Michael Lonsdale
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 24, 1931
- Died
- September 21, 2020
- Birthplace
- Paris, France
Michael Edward Lonsdale Crouch (24 May 1931 – 21 September 2020), commonly known as Michael Lonsdale and sometimes as Michel Lonsdale, was a French-British actor and author who appeared in over 180 films and television shows. He is often known in the English-speaking world for his roles as the villain Hugo Drax in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker, deputy police commissioner Claude Lebel in The Day of the Jackal (1973), The Abbot in The Name of the Rose (1986) and Dupont d'Ivry in The Remains of the Day (1993). Lonsdale was born in Paris, the natural son of British Army officer Edward Lonsdale Crouch and Simone Calderon (née Béraud). He was brought up initially on the island of Jersey, then in London from 1935, and later, during the Second World War, in Casablanca, Morocco. He returned to Paris to study painting in 1947, but was drawn into the world of acting instead, first appearing on stage at the age of 24. Lonsdale was bilingual, and appeared in both English-language and French-language productions. He appeared in a starring role with Roger Moore in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker. and with Sean Connery, in the 1986 film The Name of the Rose. He would later appear in Munich (2005), a film that also starred another Bond, Daniel Craig. In February 2011, he won a César Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Of Gods and Men. Lonsdale was also the author of ten books. A practising Roman Catholic, he was close to the Emmanuel Community. In his 2016 memoir Le Dictionnaire de Ma Vie, Lonsdale revealed he had fallen for Delphine Seyrig, having met her as a student in Tania Balachova's acting classes at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in 1947. He wrote that "it was her or nothing", which was why he never married. Lonsdale died in Paris on 21 September 2020, aged 89. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Lonsdale, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
The Life of Mirrors 2025
Actor
African Glory 2024
as Christopher Columbus
The Outsider 2023
as Narrator (Voice)
An Oral History of: The Name of the Rose 2022
as Self (archive footage)
So Long Michael 2021
as Himself
Le Fantôme de Laurent Terzieff 2020
as Self
Degas and I 2019
as Edgar Degas
Salvador Dalí: Génie tragi-comique 2019
as Narrator
Bazin's Film 2017
as Narrator
Sculpt 2016
Actor
The Mysteries of Paris: Jacques Rivette's Out 1 Revisited 2016
as Self
Jean-Marie Serreau, découvreur de théâtres 2016
as Self
Les Filles au Moyen-Âge 2016
as Daniel
The First, the Last 2016
as Jean-Berchmans
The Visit 2015
as Self
J.R.R. Tolkien: Designer of Worlds 2014
as (voice)
N: The Madness Of Reason 2014
as Narrator
Maestro 2014
as Cedric Rovère
Rosenn 2014
as (voice)
Le Renard jaune 2013
as Jean Virno
Marguerite Yourcenar: Alchimie du paysage 2013
Actor
Gebo and the Shadow 2012
as Gebo
Veilleurs dans la nuit - Une journée monastique à l'Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux 2011
as Narrateur
The Cardboard Village 2011
as Old Priest
Free Men 2011
as Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit
Hitler in Hollywood 2011
as Michael Lonsdale
Titeuf 2011
as Le psy (voice)
Of Gods and Men 2010
as Luc
Le Fauteuil hanté 2010
as Le Grand Loustalot
You'll Miss Me 2009
as Max
Agora 2009
as Theon
The Man from London 2008
as Kocsmáros (voice)
- Les amants cinéma
Les amants cinéma 2008
as Self
To Each His Own Cinema 2007
as The old blind man (segment "Le Don")
Heartbeat Detector 2007
as Mathias Jüst
Go West: A Lucky Luke Adventure 2007
as Bartleby (voice)
The Last Mistress 2007
as le vicomte Prony
- Les Mains d'Andréa
Les Mains d'Andréa 2006
Actor
Goya's Ghosts 2006
as Inquisitor General
Jeanne, à petits pas 2006
as Louis
Munich 2005
as Papa
Gentille 2005
as Jean
The Separation 2005
as Paul Doumer
Bye Bye Blackbird 2005
as Robert
The Perfume of the Lady in Black 2005
as Professor Stangerson
Invisible 2005
as Le gardien
Under a False Name 2004
as David
Adieu 2004
as Serge
Five Times Two 2004
as Bernard
Le Furet 2003
as Don Salvadore
The Mystery of the Yellow Room 2003
as Stangerson
Kaena: The Prophecy 2003
as Opaz (voice)
Le Mythe Cathare 2002
as Narrator
Those Facing Us 2001
as Mikaël
Delphine Seyrig, portrait d'une comète 2000
as Self
Speaking of Buñuel 2000
as Self
Inside 'Moonraker' 2000
as Self
Actors 2000
as Man walking down the street
- Is Dead - Portrait incomplet de Gertrude Stein
Is Dead - Portrait incomplet de Gertrude Stein 2000
as Narrator (voice)
A Monkey's Tale 1999
as Maître Flavius (Voice)
Ronin 1998
as Jean-Pierre
Let There Be Light! 1998
as Monseigneur Loublié
Don Juan 1998
as Don Luis
Mauvais Genre 1997
as Honoré de Balzac
Jean Eustache's Wasted Breath 1997
as (voice)
Noise of Love and War 1997
as The director
La Plante Humaine 1996
as Michel
Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud 1995
as Dollabella
Jefferson in Paris 1995
as Louis XVI
- Vroum-vroum
Vroum-vroum 1995
Actor
Dieu sait quoi 1994
as Narrator
The Remains of the Day 1993
as Dupont D'Ivry
Woyzeck 1993
as Le capitaine
L'ordre du jour 1993
as Stark
My Life Is Hell 1991
as Gabriel
Out 1 1990
as Thomas
Film sur Georges Perec 1990
as Self
- Cela s'appelle l'amour
Cela s'appelle l'amour 1989
as Self
Souvenir 1989
as Xavier Lorion
Earthen Man 1989
as (voice)
The Tribulations of Balthazar Kober 1988
as Cammerschulze
Der Madonna-Mann 1987
as Tanzmann
- The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose'
The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' 1986
as Self
The Name of the Rose 1986
as The Abbot
- Rendez-vous manqués
Rendez-vous manqués 1986
as Moralès
The Memory of the Eye E.J. Marey 1986
as Narrator
Emile Reynaud 1986
as Narrator
L'air d'aimer 1986
as Raymond
Billy Ze Kick 1985
as Commissaire Bellanger
The Insomniac on the Bridge 1985
as Antonie
The Holcroft Covenant 1985
as Ernst Manfredi
Good King Dagobert 1984
as Saint Eloi
- The Colour of Words
The Colour of Words 1984
as Self
The Judge 1984
as Le docteur
Chronopolis 1983
as Narrator (voice)
Une jeunesse 1983
as Béjardy
Erendira 1983
as Senator Onésimo Sanchez
La Rényon lontan 1983
as Narrator (voice)
The Boulugres 1983
as Le roi (voice)
Mora 1982
Writer
Enigma 1982
as Bodley
Mersonne ne m'aime 1982
as Commissioner Bancau
Sweet Inquest on Violence 1982
as Ash, the financier
Le rose et le blanc 1982
as Léon
Trompe-l'oeil 1982
as Self (voice)
Alone 1981
as Ludovic
The Games of Countess Dolingen 1981
as Bertrand Haines-Pearson
The Bunker 1981
as Martin Bormann
Un paquebot dans la tête 1981
as Roland Gougean-Roland
- Jean-Sans-Terre
Jean-Sans-Terre 1980
as Jean Papeuil
Moonraker 1979
as Hugo Drax
The Passage 1979
as Renoudot
- Ève avait l'éclat métallique de l'été
Ève avait l'éclat métallique de l'été 1979
Actor
The Left-Handed Woman 1978
as The Waiter
The Risk of Living 1978
as narrator
Aurais dû faire gaffe... le choc est terrible 1977
Actor
A Dirty Story 1977
as The voyeur
The Accuser 1977
as Abéraud
The Devil in the Box 1977
as Georges Aubert
Bartleby 1976
as L'Huissier
Mr. Klein 1976
as Pierre
Cygne II 1976
as Narrator (voice)
Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert 1976
as The Vice Consul of Lahore
Scrambled Eggs 1976
as The President of the Republic
- Les Écrans déchirés
Les Écrans déchirés 1976
as Michael
- La nuit du beau marin peut-être?
La nuit du beau marin peut-être? 1976
as Boris
Né 1975
as Self
The Pink Telephone 1975
as M. Morrison, président de la Fielding
Mad Enough to Kill 1975
as Stephane Mostri
The Romantic Englishwoman 1975
as Swan
India Song 1975
as Le Vice-Consul de Lahore
The Track 1975
as David Sutter
Special Section 1975
as Pierre Pucheu - le ministre de l'intérieur
A Whale That Had a Toothache 1975
as Le peintre
Aloïse 1975
as le médecin
Galileo 1975
as Cardinal Barberini (later Pope Urban VIII)
Serious as Pleasure 1975
as Inspecteur Fournier
The Suspects 1974
as Judge Souftries
No Pockets in a Shroud 1974
as Raymond
The Phantom of Liberty 1974
as Hatter
Caravan to Vaccarès 1974
as Duc de Croyter
The Truth About the Imaginary Passion of an Unknown 1974
as Le reporter TV / Ponce Pilate
Stavisky... 1974
as Docteur Mézy
La Grande Paulette 1974
as Paul
Successive Slidings of Pleasure 1974
as The Judge
Right to the city 1974
as Narrator
Film sur Hans Bellmer 1974
as Narrator
Les grands sentiments font les bons gueuletons 1973
as Stéphane
The Girl with the Cello 1973
as Philippe Lariel
Out 1: Spectre 1973
as Thomas
The Day of the Jackal 1973
as Deputy Commissioner Claude Lebel
Autumn 1972
as Julien, le réalisateur
Chut ! 1972
as Sergel
Les Années Lumière 1972
as Narrator (voice)
There Once Was a Cop 1972
as Commissioner Lucas
The Old Maid 1972
as Monod
Spring 1971
as L'homme qui fuit
Law Breakers 1971
as Inspector Bertrand
Murmur of the Heart 1971
as Father Henri
Papa, the Lil' Boats 1971
as Hippolyte the brother of Marylène
Jaune, Le Soleil 1971
as Un juif
Le revolver et la rose 1970
as Philippe de la Tour / Dimitri Korkesky
Un troisième 1970
as Le réalisateur
La Fenêtre 1970
as Bracquemont
The Stud 1970
as Commissioner Donald Both
Winter 1969
as Julien & Marc
Destroy, She Said 1969
as Stein
Hibernatus 1969
as Edouard Loriebat
The Nail Clippers 1969
as Le mari
The Big Wash 1968
as Delaroche
Stolen Kisses 1968
as Georges Tabard
The Bride Wore Black 1968
as Morane
- Zoo Story
Zoo Story 1968
as Peter
The Man in the Buick 1968
as L'inspecteur Farjon de la P.J.
Concerto for an Exile 1968
as Un acteur au théâtre
The Authentic Trial of Carl Emmanuel Jung 1967
as L'Avocat de la Défense
Judoka-Secret Agent 1967
as Thomas Perkins
Order of the Daisy 1967
as Lastac / Lataque, expert en écritures / Le juge (voice)
Is Paris Burning? 1966
as Debu-Bridel (uncredited)
Your Money or Your Life 1966
as Speaker at the Shy People's Club
Comédie 1966
as L'homme (M)
Hail! Mafia 1965
as Hyman
The Ghostly Rental 1965
as Kernan
The Buddies 1965
as Lamendin
Behold a Pale Horse 1964
as Reporter
The Little Misses 1964
as L'elève
Jaloux comme un tigre 1964
as The grimacing motorist
Le Petit Nicolas 1964
as The father
Snobs! 1962
as Charles Dufaut
The Trial 1962
as Priest
The Immoral Moment 1962
as Mercier
Crime Does Not Pay 1962
as Acteur
- Le bureau des mariages
Le bureau des mariages 1962
Actor
Adorable Liar 1962
as Albert
The Door Slams 1960
as Georges
The Itchy Palm 1960
as Nobert
Les Trois Sœurs 1960
as Andreï Prodarov
A Bullet in the Gun Barrel 1958
Actor
It Happened in Aden 1956
as Sinclair
Credits from TMDB.