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Timothy Spall

(1957-), Actor

Timothy Leonard Spall

Sitter in 3 portraits
Closely associated with film director Mike Leigh, their collaborations include Life is Sweet (1990), Secrets and Lies (1996), Topsy Turvy (1999) and All or Nothing (2002). Spall came to prominence in the television drama Auf Wiedersehen Pet (from 1983) and, in film, playing a projectionist in Quadrophenia (1979). He made notable contributions to Stephen Poliakoff's television dramas Shooting the Past (1996) and Perfect Strangers (2001), and voiced Nick, the rat, in Nick Park's animated film Chicken Run (2000). Named an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999. Spall won the Palme d'Or for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival 2014 for his role Mr Turner.

Watch a film clip on the sitter from the BBC Archive in the Media section below

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Timothy Spall, by Stuart Pearson Wright - NPG 6759

Timothy Spall

by Stuart Pearson Wright
pencil and charcoal, 2005
NPG 6759

Timothy Spall, by Rob Hann - NPG x125134

Timothy Spall

by Rob Hann
C-type colour print, 7 December 2001
NPG x125134

Timothy Spall; Brenda Blethyn, by Andy Gotts - NPG x134137

Timothy Spall; Brenda Blethyn

by Andy Gotts
digital chromogenic print, 2007
NPG x134137

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