 | Royalty Theatre | Voice only | |
| Royal Birthday Gala | July 1990 | London Palladium | Compère | |

### As director

This table contains Gielgud's stage work as a director. It does not include those productions in which he also appeared, which are shown in the table above.
Gielgud's director credits :
| Production | Date | Theatre (London, unless otherwise noted) |
| Romeo and Juliet | February 1932 | New Theatre Oxford |
| Romeo and Juliet | March 1932 | New Theatre |
| Strange Orchestra | September 1932 | St Martin's Theatre |
| The Merchant of Venice | December 1932 | The Old Vic |
| The Merchant of Venice | February 1933 | Sadler's Wells Theatre |
| La voix humaine | July 1933 | Ambassadors Theatre |
| Musical Chairs | August 1933 | His Majesty's Theatre |
| Sheppey | September 1933 | Wyndham's Theatre |
| Spring 1600 | January 1934 | Shaftesbury Theatre |
| Queen of Scots | June 1934 | New Theatre |
| The Old Ladies | April 1935 | New Theatre |
| Punch Cartoons | November 1935 | His Majesty's Theatre |
| Spring Meeting | May 1938 | Ambassadors Theatre |
| Spring Meeting | July 1938 | Piccadilly Theatre |
| Scandal in Assyria | April 1939 | Globe Theatre |
| Spring Meeting | May 1939 | Brighton |
| The Beggar's Opera | March 1940 | Haymarket Theatre |
| Ducks and Drakes | November 1941 | Apollo Theatre |
| Nursery Slopes | July 1943 | Touring |
| Landscape (Nursery Slopes) | October 1943 | Westminster Theatre |
| The Cradle Song | January 1944 | Apollo Theatre |
| The Last of Summer | June 1944 | Lyric Theatre |
| Lady Windermere's Fan | August 1945 | Haymarket Theatre |
| Lady Windermere's Fan | April 1947 | His Majesty's Theatre |
| The Glass Menagerie | July 1948 | Haymarket Theatre |
| Medea | September 1948 | Globe Theatre |
| The Heiress | February 1949 | Haymarket Theatre |
| Much Ado About Nothing | April 1949 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford |
| Treasure Hunt | September 1949 | Apollo Theatre |
| The Boy With a Cart | January 1950 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith |
| Shall We Join the Ladies | January 1950 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith |
| Indian Summer | December 1951 | Criterion Theatre |
| Macbeth | March 1952 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford |
| Charley's Aunt | December 1953 | Touring |
| Charley's Aunt | November 1953 | Haymarket Theatre |
| The Cherry Orchard | May 1954 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith |
| Twelfth Night | April 1955 | Memorial Theatre, Stratford |
| The Chalk Garden | April 1956 | Haymarket Theatre |
| The Trojans | June 1957 | Royal Opera House |
| Variation on a Theme | March 1958 | Touring |
| Variation on a Theme | April 1958 | Globe Theatre |
| Five Finger Exercise | July 1958 | Comedy Theatre |
| The Complaisant Lover | June 1959 | Globe Theatre |
| Much Ado About Nothing | September 1959 | Boston/New York |
| Five Finger Exercise | December 1959 | Music Box Theatre, New York |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | February 1961 | Royal Opera House |
| Big Fish, Little Fish | March 1961 | ANITA Theatre, New York |
| Dazzling Prospect | June 1961 | Globe Theatre |
| The School for Scandal | April 1962 | Haymarket Theatre |
| Halfway Up the Tree | November 1967 | Queen's Theatre |
| Don Giovanni | August 1968 | London Coliseum |
| All Over | March 1971 | Martin Beck Theatre, New York |
| Private Lives | September 1972 | Queen's Theatre |
| The Constant Wife | September 1973 | Albery Theatre |
| Private Lives | September 1974 | 46th Street Theatre |
| The Constant Wife | December 1974 | Shubert Theatre, New York |
| The Gay Lord Quex | June 1975 | Albery Theatre |

