Actor

David Thewlis: Movies & Box Office

films: 70
as director: 1
on screen: 1986–2025
box office: $5.16B
average score: 67

Born: March 20, 1963 (age 63)
Birthplace: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Full name: David Wheeler
Citizenship: England
Occupations: Actor, Filmmaker
Years active: 1985-Present
Spouses: Sara Sugarman, Hermine Poitou
Children: 1

Known for

The Best David Thewlis Movies

The highest-rated films David Thewlis is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Wonder Woman (2017) scores highest, at 82. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.

Full ranking

Career at a glance

David Thewlis's Career in Numbers

David Thewlis's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres David Thewlis works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from The Singing Detective (1986) to The Thing with Feathers (2025), and the 1990s were the busiest decade.

David Thewlis Movies by Decade

1980s 7
1990s 19
2000s 10
2010s 17
2020s 11

The 1990s were David Thewlis's busiest decade, with 19 films.

David Thewlis Movies by Genre

Drama 28
Comedy 6
Action 5
Adventure 4
Crime 3
Sci-Fi 3
Biography 3
Romance 2
Mystery 2
Animation 2

Drama is the genre David Thewlis has worked in most, with 28 films, ahead of comedy (6).

David Thewlis Career Milestones

First film: The Singing Detective 1986
Biggest box office hit: Avatar: The Way of Water $2.34B worldwide
Best-rated film: Wonder Woman Movie Echo Score 82
Newest film: The Thing with Feathers 2025

70 credits

David Thewlis Filmography: Every Movie

Every film David Thewlis is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 1 as director and 63 as actor. Rated films average a score of 67. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Movies Directed by David Thewlis

1995 Hello, Hello, Hello Comedy

David Thewlis Movies as an Actor

David Thewlis in Documentaries & Specials

Biography

Who Is David Thewlis?

David Thewlis was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England in 1963 and is 63 years old. Credited on films since 1986, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

David Wheeler, better known as David Thewlis (born 20 March 1963), is an esteemed English actor and filmmaker, who has demonstrated his pundit versatility across a wide variety of genres in both film and television. A recipient of the 'Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor', he has also been nominated for two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Thewlis embarked his film journey with 'Little Dorrit (1987)', 'Life Is Sweet (1990)', and 'Naked (1993)', the latter of which bestowed him with the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. He has further solidified his presence in commendable films like 'Harry Potter franchise (2004–2011)', 'The Theory of Everything (2014)', and 'Wonder Woman (2017)'. Thewlis's notable television appearances include 'Fargo (2017) and 'Big Mouth (2017–present)', which fetched him Emmy, Golden Globe, and a Critics' Choice Award nominations. In addition to acting, he has directed 'Hello, Hello, Hello' in 1995, and wrote, directed, and starred in 'Cheeky (2003)', and has published two books.

Works with

Who David Thewlis Makes Movies With

The actors and directors David Thewlis shares the most films with. Billie Piper comes first, with 4 films together, followed by Jim Carter (4).

FAQ

David Thewlis: Questions & Answers

How many movies David Thewlis has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has David Thewlis been in?

David Thewlis is credited on 70 films, from 1986 to 2025. 63 of them as an actor and 1 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is David Thewlis's highest-grossing movie?

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) is David Thewlis's biggest box office hit, with $2.34B worldwide, ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) ($1.49B). Across every film with box office figures, David Thewlis's movies have made $5.16B.

David Thewlis's biggest hits

What is the best David Thewlis movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, David Thewlis's best-rated film is Wonder Woman (2017) with a score of 82, followed by Rare Beasts (2019) (80).

Best David Thewlis movies, ranked

How old is David Thewlis?

David Thewlis is 63 years old, born on March 20, 1963 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

What is David Thewlis's newest movie?

The most recent film on David Thewlis's filmography is Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), in the role of Peylak.

Who does David Thewlis work with most often?

David Thewlis shares the most films with Billie Piper (4 films), Jim Carter (4 films) and Lesley Sharp (4 films).

The Best David Thewlis Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 70 credits.

See the ranking

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