Michael Maloney (born 19 June 1957) is a British actor.

Life and career

Born in

Bury St. Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as ''Bury,'' is a cathedral as well as market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St. Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: . P ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, Maloney's first television appearance was as

Peter Barkworth Peter Wynn Barkworth (14 January 1929 – 21 October 2006) was an English actor. He twice won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor; for ''Crown Matrimonial'' in 1975 and for '' Professional Foul'' and ''The Country Party'' in 1978. He also starre ...

's teenage son in the 1979 drama series ''

Telford's Change ''Telford's Change'' is a 1979 BBC television series by Brian Clark which stars Peter Barkworth. The theme music was composed and played by jazz composer John Dankworth. The theme tune was released by BBC Records, (Resl 63), backed with 'Serenad ...

''. He made his West End debut in 1979 in ''Can you Hear me at The Back'', by Brian Clark, followed immediately by ''Taking Steps'' by Alan Ayckbourn. After playing Toby Gashe in ''The Bell'', by Iris Murdoch, Maloney joined the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

in 1982 playing Ferdinand in ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

''. After the RSC, he went on to play in ''The Perfectionist'' at Hampstead, the title role of Peer Gynt for Cambridge Theatre Company, ''The London Cuckolds'' at the Lyric Hammersmith, ''Two Planks and a Passion'' by

Anthony Minghella Anthony Minghella (6 January 195418 March 2008) was a British film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He was chairman of the board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007. He directed ''Truly, Madly, Deeply (film), ...

, directed by

Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on the films ''Shallow Grave (1994 film), Shallow Grave'' (1994), ''Trainspotting (film), Trainspotting'' (1996) and its sequel ''T2 Tra ...

at Greenwich and ''Built on Sand'' at the Royal Court. Maloney went on to appear in many films and television series, including ''What if Its Raining'', by Anthony Minghella, for Channel 4. He became a familiar face after playing the Dauphin in

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh ( ; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. List of award ...

's 1989 film adaptation of ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

''. In the early 1990s, he played Prince Hal in ''Henry IV Parts 1 and 2'', Romeo in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' for the RSC and Hamlet on a national tour starting at Greenwich. He appeared on television in ''Mr Wakefield's Crusade'', on film as Mark in '' Truly, Madly, Deeply'', and in 1994 he took the lead in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

adaptation of '' Love on a Branch Line''. He appeared in both the

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

and

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

film versions of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'', as Rosencrantz and Laertes respectively, and in several other

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

screen adaptations, including the lead role in ''In the Bleak Midwinter'' by

. In addition to his TV appearances, he starred as Jason Fields in the film '' American Reel'' in 1999. 2002 saw him play Brian Albumen, personal aide to

Rik Mayall Richard Michael Mayall (; 7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He formed a close partnership with Adrian Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University, and was a pioneer of alternative come ...

's Adonis Cnut character in the Gran and

Marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks A collective trademark, collective trade mark, or collective mark is a trademark owned by an organization (such ...

penned TV sitcom '' Believe Nothing''. In 2003, he appeared as the Belgian Prosper Profond in ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle th ...

''. In the theatre he played Hamlet again for Yukio Ninagawa on tour and at the Barbican. He played Cassius in the 2005 miniseries ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

,''

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. Following his defeat to Ton ...

in 2009's ''

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

'' and Prime Minister Sir

Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850), was a British Conservative statesman who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835, 1841–1846), and simultaneously was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834–183 ...

in the 2009 film ''

The Young Victoria ''The Young Victoria'' is a 2009 British period drama, period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes, based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert ...

''. He is active in radio drama on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

, playing the Dean in both series of '' High Table, Lower Orders'' and Giles the gossip columnist in ''

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

''. He has made a guest appearance in the BBC Radio 4 series '' Baldi''. He has also appeared in a

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

films Kisna, and '' I See You'', playing the detective inspector. In 2010, he appeared in long-running drama ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' as consultant Howard Fairfax, and in series 4 of the political satire series ''

The Thick of It ''The Thick of It'' is a British comedy television series created, written and directed by Armando Iannucci that satirises the inner workings of British government. It was first broadcast for two short series on BBC Four in 2005, initially ...

