John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

has been portrayed many times in fiction, generally reflecting the overwhelmingly negative view of his reputation.

Art

The North Wall Frieze in the courtroom of the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

depicts King John granting

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...

Literature

* King John is the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

John Bale John Bale (21 November 1495 – November 1563) was an English churchman, historian controversialist, and Bishop of Ossory in Ireland. He wrote the oldest known historical verse drama in English (on the subject of King John), and developed and ...

's sixteenth-century Protestant play '' King Johan'', in which he is depicted positively as a bulwark against the papacy. * John was the subject of an anonymous Elizabethan play, ''

The Troublesome Reign of King John ''The Troublesome Reign of John, King of England'', commonly called ''The Troublesome Reign of King John'' (c. 1589) is an English literature#Elizabethan era, Elizabethan history play, probably by George Peele, that is generally accepted by sch ...

'', in 1591. The play reflects the sympathetic view of King John during the

English Reformation The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops Oath_of_Supremacy, over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church ...

; it depicts John as "a fearless resister of the

Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

"."King John", in Michael Dobson, Stanley Wells, Will Sharpe, Erin Sullivan (eds.) ''The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare''. Corby :

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

2015. (pgs. 276-279) This play is believed by many Shakespeare scholars to have been a source for Shakespeare's play. * King John appears in the plays '' The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington'' and '' The Death of Robert Earl of Huntington'' (1598) by

Anthony Munday Anthony Munday (or Monday) (1560?10 August 1633) was an English playwright and miscellaneous writer. He was baptized on 13 October 1560 in St Gregory by St Paul's, London, and was the son of Christopher Munday, a stationer, and Jane Munday. He ...

. Munday's two plays feature the exploits of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

, and John is depicted as Robin's enemy in these plays. Munday's work thus incorporated King John into the Robin Hood legends. Knight, Stephen Thomas,''Robin Hood : A Mythic Biography''. Ithaca, N.Y. :

Cornell University Press The Cornell University Press is the university press of Cornell University, an Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. It is currently housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage. It was first established in 1869, maki ...

2009. (pgs. 52-55). As a result of this, John and one of his Justices in Eyre, the

Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...

, are frequently portrayed as

villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...

and henchman in later versions

legends. These usually place the Robin Hood stories in the latter part of Richard I's reign, when Richard was in captivity and John was acting as unofficial

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

. * John was the subject of a

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 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 ...

play, '' King John'' (written c. 1595, and published in 1623). * Prince John is a central figure in the 1819 historical romance ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

'', by

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

, and is depicted in subsequent adaptations. ''Ivanhoe'' helped popularize the image of King John as cruel and villainous.Brownlie, Siobhan, ''Memory and Myths of the Norman Conquest''. Woodbridge, Suffolk; Boydell & Brewer Ltd., 2013. (pp. 124-5) The novel also calls John a " Norman", although contemporary documents from the period of John's reign do not refer to the monarch as a Norman. * King John features in the three-decker novel ''Forest Days'' (1843) by G. P. R. James, about the

First Barons' War The First Barons' War (1215–1217) was a civil war in the Kingdom of England in which a group of rebellious major landowners (commonly referred to as English feudal barony, barons) led by Robert Fitzwalter waged war against John of England, K ...

.McGarry, Daniel D., White, Sarah Harriman, ''Historical Fiction Guide: Annotated Chronological, Geographical, and Topical List of Five Thousand Selected Historical Novels''. Scarecrow Press, New York, 1963 (pgs. 62. 64). * The children's novel ''The Constable's Tower: or the Times of Magna Charta'' (1891) by

Charlotte Mary Yonge Charlotte Mary Yonge (11 August 1823 – 24 March 1901) was an English novelist, who wrote in the service of the church. Her abundant books helped to spread the influence of the Oxford Movement and showed her keen interest in matters of public h ...