## Radio plays

Gielgud took part in numerous radio broadcasts in his career, including interviews, poetry readings and talks about the theatre and acting. The following is a list of plays in which he was involved.
Radio plays of Gielgud :
| Play | Year |
| The Man with the Flower in His Mouth | 1929 |
| The Tempest | 1931 |
| Will Shakespeare | 1931 |
| Othello | 1932 |
| Hamlet | 1932 |
| The Tempest | 1933 |
| He was Born Gay | 1937 |
| The School for Scandal | 1937 |
| Present Laughter | 1937 |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | 1939 |
| Hamlet | 1939 |
| Hamlet | 1940 |
| The Laughing Woman | 1940 |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | 1940 |
| Prince of Bohemia | 1941 |
| King Lear | 1941 |
| The Return of Mr Oakroyd | 1941 |
| Richard of Bordeaux | 1941 |
| The Great Ship | 1943 |
| Suicide Club | 1943 |
| The Family Reunion | 1948 |
| Hamlet | 1948 |
| The Tempest | 1948 |
| Measure for Measure | 1950 |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | 1951 |
| The Cross and the Arrow | 1951 |
| King Lear | 1951 |
| Helena | 1951 |
| Richard of Bordeaux | 1952 |
| The Tempest | 1953 |
| Ivanov | 1954 |
| The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1954 |
| Henry VIII | 1954 |
| Scheherazade | 1955 |
| Present Laughter | 1956 |
| The Browning Version | 1957 |
| Oedipus at Colonus | 1959 |
| The Way of the World | 1960 |
| Richard II | 1961 |
| Arms and the Man | 1961 |
| King Lear | 1967 |
| Forty Years On | 1973 |
| Mr Luby's Fear of Heaven | 1975 |
| Henry V | 1976 |
| Much Ado About Nothing | 1976 |
| Henry VIII | 1977 |
| The Winter's Tale | 1981 |
| Passing Time | 1983 |
| The Tempest | 1989 |
| Between Ourselves | 1990 |
| Tales My Father Taught Me | 1990 |
| The Best of Friends | 1991 |
| Hamlet | 1992 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 1993 |
| Laughter in the Shadow of Trees | 1994 |
| King Lear | 1994 |

