Timothy Dalton

For the footballer, see Tim Dalton.
For the rugby player, see Tim Dalton (rugby union).

Timothy Dalton
Dalton in 1987
Born
Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett

(1946-03-21) 21 March 1946 (age 78)
Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire, Wales
OccupationActor
Years active1964–present
WorksFull list
Partners
Children1
Signature

Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett[1] (/ˈdɔːltən/; born 21 March 1946)[2] is a British actor.[3][4] He gained international prominence as the fourth actor to portray fictional secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, starring in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989).

Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama The Lion in Winter. He took roles in the period films Wuthering Heights (1970), Cromwell (1970), and Mary, Queen of Scots (1971). Dalton also appeared in the films Flash Gordon (1980), The Rocketeer (1991), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Hot Fuzz (2007) and The Tourist (2010).

On television, Dalton's role as Oliver Secombe made him one of the stars of Centennial (1978–1979). He later played Mr. Rochester in the BBC serial Jane Eyre (1983), Rhett Butler in the CBS miniseries Scarlett (1994), Rassilon in the BBC One sci-fi series Doctor Who (2009–2010), Sir Malcolm Murray on the Showtime horror drama Penny Dreadful (2014–2016), the Chief on the DC Universe/Max superhero series Doom Patrol (2019–2021), and Donald Whitfield on the Paramount+ western series 1923 (2023–). He portrayed Peter Townsend in the fifth season of The Crown (2022).

  1. ^ "Timothy L D Leggett" in the England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007, Apr–May–Jun quarter 1946, Aled, Denbighshire, mother's maiden name: Scholes
  2. ^ Sources disagree about his birth date, with some giving his year of birth as 1944:
    • LuKanic, Steven A. (1991). Film Actors Guide. Los Angeles: Lone Eagle. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-943728-38-4.
    • Halliwell, Leslie (1988). Halliwell's Filmgoer's Companion (9th ed.). London: Grafton. p. 185.
    whilst others state 1946:
    • Gareffa, Peter M.; Evory, Ann (1988). Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale Research. pp. v, 93. ISBN 978-0-8103-2203-5.
    • Rubin, Steven Jay (2003). The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Contemporary Books. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-07-141246-9.
    • Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
    • Araya, Margarida (2016). Timothy Dalton: A Complete Guide To his Cinema, Television, Stage and Voice Work. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p. 5. ISBN 978-1539171386.
  3. ^ Brady, James (13 November 1994). "In step with Timothy Dalton". The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), Parade Magazine. p. 24.
  4. ^ Bale, Bernard (16 September 2021). "Why James Bond actor Timothy Dalton is proud of his Belper roots". Great British Life. Retrieved 22 February 2022.