, revolves around John signing Magna Carta, and also features the Siege of Dover during the First Barons' War. * The novel ''Uncanonized'' (1900) by

Margaret Horton Potter Margaret Horton Potter (pseudonym, Robert Dolly Williams; May 20, 1881 – December 22, 1911) was an American novelist, specializing in historical fiction. Her first novel, ''A Social Lion'', was published while she was still a teenager. Early l ...

features King John. * King John is the subject of

A. A. Milne Alan Alexander Milne (; 18 January 1882 – 31 January 1956) was an English writer best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as children's poetry. Milne was primarily a playwright before the huge success of Winnie-th ...

's poem for children, '' King John's Christmas'' (1927), which begins "King John was not a good man", but slowly builds sympathy for him as he fears not getting anything for Christmas, when all he really wants is a rubber ball. * In the comic parody '' 1066 and All That'' (1930) John is depicted as "an Awful King". * ''The Devil and King John'' by Philip Lindsay (1943) is a highly speculative but relatively sympathetic account. *

Philip José Farmer Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy novels and short story, short stories. Obituary. Farmer is best known for two sequences of novels, t ...

, a

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

author, featured King John as one of several historical figures in his

Riverworld The Riverworld series consists of five science fiction novels (1971–1983) by American author Philip José Farmer (1918–2009). The Riverworld is an artificial, or heavily terraformed, planet where all humans (and pre-humans) who ever lived t ...

saga. * ''Below the Salt'' (1957) by Thomas B. Costain depicts the First Baron's War and John's signing of Magna Carta. * John is a character in

James Goldman James Goldman (June 30, 1927 – October 28, 1998) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He won an Academy Award for his screenplay '' The Lion in Winter'' (1968). His younger brother was novelist and screenwriter William Goldman. Biog ...

's 1966 play '' The Lion in Winter'', which dramatises Henry II's struggles with his wife and sons over the rule of his empire. John is portrayed as a spoiled, simple-minded pawn in the machinations of his brothers and

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

. * James Goldman also wrote a novel called ''Myself As Witness'' (1979), a fictional record of the later years of John's reign purportedly kept by the chronicler

Gerald of Wales Gerald of Wales (; ; ; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and wrote extensively. He studied and taught in France and visited Rome several times, meeting the Pope. He ...

. * John is a character in Maureen Peters' 1983 novel ''Lackland's Bride'', which deals with his marriage to Isabella, Countess of Gloucester. * Sharon Penman's '' Here Be Dragons'' deals with the reign of John, the development of Wales under Llewelyn's rule, and Llewelyn's marriage to John's illegitimate daughter, Joan, who is depicted in the novel as "Joanna". Other novels of hers which feature John as a prominent character are ''The Queen's Man'', ''Cruel as the Grave'', ''The Dragon's Lair'', and ''Prince of Darkness'', a series of fictional mysteries set during the time of Richard's imprisonment. * John is featured in several books by Elizabeth Chadwick, including ''Lords of the White Castle'', ''The Champion'', and ''The Scarlet Lion''. * Judith Tarr features a sympathetic Prince John as the protagonist of her fantasy novel ''Pride of Kings'' (2001).

Film

John has been portrayed on film by: *

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

in the silent short ''King John'' (1899), which recreates his death scene at the end of the Shakespeare play * George Courtenay in the silent adaptation of ''

'' (1913) *

Sam De Grasse Samuel Alfred De Grasse (June 12, 1875 – November 29, 1953) was a Canadian actor. He was the uncle of cinematographer Robert De Grasse. Biography Samuel Alfred De Grasse was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick to Lange De Grasse and Helene ( Com ...

in the silent film ''

'' (1922), with

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...

as Robin * Edward Cooper in the silent film ''Robin Hood, Jr.''(1923) * Ramsay Hill in ''

The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

'' (1935) *

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

in ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'' (1938), with

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

as Robin. John is here portrayed as an affable but tyrannical man. *

George Macready George Peabody Macready Jr. (August 29, 1899 – July 2, 1973) was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains. Early life Macready was born in Providence, Rhode Island on August 29, 1899. He claimed t ...

in '' Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' (1950) *

Hubert Gregg Hubert Robert Harry Gregg (19 July 1914 – 29 March 2004) was a British broadcaster, writer and actor. In his later years, he was known for the BBC Radio 2 "oldies" shows ''A Square Deal'' and ''Thanks for the Memory''. He was also a novelist, t ...