## Filmography

Filmography of Gielgud :
| Film | Year | Role |
| Who Is the Man? | 1924 | Daniel |
| The Clue of the New Pin | 1929 | Rex Trasmere |
| Insult | 1932 | Henri Dubois |
| The Good Companions | 1933 | Inigo Jollifant |
| Secret Agent | 1936 | Richard Ashenden/Edgar Brodie |
| The Prime Minister | 1941 | Benjamin Disraeli |
| An Airman's Letter to His Mother | 1941 | Narrator |
| Unfinished Journey | 1944 | Commentator |
| Julius Caesar | 1953 | Cassius |
| Romeo and Juliet | 1954 | The Prologue |
| Richard III | 1955 | George, Duke of Clarence |
| Around the World in 80 Days | 1956 | Foster |
| Saint Joan | 1957 | Earl of Warwick |
| The Barretts of Wimpole Street | 1957 | Edward Moulton-Barrett |
| Becket | 1964 | King Louis VII |
| Hamlet | 1964 | Voice of the Ghost |
| The Loved One | 1965 | Sir Francis Hinsley |
| Chimes at Midnight | 1965 | King Henry IV |
| Assignment to Kill | 1967 | Curt Valayan |
| Revolution D'Octobre | 1967 | Narrator |
| The Shoes of the Fisherman | 1968 | Pope Pius XIII |
| Sebastian | 1968 | Head of Intelligence |
| The Charge of the Light Brigade | 1968 | Lord Raglan |
| Oh! What a Lovely War | 1969 | Count Leopold von Berchtold |
| Julius Caesar | 1970 | Julius Caesar |
| Eagle in a Cage | 1972 | Lord Sissal |
| Lost Horizon | 1973 | Chang |
| 11 Harrowhouse | 1974 | Meecham |
| Murder on the Orient Express | 1974 | Beddoes |
| Gold | 1974 | Farrell |
| Galileo | 1975 | Cardinal |
| Aces High | 1976 | Headmaster |
| Caesar and Cleopatra | 1976 | Caesar |
| Joseph Andrews | 1976 | Doctor |
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | 1977 | Preacher |
| Providence | 1977 | Clive Langham |
| Richard II | 1978 | John of Gaunt |
| Les Misérables | 1978 | Monsieur Gillenormand – Marius' grandfather |
| Murder by Decree | 1978 | Lord Salisbury |
| Caligula | 1979 | Nerva |
| The Human Factor | 1979 | Brigadier Tomlinson |
| The Orchestra Conductor | 1980 | Jan Lasocki |
| The Elephant Man | 1980 | Carr Gomm |
| Sphinx | 1980 | Abdu Hamdi |
| The Formula | 1980 | Dr. Abraham Esau |
| Lion of the Desert | 1981 | Sharif El Gariani |
| Arthur | 1981 | Hobson |
| Priest of Love | 1981 | Herbert G. Muskett |
| Chariots of Fire | 1981 | Master of Trinity |
| Gandhi | 1982 | Lord Irwin |
| Buddenbrooks | 1982 | Narrator |
| Scandalous | 1983 | Uncle Willie |
| The Wicked Lady | 1983 | Hogarth |
| The Scarlet and the Black | 1983 | Pope Pius XII |
| Invitation to the Wedding | 1983 | Clyde Ormiston |
| Wagner | 1983 | Pfistermeister |
| The Shooting Party | 1984 | Cornelius Cardew |
| Plenty | 1985 | Sir Leonard Darwin |
| Romance on the Orient Express | 1985 | Charles Woodward |
| Leave All Fair | 1985 | John M. Murray |
| The Canterville Ghost | 1985 | Sir Simon de Canterville |
| The Whistle Blower | 1986 | Sir Adrian Chapple |
| Barbablú, Barbablú | 1987 | Bluebeard |
| Appointment with Death | 1988 | Colonel Carbury |
| Arthur 2: On the Rocks | 1988 | Hobson |
| Getting it Right | 1989 | Sir Gordon Munday |
| Prospero's Books | 1991 | Prospero |
| Shining Through | 1992 | Konrad Friedrichs, "Sunflower" |
| Swan Song | 1992 | Svetlovidov |
| The Power of One | 1992 | Headmaster St. John |
| First Knight | 1995 | Oswald |
| Haunted | 1995 | Dr. Doyle |
| Dragonheart | 1996 | voice of King Arthur |
| The Portrait of a Lady | 1996 | Mr. Touchett |
| The Leopard Son | 1996 | Narrator |
| Hamlet | 1996 | Priam |
| Shine | 1996 | Professor Cecil Parkes |
| Elizabeth | 1998 | The Pope |
| Quest for Camelot | 1998 | voice of Merlin |
| Sergei Rachmaninov: Memories | 1999 | Narrator |
| Catastrophe | 2000 | Protagonist |

