Trivia

Descended from circus performers - his great-great-grandmother was a bareback rider and his great-grandfather was a clown.

Played the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the stage version of "Amadeus" before appearing in the film version, in which he played "Emmanuel Schikaneder", who appeared in the first performance of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and wrote the opera's libretto.

Started acting after Sir Laurence Olivier's insistence that if he wanted to act, he should take a job at the box office of the Old Vic Theatre in London.

He was awarded the Patricia Rothermel Award at the 1999 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his outstanding services to theatre.

Callow is the author of numerous books, including a biography of Charles Laughton, a book on acting and, most recently, a multi-volume biography of Orson Welles.

Has said in interviews, he has not had a television set for a number of decades.

He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1992 (1991 season) for Best Director of a Musical for "Carmen Jones".

He was awarded C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honors List for his services to drama.

Played Charles Dickens and the voice of "Ebeneezer Scrooge" in the 2001 animated movie, Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001), before playing Charles Dickens once again in the 2006 revival of Doctor Who (2005).

He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: Amadeus (1984) and Shakespeare in Love (1998). He also appears in three other Best Picture nominees: A Room with a View (1985), Howards End (1992) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994).

His father was of English descent, while his mother was of Danish, French, German, and English ancestry.

Release of his book, "Being An Actor". (1986)

Has appeared as a character named Kemp in episodes of two different television series, 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King' in 1984 and 'Inspector Morse' in 1987.

The names of George Coulouris and Agnes Moorehead are consistently mis-spelled throughout his book "Orson Welles: The Road To Xanadu", which also refers to "Touch Of Evil" as "A Touch Of Evil"; this latter mistake also occurs in his later book about Welles, "Hello, Americans".

His first television role was to have been that of 'First Crew Member' in Orgy and Bess (1975). His scene was ultimately cut from the episode, although his name remains listed in the closing credits.

Performing at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. There Reigns Love - Devised and performed by Simon Callow. July 11 - August 3. (June 2008)

In the Independent on Sunday 2006 Pink List - a list of the most influential gay men and women - he came no. 28, down from 26.

He is currently playing "Count Fosco" in "The Woman in White" at the Palace Theatre in London. (September 2005)

The Film Production section of Variety, Oct. 20, 1982, announced the movie "Gossip" began filming Oct 25, 1982, in London with director Don Boyd, with actors Anne-Louise Lambert, Anthony Higgins, Leif Garrett, Gary Oldman, Simon Callow. When financing didn't come through, filming shut down Nov. 14, 1982, and never resumed.

He was in 3 series of Channel 4's Chance in a Million.