Stanley Townsend
Biography
Stanley Townsend (born August 1961) is an Irish actor. Townsend was born and brought up in Dublin. After attending Wesley College, Dublin, he studied mathematics and civil engineering at Trinity College. While there he joined the Dublin University Players, the college's Amateur Dramatic Society. He later co-founded co-operative theatre company Rough Magic with writer/director Declan Hughes and theatre director Lynne Parker, performing in numerous productions including The Country Wife, Nightshade, and Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He subsequently went on to perform in several productions at The Gate and The Abbey Theatres in Dublin. In London, he has worked with such directors as Sam Mendes in The Plough and the Stars, Richard Eyre in Guys and Dolls and Rufus Norris in Under the Blue Sky. Theatre appearances at the Royal Court include The Alice Trilogy directed by Ian Rickson and Shining City directed by Conor McPherson, for which he won an Irish Theatre Award and was nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor in 2004. Townsend's television work began on a number of shows for RTÉ in Dublin. Since moving to London, television appearances have included Spooks, The Commander, Hustle, Waking the Dead, and Omagh Bombing. ilm credits include Mike Newell's Into the West, Jim Sheridan's In the Name of the Father with Daniel Day-Lewis, The Van by Stephen Frears, Peter Greenaway's The Tulse Luper Suitcases, The Libertine with Johnny Depp, Paul Morrison's Wondrous Oblivion with Delroy Lindo, John Boorman's The Tiger's Tale and Michael Radford's Flawless. He currently lives in London.
Known For
All Movies (55)
- The Uprising2026
- Once Upon a Time in a Cinema2026 · as Harry Conway
- Jay Kelly2025 · as First Voice (voice)
- National Theatre Live: Retrograde2025 · as Mr Parks
- The Teacher2024 · as Simon Cohen
- Kinked2023
- Phil Lynott: The Long Goodbye2022 · as Narrator
- The Song of Names2019 · as Gilbert
- Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar2019 · as Sir Constance
- A Girl from Mogadishu2019 · as Joe Costello
- National Theatre Live: All About Eve2019 · as Addison Dewett
- Psychomanteum2018 · as Narrator
- The Current War2018 · as Franklin Pope
- Florence Foster Jenkins2016 · as Phineas Stark
- Standby2014 · as Paul
- National Theatre Live: King Lear2014 · as The Earl of Kent
- The Voices2014 · as Sheriff Weinbacher
- The Physician2013 · as Bar Kappara
- One Chance2013 · as Luciano Pavarotti
- Lovely Louise2013 · as Bill
- Burton and Taylor2013 · as Milton Katselas
- Cars 22011 · as Victor Hugo / Vladimir Trunkov / Ivan the Tow Truck (voice)
- Killing Bono2011 · as Danny Machin
- The Pizza Miracle2010 · as Gianni
- Holy Water2009 · as Inspector Brian Hogan
- National Theatre Live: Phèdre2009 · as Theseus
- Hilde2009 · as David O. Selznick
- Happy-Go-Lucky2008 · as Tramp
- Flawless2007 · as Henry
- Saddam's Tribe2007 · as Saddam
- The Nativity Story2006 · as Zechariah
- Thin Lizzy: Outlawed - The Real Phil Lynott2006 · as Narrator
- Isolation2005 · as Garda Hourigan
- Omagh2005 · as Sam Pollock
- Dot.Kill2005 · as Capt. Tommy Byrnes
- Fallen2004 · as Mara
- Inside I'm Dancing2004 · as Interview Panelist
- The Libertine2004 · as Keown
- Wondrous Oblivion2004 · as Victor
- Mystics2003 · as Mickey Mac
- Byron2003 · as Turkish Governor
- What a Girl Wants2003 · as Bride's Father
- Monsieur N.2003 · as Dr. O'Meara
- Station Jim2001 · as Matapan
- Rat2000 · as Newsreader
- Altmann's Tongue2000 · as Narrator
- The Van1996 · as Des, Health Inspector
- My Friend Joe1996 · as Mr. Doyle
- Beyond Reason1995 · as John Horan
- In the Name of the Father1993 · as Hooker's Driver
- The Snapper1993 · as Anaesthetist
- The Miracle1991 · as Washington, Destry Rides Again
- Taffin1988 · as Les
- Ink1988
- Another Turn of the Screw— · as Henry James
All TV Shows (38)
- KAOS2024 · as President Minos
- The Regime2024 · as Emil Bartos
- Blackshore2024 · as Bill McGuire
- Andor2022 · as Commandant Jayhold Beehaz
- Becoming Elizabeth2022 · as Anthony Denny
- The Spy2019 · as General Ad-Din
- Traitors2019 · as Henry
- Resistance2019 · as Senator Daniel Shea
- Galavant2015 · as King of Valencia
- Der Medicus2014 · as Bar Kappara
- New Worlds2014 · as Colonel Blood
- Quirke2014 · as Inspector Hackett
- Fleming2014 · as Colonel William Donovan
- Toast of London2013
- Ripper Street2012 · as Aiden Galvin
- The Hollow Crown2012 · as Warwick
- Titanic: Blood and Steel2012 · as Rex Riley
- Call the Midwife2012 · as Father Joe
- Fresh Meat2011 · as John Frobisher
- Zen2011 · as Moscati
- Sherlock2010 · as Angelo
- Whistleblower2008 · as Michael Neary
- Ashes to Ashes2008 · as Sacks
- Murder City2004
- Hustle2004 · as Johnny Keyes
- The Commander2003
- Wire in the Blood2002
- Foyle's War2002 · as Jose De Perez
- Spooks2002 · as Roy Woodring
- 242001 · as Anatol Stolnavich
- Waking the Dead2001 · as DI Bailey
- The Ambassador1998
- Jonathan Creek1997 · as Det. Inspector Barrison
- Ballykissangel1996 · as Micky Keeler
- Jake's Progress1995 · as Consultant
- Peak Practice1993 · as Keith Johnson
- Heartbeat1992 · as Igor Saukas
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Constable