## Television

Television appearances of Gielgud :
| Programme | Date | Channel | Role |
| A Day by the Sea | 31 March 1959 | ITV | Julian Anson |
| DuPont Show of the Month: "The Browning Version" | 23 April 1959 | CBS (USA) | Andrew Crocker-Harris |
| The Cherry Orchard | 13 April 1962 | BBC TV | Leonid Andreyevich Gaev |
| Play of the Week: "The Rehearsal" | 1 January 1963 | ITV | The Count |
| The Wednesday Play: "The Mayfly and the Frog" | 21 December 1966 | BBC One | Gabriel Quantara |
| Alice in Wonderland | 28 December 1966 | BBC One | Mock Turtle |
| Play of the Month: "Romeo and Juliet" | 3 December 1967 | BBC One | Chorus |
| Star Performance: "From Chekhov with Love" | 14 June 1968 | ITV | Anton Chekhov |
| Play of the Month: "Saint Joan" | 1 September 1968 | BBC One | The Inquisitor |
| Omnibus: "The Actor's Changing Face" | 25 May 1969 | BBC One | Participant |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame: "Hamlet" | 17 November 1970 | NBC (USA) | Voice of the Ghost |
| Carol Channing's Mad English Tea Party | 1971 | | |
| Hassan | 1971 | | Harun al-Rashid |
| Play for Today: "Home" | 6 January 1972 | BBC One | Harry |
| Probe | 21 February 1972 | NBC (USA) | Streeter |
| This is Noël Coward | 2 April 1973 | | Narrator |
| Menace: "Deliver us from Evil" | 3 May 1973 | BBC One | Frederick William Densham |
| Frankenstein: The True Story | 30 November 1973 | NBC (USA) | Chief Constable |
| Edward the Seventh | 6 – 30 May 1975 | ITV | Benjamin Disraeli |
| Shades of Greene: "Special Duties" | 23 September 1975 | ITV | Mr Ferraro |
| The Gift of the Magna Carter | 1976 | | |
| Play of the Month: "The Picture of Dorian Gray" | 19 September 1976 | BBC One | Lord Henry Wotton |
| Personality and Learning: "The Grand Inquisitor" | 10 April 1977 | BBC | The Grand Inquisitor |
| Play of the Month: "Heartbreak House" | 19 May 1977 | BBC One | Captain Shotover |
| Night of 100 Stars | 5 June 1977 | ITV | |
| Omnibus: "Pure Radio" | 3 November 1977 | BBC One | |
| No Man's Land | 3 October 1978 | ITV | Spooner |
| Tales of the Unexpected: "Neck" | 28 April 1979 | ITV | Jelks |
| Soul of a Nation | 5 January 1980 | BBC | Narrator |
| The English Garden (eight episodes) | 1980 | ITV | Presenter |
| Every Night Something Atrocious | 1980 | ITV | |
| Why Didn't They Ask Evans? | 30 March 1980 | ITV | Reverend Thomas Jones |
| The British Greats: "Jack Hawkins" | 30 March 1980 | ITV | Interviewee |
| Tales of the Unexpected: "Parson's Pleasure" | 30 November 1980 | ITV | Cyril Boggis |
| Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery | 8 March 1981 | ITV | Marquis of Caterham |
| Omnibus: "Parrots, Bees, Ducks and Finches" | 7 April 1981 | BBC One | |
| Paperbacks | 29 April 1981 | BBC | Interviewee |
| Brideshead Revisited | 12 October – 24 November 1981 | ITV | Edward Ryder |
| Marco Polo | 1982 | | Doge of Venice |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" | 4 February 1982 | NBC (USA) | |
| Inside the Third Reich | 9 May 1982 | ABC Television (USA) | Albert Speer Sr |
| Play of the Month: "The Critic" | 23 August 1982 | BBC One | Lord Burleigh |
| The South Bank Show: "Laurence Olivier – A Life" | 17 October 1982 | ITV | |
| Omnibus: "Old Vic" | 30 October 1983 | BBC One | |
| The Far Pavilions | 3 – 5 January 1984 | Channel 4 | Cavagnari |
| All the World's a Stage: Makers of Magic | 29 January 1984 | BBC | |
| The Master of Ballantrae | 16 April – 7 May 1984 | ITV | Lord Durrisdeer |
| Ingrid | 7 March 1984 | | Narrator |
| Six Centuries of Verse | 2 May – 9 December 1984 | ITV | Presenter |
| Camille | 11 December 1984 | | The Duke |
| Frankenstein | 27 December 1984 | ITV | De Lacey |
| Olivier: A Kingdom for a Stage | 22 February 1985 | BBC | |
| Screen Two: "Time After Time" | 26 January 1986 | BBC Two | Jasper Swift |
| The Theban Plays by Sophocles: "Oedipus the King" | 16 September 1986 | BBC | Teiresias |
| The Theban Plays by Sophocles: "Antigone" | 19 September 1986 | BBC | Teiresias |
| Screen Two: "Quartermaine's Terms" | 29 March 1987 | BBC | Eddie Loomis |
| A Man for All Seasons | 7 December 1988 | | Cardinal Wolsey |
| Money Talks | 11 January 1993 | | Dreuther |
| The South Bank Show: "Hamlet" | 2 April 1989 | ITV | |
| War and Remembrance | 3 – 24 September 1989 | ITV | Aaron Jastrow |
| Summer's Lease | 1 – 22 November 1989 | BBC One | Haverford Downs |
| The South Bank Show: "Hindemith – A Pilgrim's Progress" | 15 April 1990 | ITV | Narrator |
| War and Remembrance | 10 – 17 June 1990 | ITV | Aaron Jastrow |
| A TV Dante | 29 July – 1 August 1990 | Channel 4 | Virgil |
| The Best of Friends | 28 December 1991 | Channel 4 | Sir Sydney Cockerell |
| The South Bank Show: "Noel Coward: A Profile" | 3 January 1992 | ITV | |
| Inspector Morse: "The Twilight of the Gods" | 20 January 1993 | ITV | Lord Hincksey |
| Lovejoy: "The Lost Colony" | 27 December 1993 | BBC One | |
| Under the Hammer: "The Fatal Attribution" | 10 January 1994 | ITV | Hugo Lunt |
| The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries: "Hand In Glove" | 10 January 1994 | BBC One | Percival Pyke Period |
| Scarlett | 13 November 1994 | CBS (USA) | Pierre Robillard |
| Performance: A Summer Day's Dream | 26 November 1994 | BBC | Stephen Dawlish |
| Haunted | 19 February 1997 | | Dr. Doyle |
| Gulliver's Travels | 7 April 1996 | Channel 4 | Professor of Sunlight |
| A Dance to the Music of Time | 9 October 1997 | Channel 4 | St. John Clarke |
| The Tichborne Claimant | 1998 | | Lord Chief Justice Cockburn |
| Merlin | 26 April 1998 | NBC (USA) | King Constant |