in '' The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men'' (1952), with

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

as Robin *

Guy Rolfe Guy Rolfe (born Edwin Arthur Rolfe, 27 December 1911 – 19 October 2003) was a British character actor. He was best known for portraying villains. Early life Born in Kilburn, London, Edwin Arthur "Guy" Rolfe was descended from Thomas Rolfe, ...

in ''

'' (1952), with Robert Taylor as Ivanhoe *

Nigel Terry Peter Nigel Terry (15 August 1945 – 30 April 2015) was an English stage, film, and television actor, typically in historical and period roles. He played Prince John in Anthony Harvey's film '' The Lion in Winter'' (1968) and King Arthur in ...

in the film adaptation of '' The Lion in Winter'' (1968) * Lawrence Adams in the

soft porn Softcore pornography or softcore porn is commercial still photography, film, imagery, or even audio that has a pornographic or erotic component but is less sexually graphic or intrusive than hardcore pornography, defined by a lack of sexual p ...

film ''

The Ribald Tales of Robin Hood ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1969) * Frank Braña in the Italian film ''Il Magnifico Robin Hood'' (1970) * Daniele Dublino in the Italian film ''L'Arciere di Sherwood'' (1970) *

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...

provided the voice of Prince John in the Disney animated film ''

'' (1973), in which the Regent of England is depicted as an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

and a cowardly, infantile, comical villain who sucks his thumb at the mention of his

mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

and is repeatedly humiliated by Robin Hood (himself depicted as an anthropomorphic

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

) *

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor. After graduating from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and beginning his career on the British stage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he became a ...

in ''

Robin and Marian ''Robin and Marian'' is a 1976 romantic adventure film from Columbia Pictures, shot in Panavision and Technicolor, that was directed by Richard Lester and written by James Goldman after the legend of Robin Hood. The film stars Sean Connery as Rob ...

'' (1976) * Algimantas Masiulis in the Russian film '' The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe'' (1983), an adaptation of ''Ivanhoe'' * Edward Fox in ''

'' (1991), with

Patrick Bergin Patrick Connolly Bergin (born 4 February 1951) is an Irish actor and singer. In 1991, he starred opposite Julia Roberts in '' Sleeping with the Enemy'' and played the title character in ''Robin Hood''. His other roles include terrorist Kevin O' ...

as Robin * Richard Lewis in

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

's parody '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' (1993) *

Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is an American actor. Recognized for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino characters in Cinema of the United States, H ...

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

's ''

'' (2010) as neither hero or villain but as a corrupt yet intelligent ruler who forms an alliance with Hood to defeat the French invaders. *

Paul Giamatti Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti ( ; born June6, 1967) is an American actor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globes, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award. After studying a ...

in Jonathan English's ''

Ironclad An ironclad was a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by iron armour, steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or ince ...

'' (2011) *

John Michael Higgins John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor, comedian and game show host whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's '' The Late Shift'', and a starring role in the ...

provided the voice of John in the Warner Bros. animated film '' Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse'' (2012)

Television

John has been portrayed on television by: *

Donald Wolfit Sir Donald Wolfit (born Donald Woolfitt; 20 April 1902 – 17 February 1968) was an English actor-manager, known for his touring productions of Shakespeare. He was especially renowned for his portrayal of King Lear. Born to a conventional midd ...

in the ''

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Sunday Night Theatre'' version of Shakespeare's ''King John'' (1952) *

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He was known for his "bald head and intense, staring eyes," and played more than 250 stage, film, and television roles across a nearly sixty-year career. Pleas ...

in the British series ''

'' (1955–1960); John was also played in the series by Hubert Gregg and Brian Haines *

Andrew Keir Andrew Keir (né Buggy, 3 April 19265 October 1997) was a Scottish actor who appeared in a number of films made by Hammer Film Productions in the 1960s. He was also active in television, and especially in the theatre, in a professional career ...

in the British series ''

'' (1958) * John Crawford in "The Revenge of Robin Hood" episode of the American time travel series ''

The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science-fiction television series written around a theme of time travel adventure; it starred James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction televisi ...

'' (1966) * John Scott (voice) In the Canadian children's animated series '' Rocket Robin Hood'' (1966–1969) *

Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) was a British-American actor whose career spanned over 270 screen and stage roles across over 60 years. Born in London, he began his acting career as a child in his n ...

in the American TV musical film ''The Legend of Robin Hood'' (1968) and the American TV film parody '' The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1984) *

Tim Preece Tim Preece (born 5 August 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared on British television since the 1960s and also acted on stage. Early life Preece was born in Shrewsbury in Shropshire and was educated at the Priory Grammar School for Boys, S ...

in the BBC series ''

'' (1970) * David Dixon in the BBC series '' The Legend of Robin Hood'' (1975) *

Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama '' Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in '' L.A. Confide ...

in the American comedy series ''

When Things Were Rotten ''When Things Were Rotten'' is an American sitcom television series created in 1975 by Mel Brooks and set in 1197 as a parody of the Robin Hood legend. It aired for half a season on the ABC network. The series starred Dick Gautier as the handso ...

'' (1975), about Robin Hood *

Paul Spurrier Paul Spurrier (born 23 May 1967 Suffolk) is a British former child actor on stage, television, and film, and a screenwriter and film director. He appeared in more than thirty different roles, with credits including ''Anna Karenina'' and '' The Los ...

(as a boy) and John Duttine (as an adult) in the BBC TV drama series '' The Devil's Crown'' (1978), which dramatised his reign and those of his father and brother *

Ronald Pickup Ronald Alfred Pickup (7 June 1940 – 24 February 2021) was an English actor. He was active in television, film, and theatre, beginning with a 1964 appearance in ''Doctor Who''. Theatre critic Michael Billington described him as "a terrific st ...

in the British TV film ''

'' (1982) * John Slade in the "An Arrow Pointing East" episode of the American time travel series ''

Voyagers! ''Voyagers!'' is an American science-fiction television series about time travel that aired on NBC from October 3, 1982, to July 10, 1983, during the 1982–1983 season. The series starred Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. Plot Phineas Bogg ( ...

'' (1982) *

Gerald Flood Gerald Robert Flood (21 April 1927 – 12 April 1989) was a British actor of stage and television. Early life Flood was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, but lived for most of his life in Farnham, Surrey, where he regularly appeared on stage at ...

in "

The King's Demons ''The King's Demons'' is the sixth and final serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was originally broadcast on BBC1 on 15 and 16 March 1983. This serial introduced Kamelion, voiced by Ge ...

" story of the BBC series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' (1983), in which John was impersonated by the shape-shifting robot Kamelion * Phil Davis in the British series ''

Robin of Sherwood ''Robin of Sherwood'' is a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 28 April 1984 to 28 June 1986 on the ITV network. In th ...

'' (1984–1986) *

Leonard Rossiter Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series '' Rising Damp'' from 19 ...

in the BBC Shakespeare ''The Life and Death of King John'' (1984) * Forbes Collins in the BBC children's comedy series '' Maid Marian and her Merry Men'' (1989) plays John as a cowardly, overweight, dimwitted buffoon. * Michael Rudder (voice) in the American animated children's series '' Young Robin Hood'' (1992) *

Ian Falconer Ian Woodward Falconer (August 25, 1959 – March 7, 2023) was an American author and illustrator of children's books as well as a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created 30 covers for ''The New Yorker'' and also for other publ ...

in the TV film '' Young Ivanhoe'' (1995) * Andrew Bicknell in the American series ''

The New Adventures of Robin Hood ''The New Adventures of Robin Hood'' is an action adventure television series that premiered on January 13, 1997, on TNT. The show was based on the legend of Robin Hood, the English folk hero, and was filmed in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was produc ...