'', he played Matthew Hodge, part of the Goolding Inquiry. In 2013, he portrayed Sir Henry Stafford, third husband of

Lady Margaret Beaufort Lady Margaret Beaufort ( ; 31 May 1443 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late 15th century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first House of Tudor, Tudor monarch. She was also a second cousin o ...

, in the BBC TV series '' The White Queen''. In 2016, he appeared in the ITV/

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series ''

Paranoid Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of con ...

''. He was also in the second series of ''Utopia'' for Channel 4 and played

Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 ...

in series 3 of ''The Crown''. He most recently has a cameo role in ''Belfast'', directed by Kenneth Branagh, and played the role of Vanya, in ''Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike'', by Christopher Durang, directed by Walter Bobbie, at the Charing Cross Theatre. He has recorded many audiobooks including '' Captain Corelli's Mandolin''. He has also lent his voice to various video game characters, including The Lost Soul in the 2013 video game '' Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate'', Avallac'h in the 2015 video game '' The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'', and Doloran in the 2018 video game '' Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom''. In 2025, Maloney will star as

Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by the English writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is Christie's most famous and longest-running character, appearing in 33 novels, two plays (''Black Coffee (play), Black Coffee'' and '' ...

in a touring production of ''

Murder on the Orient Express ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the U ...

''.

Personal life

Maloney's father emigrated from County Cork, Ireland to Godalming, Surrey, UK. In 2002, Maloney married Italian-American model and photographer Kim Andreolli; Maloney and Andreolli had one child, a daughter, before divorcing. Maloney lives in South London in Clapham. He is an advocate for macrobiotic eating.

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio

* ''

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

'', trilogy of radio plays written by Andrew Rissik and directed by Jeremy Mortimer – Hector * '' Scenes of Seduction'', radio play written by

Timberlake Wertenbaker Timberlake Wertenbaker is a British-based playwright, screenplay writer, and translator who has written plays for the Royal Court, the Royal Shakespeare Company and others. She has been described in ''The Washington Post'' as "the doyenne of po ...

and directed by

Ned Chaillet Edward William Chaillet, III ( ; born 29 November 1944) is a radio drama Producer (radio), producer and director, writer and journalist. Chaillet, American by birth, was born in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, but is a "native of Washington" acco ...

, broadcast on

7 Mar 2005 – Henry (

King Henry V Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...

). * ''Frankenstein,'' a 1994

adaptation of the original novel by

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

, dramatized by Nick Stafford and directed by Claire Groves, in which he played

Victor Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character who first appeared as the titular main protagonist of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. He is an Italian-born Swiss scientist who, after studying chemical proces ...

. * Bran in '' Earthsearch II'',

James Follett James Follett (27 July 1939 – 10 January 2021) was an English author and screenwriter. Follett became a full-time fiction writer in 1976, after resigning from contract work as a technical writer for the Ministry of Defence. He wrote over 20 ...

's 1982 "new adventure serial in time and space" on

. * ''

A Pair of Blue Eyes ''A Pair of Blue Eyes'' is the third published novel by English author Thomas Hardy, first serialised between September 1872 and July 1873, in '' Tinsley's Magazine'', and published in book form in 1873. It was Hardy's third published novel, an ...

'', adaptation of a novel by Thomas Hardy, BBC Radio 4 Extra, directed by Cherry Cookson. * '' Lord Arthur Savile's Crime'', BBC 7 2003. Produced in Manchester by Katherine Beacon.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maloney, Michael 1957 births Living people 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors from Bury St Edmunds Audiobook narrators English male film actors English male radio actors English male Shakespearean actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors Male actors from Suffolk