## Awards and honours

Awards and honours presented to Gielgud :
| Film or Production | Year | Award | Category | Result |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | 1948 | Tony Award | Outstanding Foreign Company | Honored |
| Julius Caesar | 1954 | British Academy Film Award | Best British Actor | Won |
| Ages of Man | 1959 | Tony Award | Special Tony Award | Honored |
| Ages of Man | 1960 | Grammy Award | Best Broadway Show Album | Nominated |
| Ages of Man | 1960 | Grammy Award | Best Performance – Documentary or Spoken Word (other than comedy) | Nominated |
| Ages of Man, Vol. 2 (One Man in His Time) | 1961 | Grammy Award | Best Performance – Documentary or Spoken Word (other than comedy) | Nominated |
| Big Fish, Little Fish | 1961 | Tony Award | Best Direction of a Play | Won |
| The School for Scandal | 1963 | Tony Award | Best Direction of a Play | Nominated |
| Becket | 1965 | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated |
| Tiny Alice | 1965 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Play | Nominated |
| Home | 1970 | Evening Standard Award | Best Actor | Won |
| Home | 1971 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Play | Nominated |
| Home | 1971 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Performance | Won |
| No Man's Land | 1975 | Evening Standard Award | Best Actor | Won |
| No Man's Land | 1975 | Drama Desk Award | Unique Theatrical Experience | Won |
| Murder on the Orient Express | 1975 | British Academy Film Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Won |
| Providence | 1977 | New York Film Critics Circle Award | Best Actor | Won |
| Half-Life | 1978 | Society of West End Theatre Awards | Actor of the Year in a New Play | Nominated |
| Ages of Man (Readings from Shakespeare) | 1980 | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording | Won |
| Arthur | 1981 | New York Film Critics Circle Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| Arthur | 1981 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| Arthur | 1982 | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Won |
| Arthur | 1982 | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| Arthur | 1982 | British Academy Film Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| Brideshead Revisited | 1982 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special | Nominated |
| | 1982 | Evening Standard Award | Special Award | Won |
| Brideshead Revisited | 1982 | British Academy Television Award | Best Actor | Nominated |
| No Man's Land | 1983 | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording | Nominated |
| Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats | 1984 | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | Nominated |
| The Master of Ballantrae | 1984 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special | Nominated |
| | 1985 | Laurence Olivier Award | Society of London Theatre Special Award | Honored |
| Romance on the Orient Express | 1985 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special | Nominated |
| Plenty and The Shooting Party | 1985 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| Plenty and The Shooting Party | 1986 | National Society of Film Critics Award | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| Plenty | 1986 | British Academy Film Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| Gulliver | 1987 | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | Nominated |
| A Christmas Carol | 1989 | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | Nominated |
| War and Remembrance (Parts I—VII) | 1989 | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Won |
| War and Remembrance | 1989 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special | Nominated |
| War and Remembrance (Parts VIII—XII) | 1990 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
| Summer's Lease | 1990 | British Academy Television Award | Best Actor | Nominated |
| Sir John Gielgud Reads Alice in Wonderland | 1990 | Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording | Nominated |
| Summer's Lease | 1991 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special | Won |
| The Emperor's New Clothes | 1992 | Grammy Award | Best Album for Children | Nominated |
| | 1992 | British Academy Film Award | BAFTA Fellowship | Honored |
| Shine | 1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
| Shine | 1997 | British Academy Film Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |