William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' has been screened numerous times, featuring many of the biggest names from stage, film, and television.

Performances

*''

'' (United States, 1908, silent) **

J. Stuart Blackton James Stuart Blackton (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the silent era. One of the pioneers of motion pictures, he founded Vitagraph Studios in 1897. He was one of the first filmmakers to ...

, director ** William V. Ranous as Macbeth **

Louise Carver Louise Carver (June 9, 1869 - June 19, 1956) was an American actress who performed in grand opera, stage, nickelodeon, and motion pictures. Early years and career Born Mary Louise Steiger in Davenport, Iowa, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mr ...

as Lady Macbeth *''

'' (United States, 1916, silent
IMDB
** John Emerson, director **

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progra ...

as Macbeth ** Constance Collier as Lady Macbeth *''

'' (United States, 1948) **

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

, director and as Macbeth ** Jeanette Nolan as Lady Macbeth * Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Macbeth'' (TV, United States, 1954
IMDB
** Maurice Evans as Macbeth **

Judith Anderson Dame Frances Margaret Anderson, (10 February 18973 January 1992), known professionally as Judith Anderson, was an Australian actress who had a successful career in stage, film and television. A pre-eminent stage actress in her era, she won two ...

as Lady Macbeth * Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Macbeth'' (1960
IMDB
–

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

–winning remake, featuring an all-British supporting cast, and filmed on location in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. **Maurice Evans as Macbeth **Judith Anderson as Lady Macbeth *'' Play of the Month: Macbeth'' (United Kingdom, TV, 1970; United States, TV, 1975) ** John Gorrie, director **

Eric Porter Eric Richard Porter (8 April 192815 May 1995) was an English actor of stage, film and television. Early life Porter was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, to bus conductor Richard John Porter and Phoebe Elizabeth (née Spall). His parents hope ...

as Macbeth ** Janet Suzman as Lady Macbeth *''

'' (United States and United Kingdom, 1971) **

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...

, director **

Jon Finch Jon Finch (2 March 1942 – 28 December 2012) was an English stage and film actor who became well known for his Shakespearean roles. Most notably, he starred in films for directors Roman Polanski (''Macbeth'', 1971) and Alfred Hitchcock (''Fren ...

as Macbeth **

Francesca Annis Francesca Annis (born 14 May 1945) is an English actress. She is known for television roles in '' Reckless'' (1998), ''Wives and Daughters'' (1999), ''Deceit'' (2000), and '' Cranford'' (2007). A six-time BAFTA TV Award nominee, she won the 1979 ...

as Lady Macbeth *''

'' (TV, United Kingdom, 1979) – film of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

's Other Place production. ** Philip Casson, director **

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas f ...

, writer **

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

as Macbeth **

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

as Lady Macbeth *''Macbeth'' (United Kingdom, 1981) ** Arthur Allan Seidelman, director **

Jeremy Brett Peter Jeremy William Huggins (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995), known professionally as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He played fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in four Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV series), Granada TV series from 1984 ...

as Macbeth ** Piper Laurie as Lady Macbeth *''

'' (TV, Hungary, 1982) ** Béla Tarr, director **

György Cserhalmi György Cserhalmi (born 17 February 1948, in Budapest) is a Hungarian actor. He graduated from the Actors Academy in 1971. He is also the founder of the Labdater Theatre in the Globe cultural centre. Employment *1971: Debrecen Csokonai Theat ...

as Macbeth **

Erzsébet Kútvölgyi Erzsébet Kútvölgyi (born November 14, 1950) is a Jászai Mari Award and Kossuth Prize The Kossuth Prize ( hu, Kossuth-díj) is a state-sponsored award in Hungary, named after the Hungarian politician and revolutionist Lajos Kossuth. The Pr ...

as Lady Macbeth *'' BBC Television Shakespeare'' ''Macbeth'' (TV, United Kingdom, 1983) – released in the United States as part of the ''Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare'' series. **

Jack Gold Jacob M. "Jack" Gold (28 June 1930 – 9 August 2015) was a British film and television director. He was part of the Kitchen sink realism, British realist tradition which followed the Free Cinema movement. Career Jacob M. Gold was born in ...

, director **

Nicol Williamson Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a Scottish actor, once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" and view ...

as Macbeth **

Jane Lapotaire Jane Elizabeth Marie Lapotaire (née Burgess; 26 December 1944) is an English actress. Biography Lapotaire was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, the daughter of Louise Elise (Burgess). Her stepfather, Yves Lapotaire, worked in the oil industry and was ...

as Lady Macbeth *'' Shakespeare: The Animated Tales'' ''Macbeth'' (TV, Russia and United Kingdom, 1992) **Nicolai Serebryakov, director ** Brian Cox as the voice of Macbeth **

Zoë Wanamaker Zoë Wanamaker (born 13 May 1949) is a British-American actress who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. A nine-time Olivier Award nominee, she won for '' Once in a Lifetime'' (1979) and '' Electra ...

as the voice of Lady Macbeth *''Macbeth'' (United Kingdom, 1997) **Jeremy Freeston and Brian Blessed, directors **

Jason Connery Jason Joseph Connery (born 11 January 1963) is a British actor and director. He is the son of Sean Connery and Diane Cilento. On screen, he is best known for appearing in the third series of the ITV drama series ''Robin of Sherwood'' in 1986. He ...

as Macbeth **

Helen Baxendale Helen Victoria Baxendale (born 7 June 1970) is an English actress of stage and television, known for her roles as Rachel Bradley in the British comedy drama '' Cold Feet'' (1997–2003), and Emily Waltham in the American sitcom '' Friends'' (19 ...

as Lady Macbeth *''Macbeth'' (TV, United Kingdom, 1998) **

Michael Bogdanov Michael Bogdanov (15 December 1938 – 16 April 2017) was a British theatre director known for his work with new plays, modern reinterpretations of Shakespeare, musicals and work for young people. Early years Bogdanov was born Michael Bogd ...

, director ** Sean Pertwee as Macbeth ** Greta Scacchi as Lady Macbeth *''Macbeth'' (Video, United Kingdom, 2001) – film of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan production. ** Gregory Doran, director **

Antony Sher Sir Antony Sher (14 June 1949 – 2 December 2021) was a British actor, writer and theatre director of South African origin. A two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner and a four-time nominee, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 and ...

as Macbeth ** Harriet Walter as Lady Macbeth ** Richard Armitage as Angus *''

'' (TV, United Kingdom, 2010) – television adaptation of Royal Shakespeare Company's stage production. ** Rupert Goold, director ** Patrick Stewart as Macbeth **

Kate Fleetwood Kate Fleetwood (born 24 September 1972) is an English actress. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Lady Macbeth in ''Macbeth'', which first opened at Chichester Festival Theatre and was transferred to the West End and Bro ...

as Lady Macbeth *Macbeth (United Kingdom, 2013) - Shakespeare's Globe - The Globe on Screen's stage production **

Eve Best Emily "Eve" Best (born 31 July 1971) is an English actress and director. She is known for her television roles as Dr. Eleanor O'Hara in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–13), First Lady Dolley Madison in the ''American Experience'' t ...

, director ** Joseph Milson, Macbeth ** Billy Boyd, Banquo ** Samantha Spiro, Lady Macbeth **

Bette Bourne Bette Bourne (born Peter Bourne, 22 September 1939) is a British actor, drag queen, campaigner, and activist. His theatrical career has spanned six decades. He came to prominence in the mid-1970s onwards after joining the New York-based alterna ...

, Porter *''

'' (United Kingdom, 2015) ** Justin Kurzel, director **

Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (born 2 April 1977) is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Award ...

as Macbeth ** Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth *''Macbeth'' (United Kingdom, 2018) **Kit Monkman, director ** Mark Rowley as Macbeth **Akiya Henry as Lady Macbeth *''

'' (RU, 2020) ** Sergei Tsimbalenko, producer/director ** Sergei Tsimbalenko as Macbeth *''

The Tragedy of Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those wh ...

'' (United States, 2021) **

Joel Coen Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...

, writer/producer/director **

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

as Macbeth ** Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth

Unfinished

*''

'' (United Kingdom, 1956–59) **

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

, director and as Macbeth **

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

as Lady Macbeth

Adaptations

*''

Joe MacBeth ''Joe MacBeth'' is a 1955 British–American crime drama, directed by Ken Hughes and starring Paul Douglas, Ruth Roman and Bonar Colleano. It is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'', set in a 1930s American criminal underworld. The ...

'' (United Kingdom, 1955) is a

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

resetting of the story as a gang war in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

** Ken Hughes, director ** Paul Douglas as Joe MacBeth **

Ruth Roman Ruth Roman (born Norma Roman; December 22, 1922 – September 9, 1999) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. After playing stage roles on the east coast, Roman relocated to Hollywood to pursue a career in films. She appeare ...

as Lily Macbeth *'' Throne of Blood'' (a.k.a. ''Cobweb Castle'' or ''Kumonosu-jo'') (Japan, 1957) is an adaptation of the Macbeth story to a Japanese setting. ** Akira Kurosawa, director ** Toshirō Mifune as Washizu Taketoki **

Isuzu Yamada was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career spanned seven decades. Biography Yamada was born in Osaka as Mitsu Yamada, the daughter of Kusudu Yamada, a shinpa actor specialising in onnagata roles, and Ritsu, a geisha. Under her mother ...

as Washizu Asaji *''Teenage Gang Debs'' (United States, 1966), setting the theme around a teenage girl who joins a street gang. **Sande N. Johnsen, director **Diane Conti as Terry (the Lady Macbeth character) *The first series of '' The Black Adder'' (TV, United Kingdom, 1983), written by Richard Curtis and

Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles on the sitcoms '' Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and ''Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and the film series ''Johnny English'' (2003–201 ...

