Actors awarded knighthoods

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was an English comic actor, filmmaker, film editor and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from his childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both accolade and controversy.

Sir Thomas Sean Connery was a Scottish actor. Connery was the first actor to portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond in motion pictures, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. He originated the role in Dr. No (1962) and continued starring as Bond in the Eon Productions films From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). His final appearance in the franchise was with Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon-produced Bond film.

Sir Richard Starkey, known as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album, including "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from My Friends". He also wrote and sang the Beatles songs "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden", and is credited as a co-writer of three others.

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award. He has also received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005 and the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2008. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama in 1993.

English actor and singer (1922–2015)

Sir Michael Caine is a retired English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 130 films over a career that spanned eight decades and is considered a British cultural icon. He has received numerous awards including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. As of 2017, the films in which Caine has appeared have grossed over $7.8 billion worldwide. Caine is one of only five male actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in five different decades. In 2000, he received a BAFTA Fellowship and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Sir Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three British Academy Film Awards and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards. His films have grossed over US$11 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor. Often described as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he is best known for intense method acting portrayed with eccentric characters in auteurs' films. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a record three Academy Awards for Best Actor, as well as four BAFTAs, three Actor Awards and two Golden Globes. In 2014, Day-Lewis received a knighthood for services to drama.

Bahamian and American actor and diplomat (1927–2022)

English actor (1927–2017)

English actor and director (1907–1989)

Kevin Spacey Fowler is an American actor. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nominations for twelve Emmy Awards.

British actor (born 1939)

British actor, writer and director (1921–2004)

Sir Ben Kingsley is a British-Indian actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning seven decades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. Kingsley was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2002 for services to the British film industry. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and received the Britannia Award in 2014.

Sir Idrissa Akuna Elba is an English actor, DJ, and rapper. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Emmy Awards. He was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2016. His films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, making him one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors. In 2025, Elba was named as the UK's ninth-most influential Black person in the 2026 Powerlist.

British actor (1914–2000)

American entertainer (1903–2003)

British actor (born 1940)

British actor (1923–2014)

French playwright and filmmaker (1885-1957)

British actor and filmmaker (born 1960)

British actor (1940–2023)

Sir Stephen John Fry is an English actor, comedian, presenter and writer. He began his career on the sketch comedy series Alfresco (1983–1984) and the sitcom Blackadder (1986–1989), before gaining recognition as part of the comedy duo Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, appearing together in A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1989–1995) and Jeeves and Wooster (1990–1993). His later television roles include Kingdom (2007–2009), Bones (2007–2017), and It's a Sin (2021). Fry was the original host of the comedy panel show QI (2003–2016), for which he was nominated for six British Academy Television Awards. In 2006, the British public ranked Fry number 9 in ITV's poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars.

Scottish actor and comedian

English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter (born 1943)

British actor (1940–2017)

New Zealand actor (born 1947)

British actor (1931–2020)

British actor and theatre director (1904-2000)

British actor (1908–1990)

English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer (1899–1973)

English actor

English actor (born 1938)

Welsh actor (born 1947)

British actor (1902–1983)

English actor (1908-1985)

British actor (1921–1999)

British actor (1908–2005)

English actor, playwright and theatre director

English actor (1934–2003)

British actor (1929–2001)

Mexican actor (1920–2009)

British actor (1918-2002)

English actor

American actor and United States naval officer (1909–2000)

English stage actor of the Victorian era (1838–1905)

British actor (1913–1989)

English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter

British actor (1863-1948)

English actor (1893-1964)

British actor and music historian

English actor (born 1940)

British-Jamaican actor and comedian

British actor

Welsh actor (1928–1976)

British presenter, actor, comedian, singer, dancer, and screenwriter (1928–2017)

English actor and theatre manager (1852–1917)

Australian-born British dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer

British actor (1911–1995)