'' (1997–1998) *

Ralph Brown Ralph William John Brown (born 18 June 1957) is an English actor and writer, known for playing Danny the drug dealer in '' Withnail and I'', the security guard Aaron (a.k.a. "85") in ''Alien 3'', DJ Bob Silver in '' The Boat That Rocked'' aka ...

in the British series ''

'' (1997) * Cameron Rhodes in the British series '' Dark Knight'' (2000), based on ''Ivanhoe'' *

Jonathan Hyde Jonathan Stephen Geoffrey King (born 21 May 1948), known professionally as Jonathan Hyde, is an Australian actor. Hyde is perhaps best known for roles as Herbert Arthur Runcible Cadbury in the comedy film '' Richie Rich'' (1994), Samuel Parrish ...

in the American TV film '' Princess of Thieves'' (2001), which depicts Prince John trying to seize the throne from the rightful heir,

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

, an illegitimate son of King Richard * Soma Marko (as a boy) and

Rafe Spall Rafe Joseph Spall ( ; born 10 March 1983) is an English actor. Spall has appeared in films including '' Kidulthood'' (2006), '' A Good Year'' (2006), ''Hot Fuzz'' (2007), '' One Day'' (2011), ''Anonymous'' (2011), ''Prometheus'' (2012), '' Lif ...

(as an adult) in the TV film adaptation of '' The Lion in Winter'' (2003) *

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the United Kingdom, United States, and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film '' Die Another Day'', for whic ...

in the 2009 season of the BBC's ''

'' series, playing John as a manipulative, insecure, spoilt brat who resents his elder brother and desires the throne of England whilst constantly demanding affirmation that he is loved by his people, despite his vindictive treatment of them. *

Jim Howick James Howick (born 14 May 1979) is an English actor and writer, known for his appearances in television series such as ''Sex Education'', ''Peep Show'', '' Stag'', and '' Here We Go'', as well as his ongoing association with the creative collect ...

Ben Miller Bennet Evan Miller (born 24 February 1966) is an English comedian, actor and author. He rose to fame as a member of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller, with Alexander Armstrong. He is known for roles as Angus Jeremy Bough in the '' Johnny Eng ...

, Ryan Sampson and Ethan Lawrence in the historical sketch show ''Horrible Histories''.

Radio

John has been portrayed on radio by: * Robert Farquharson in a 1931 BBC Radio London performance of Shakespeare's ''The Life and Death of King John''. *

Carleton Hobbs Carleton Percy Hobbs, OBE (18 June 1898 – 31 July 1978) was an English actor with many film, radio and television appearances. He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in 80 radio adaptations in a series of a series of Sherlock Holmes radio dramas (opp ...

in a 1944 BBC Radio broadcast of Shakespeare's ''The Life and Death of King John'' (with

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

playing Philip Faulconbridge). * Robert Harris in a 1958 BBC Radio broadcast of Shakespeare's ''The Life and Death of King John''. * Robert Eddison in a 1967 BBC Radio broadcast of Shakespeare's ''The Life and Death of King John''. *Hadyn Jones in the 1971 play ''John, By the Grace of God'' by Lydia Ragosin, Haydn Jones and

Beatrix Lehmann Beatrix Alice Lehmann (1 July 1903 – 31 July 1979) was a British actress, theatre director, writer and novelist. Early life and family Lehmann was born in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire. She came from a family of notable achievers: the third o ...

. This play depicts John as being secretly a pagan. * Jack Shepherd in a 1990 BBC Radio "modern-dress" adaption of Shakespeare's ''The Life and Death of King John''. * Neil Stuke in Mike Walker's

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

series ''

Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet ( /plænˈtædʒənət/ ''plan-TAJ-ə-nət'') was a royal house which originated from the French county of Anjou. The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses: the Angev ...

'' (2010).

Comics

King John was depicted in a 1955 ''

Classics Illustrated ''Classics Illustrated'' is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as '' Les Misérables'', ''Moby-Dick'', ''Hamlet'', and '' The Iliad''. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication ...

'' adaption of Scott's ''Ivanhoe''.Jones, William B. ''Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History, with Illustrations''. McFarland, 2002. (pgs. 49 , 163)

References

{{King John Action film villains Male film villains Male literary villains Villains in mythology and legend