To celebrate the 207th birthday of one of the greatest writers in British history (and perhaps THE greatest Victorian writer), we look at seven incredible stars who have all had the joy of portraying Charles Dickens on screen.
Derek Jacobi at the premiere for My Week With Marilyn / Photo Credit: Awais Butt/Famous
Simon Callow
He's probably one of the world's leading authorities on all things Dickensian having written extensively about the man, and he's actually portrayed him on screen and on stage multiple times: in one-man show The Mystery of Charles Dickens, Christmas Carol: The Movie, the BBC's An Audience with Charles Dickens and, most notably, in Doctor Who twice - first in the 2005 episde The Unquiet Dead and second in the 2011 season finale The Wedding of River Song.
Dan Stevens
In 2017, the Beauty and the Beast actor played Charles Dickens in The Man Who Invented Christmas; a comedy biopic about the creation of his most famous tale, A Christmas Carol. Directed by Bharat Nalluri, the film was hugely well-received and it definitely remains one of the most entertaining portrayals of Dickens.
Ralph Fiennes
Based on the book of the same name by Claire Tomalin, Ralph Fiennes not only played Dickens in The Invisible Woman, but also directed the award-winning movie. The film follows the secret thirteen-year love affair between Dickens and his mistress Nelly Ternan, whom he romanced until his death in 1870.
Derek Jacobi
The Riddle is a little known 2007 crime thriller also starring Vinnie Jones, Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Flemyng, with Derek Jacobi playing Dickens in the 19th century and a beach-dwelling tramp in the 21st century. Vinnie must solve the riddle of an unpublished Dickens manuscript in order to solve a brutal murder, with the help of this eccentric homeless man.
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Jeff Rawle
You may recognise Jeff Rawle from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but he also played Dickens as a chat-show host in the short-running 2012 BBC series The Charles Dickens Show where he spoke about Victorian workhouses and child labour among other topics from that particular historical era.
Andrew Scott
In a 2017 episode of Victorian-themed sitcom Quacks, entitled The Lady's Abscess, the Sherlock actor portrayed a version of the literature hero who made for quite the awkward dinner guest. A writer should never asked their "fans" who their favourite character of theirs is.
Anthony Hopkins
At the beginning of his career, this Oscar winning star played the writer in a 1970 television movie called The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens. The film also starred Arthur Lowe from Dad's Army and Jenny Agutter from Call the Midwife. Sounds like one we definitely have to see, though it's probably not easy to get hold of these days.
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