, is a parody of Shakespeare's plays, particularly ''Macbeth'', ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' and ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

''. *''

Men of Respect ''Men of Respect'' is a 1990 crime drama film, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play ''Macbeth''. It stars John Turturro as Mike Battaglia, a Mafia hitman who climbs his way to the top by killing his boss. The film also stars Rod Steiger, ...

'' (United States, 1991) is a retelling of the Macbeth story as a Mafia power struggle in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, in modern English, but closely tracking the original plot. **William Reilly, director ** John Turturro as Mike Battaglia **

Katherine Borowitz John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...

as Ruthie Battaglia *'' Scotland, PA'' (United States, 2001) is set in and around a fast food restaurant in the 1970s. **William Morrissette, writer/director **

Maura Tierney Maura Therese Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on the sitcom ''NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), Abby Lockhart on the medical drama '' ER'' (1999–2009), ...

as Pat McBeth ** James LeGros as Joe "Mac" McBeth **

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...

as Lieutenant McDuff **

Kevin Corrigan Kevin Corrigan (born ) is an American character actor. He has appeared mostly in independent films and television since the 1990s, including as Uncle Eddie on the sitcom ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005). His film appearances include support ...

as Anthony "Banko" Banconi ** Andy Dick,

Timothy "Speed" Levitch Timothy "Speed" Levitch (; born July 9, 1970) is an American actor, tour guide, poet, speaker, philosopher, author and voice actor. The name "Speed" was given to him by a childhood friend in high school. Levitch has appeared in multiple films an ...

, and Amy Smart as the three Bohemians *'' Sangrador'' (Venezuela, 2003) is an adaptation set in the 1900s Andean Venezuelan mountains ** Leonardo Henríquez, director ** Daniel Alvarado, as Max (the Macbeth character) ** Karina Gómez, as Mileidi (the Lady Macbeth character) *'' Maqbool'' (India, 2004) is a ''Macbeth'' adaptation set in the

Mumbai underworld Organised crime in India refers to organised crime elements originating in India and active in many parts of the world. The purpose of organised crime in India, as elsewhere in the world, is monetary gain. Its virulent form in modern times is d ...

. ** Vishal Bhardwaj, director **

Irfan Khan Irfan Khan may refer to: * Irrfan Khan (1967–2020), Indian actor * Irfan Khan (Indian cricketer) (born 1988), Indian cricketer * Irfan Khan (Pakistani cricketer) (born 2002), Pakistani cricketer *Irfan Khan (singer) (born 1982), Pakistani Pushto ...

as Mian Maqbool (the Macbeth character) **

Tabu Tabu may refer to: Cultural and legal concepts *Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society *Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...

as Nimmi (the Lady Macbeth character) *''

ShakespeaRe-Told ''ShakespeaRe-Told'' is the umbrella title for a series of four television adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays broadcast on BBC One during November 2005. In a similar manner to the 2003 production of ''The Canterbury Tales (TV series), Th ...

'' ''Macbeth'' (United Kingdom, TV, 2005) is a modern adaptation by

Peter Moffat Alexander Peter Moffat (born 2 June 1962) is a British playwright and screenwriter. Early life Moffat was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to John Laidlaw Moffat, who was in the Royal Military Police, and Norma Guthrie. His grandfather and great- ...

, set in a Glasgow restaurant. **

James McAvoy James McAvoy (; born 21 April 1979) is a Scottish actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in '' The Near Room'' (1995) and appeared mostly on television until 2003, when his feature film career began. His notable television work includes ...

as Joe Macbeth **

Keeley Hawes Claire Julia Hawes (born 10 February 1976), known professionally as Keeley Hawes, is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including ''Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and ''Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Haw ...

as Ella (the Lady Macbeth character) ** Richard Armitage as Peter Macduff *''

'' (Australia, 2006) – film set against the backdrop of a violent gang war in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia. **Geoffrey Wright, director **Sam Worthington as Macbeth **Victoria Hill as Lady Macbeth *''Veeram (2016 film), Veeram'' (India, 2016) is a Malayalam film, Malayalam language adaptation set in 13th century India. *''Joji (film), Joji'' (India, 2021) is a Malayalam film, Malayalam language crime drama based on Macbeth. *''Mandaar'' (India, 2021) is an Indian Bengali language crime thriller adaptation set in a fishing village in West Bengal, released as a web series and is available on Hoichoi.

Theatrical performances within films

Another way in which filmmakers use Shakespearean texts is to feature characters who are actors performing those texts, within a wider non-Shakespearean story. In ''Opera (1987 film), Opera'', the 1987 Italian giallo horror film written and directed by Dario Argento and starring Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, and Ian Charleson; young opera singer Betty (Marsillach) is reluctantly thrust into the lead role in Verdi's ''Macbeth''. During her first performance, a murder takes place in one of the opera boxes. Mysterious murders continue throughout the film as Betty is stalked and those around her meet their unfortunate end. During the final performance of the opera, the killer is revealed, and Betty must confront her past in a terrifying climax.

References

{{Shakespeare Films based on Macbeth

Performances

Unfinished

Adaptations

Theatrical performances within films

See also

References