Short, stocky triple-threat talent from the English stage. A deliciously rich character actor, Callow first won notice in 1979 when he originated the starring role of the abrasively immature Mozart in the National Theater's premiere production of Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" and appeared as the opera impresario Emanuel Schikaneder in Milos Forman's film version (1984). He then went on to create a bevy of mostly comic supporting characters, notably in the Merchant-Ivory films based on E.M. Forster novels: "A Room With a View" (1986) as the Reverend Mr. Beebe and "Maurice" (1987) as schoolmaster Mr. Dulcie; he was also featured in their "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" (1990) and played Meryl Streep's sharp-tongued film director in Mike Nichols' "Postcards From the Edge" (1990).
Callow made an uncredited appearance as a music lecturer in James Ivory's well-received period drama "Howards End" (1992), played one half of a gay couple in the much talked about "Four Weddings and A Funeral" (1994), and--in a complete departure--showed up in the Jean-Claude Van Damme action feature "Street Fighter" (1994) as a pompous official of an international organization. He remained in Hollywood for a far more eagerly anticipated commercial venture: playing the hissable villain in "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" (1995).
An established theater ("Shirley Valentine" on the London and Broadway stage), TV and opera director, Callow helmed his first feature, "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" (1991) for the Merchant-Ivory team. He is also the author of the non-fiction books, "Being an Actor" (1984), "Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor" (1988), "Shooting the Actor" based on a diary he kept during the shooting of Dusan Makavejev's "Manifesto" (1988) and "Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu" (1995).
- Also Credited As:
Simon Philip Hugh Callow
- Born:
June 15, 1949 in London, England, United Kingdom
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Job Titles:
Actor, Author, Director, Translator, Box office staffer
Family
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Father: Neil Francis Callow.
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Mother: Yvonne Mary Callow.
Education
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University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
Milestones
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1950 Father abandoned family eighteen months after Callow s birth (date approximate)
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1973 Made professional stage debut in The Thrie Estates at the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh
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1974 London stage debut at the Open Space
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1979 Joined the National Theatre Company; where he originated the role of Mozart in their premiere production of Amadeus
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1983 Feature acting debut, Gossip
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1986 First collaboration with Merchant-Ivory, A Room With A View
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1988 Acted in TV-movie, David Copperfield for Masterpiece Theater
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1991 Made feature film directorial debut, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
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1997 Starred on the London stage in The Importance of Being Oscar , a one-man show about Oscar Wilde
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1998 Cast as Rupert Halliday in the mini series Trial & Retribution
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1998 Delivered an hilarious turn as the leader of a New Age Men s group in Bedrooms & Hallways (released in the USA in 1999)
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1998 Had supporting role as the Master of Revels (censor) in Shakespeare in Love
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2003 Cast in the HBO drama Angels in America based on the play by Tony Kushner
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2004 Cast in Andrew Lloyd Webber s The Phantom of the Opera, the screen adaptation of the long-running stage musical
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2004 Cast opposite Dianne Wiest in Merci Docteur Rey
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Appeared in such BBC specials as Instant Enlightenment , Wings of Song and Man of Destiny
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Appeared on London stage in such productions as Plumber s Progress , The Doctor s Dilemma and Soul of the White Ant
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Born and raised in London
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Director of such stage productions as The Infernal Machine (also translator) and Jacques and His Master
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In the mid-1970s joined a traveling acting group, the Gay Sweatshop
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On the basis of a fan letter to Laurence Olivier, was offered and took a job in the National Theatre box office
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Performed in repertory productions at Lincoln and Edinburgh