Timothy Spall Net Worth

What Is Timothy Spall's Net Worth?

Timothy Spall is an English actor who has a net worth of $6 million.

Timothy Spall is one of Britain's most accomplished character actors, with a career spanning more than four decades and over 160 film and television credits. He first became widely known for playing Barry Taylor in the British comedy-drama "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" before establishing an international reputation through his collaborations with filmmaker Mike Leigh. His most recognizable Hollywood role is Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, in the "Harry Potter" film series. Other notable performances include Beadle Bamford in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Winston Churchill in "The King's Speech," and the title character in the 2014 biographical drama "Mr. Turner."

Spall's performance as painter J. M. W. Turner earned him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, while his portrayal of murder victim Peter Farquhar in the 2023 BBC drama "The Sixth Commandment" won him a BAFTA and an International Emmy. His later work includes "Wicked Little Letters," "Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light," the BBC crime comedy "Death Valley," and Kate Winslet's 2025 directorial debut, "Goodbye June."

Beyond acting, Spall has developed a successful second career as a painter, exhibiting his artwork at London galleries. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000 for his contributions to drama.

Early Life

Timothy Leonard Spall was born on February 27, 1957, in Battersea, South London. His mother, Sylvia, worked as a hairdresser, and his father, Joseph, was a postal worker. He grew up alongside three brothers in a working-class household, spending part of his childhood on a council estate.

Spall attended Battersea County Comprehensive School and initially considered joining the military or pursuing a career in art. His interest in acting developed at age 16 when he played the Cowardly Lion in a school production of "The Wizard of Oz." His drama teacher recognized his talent and encouraged him to consider acting professionally.

He joined the National Youth Theatre before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he received the prestigious Bancroft Gold Medal as the most promising acting student in his year. He graduated in 1978 and began working professionally in theater.

Early Career and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

Spall began his acting career with theatrical productions at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the National Theatre. His early stage work included Shakespearean productions and contemporary British plays, establishing his reputation for portraying eccentric, humorous, and emotionally complicated characters.

He made his feature film debut in the 1979 British musical drama "Quadrophenia," based on The Who's rock opera. He subsequently appeared in films including "The Missionary" (1982), "The Bride" (1985), "Gothic" (1986), and "To Kill a Priest" (1988).

His major television breakthrough came in 1983 when he was cast as Barry Spencer Taylor in the ITV comedy-drama "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet." The series followed a group of British construction workers who traveled abroad in search of employment, with Spall portraying a well-meaning but socially awkward electrician from the West Midlands.

The show became a major British television success, running for two seasons between 1983 and 1986 before returning for additional episodes between 2002 and 2004. Barry remained one of Spall's most recognizable characters, and the series helped establish him as a household name in Britain.

During the 1990s, Spall continued appearing regularly on British television. He played the title character in "Frank Stubbs Promotes" from 1993 to 1994 and starred in the sitcom "Outside Edge" from 1994 to 1996. He also appeared in the acclaimed BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" in 1998 and the television drama "Shooting the Past" in 1999.

Mike Leigh Collaborations

One of the defining relationships of Spall's career has been his long collaboration with British filmmaker Mike Leigh.

Their early work together included "Life Is Sweet" (1990), in which Spall played Aubrey, an eccentric and unsuccessful restaurant owner. The role demonstrated his ability to combine broad comedy with a more unsettling emotional realism.

In 1996, he starred in Leigh's critically acclaimed drama "Secrets & Lies," playing Maurice Purley, a photographer attempting to manage the tensions within his dysfunctional family. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and earned five Academy Award nominations. Spall received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

He reunited with Leigh for "Topsy-Turvy" (1999), portraying Richard Temple, an opera singer involved in the theatrical world of Gilbert and Sullivan. The performance earned him another BAFTA nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actor.

Their collaborations continued with "All or Nothing" (2002), in which Spall played Phil, a depressed London minicab driver struggling with financial pressures and an unhappy family life. His performance received a British Independent Film Award nomination and further established his reputation as one of Britain's strongest dramatic actors.

Harry Potter and Hollywood Success

Spall became familiar to international audiences through supporting roles in several major Hollywood productions.

His early American film credits included "Vanilla Sky" (2001), starring Tom Cruise, "Rock Star" (2001), and "The Last Samurai" (2003). He also appeared in "Nicholas Nickleby" (2002) and "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" (2004).

In 2004, Spall joined the "Harry Potter" franchise as Peter Pettigrew, the former friend of James and Lily Potter who betrayed them to Lord Voldemort. The character, also known as Wormtail, was introduced in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

Spall subsequently reprised the role in several installments, including "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005) and the concluding "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" films. His unsettling portrayal of the cowardly and treacherous character made him a memorable part of the franchise, which grossed billions of dollars worldwide.

He also appeared as Beadle Bamford in Tim Burton's 2007 musical horror film "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," alongside Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. That same year, he played Nathaniel in Disney's fantasy comedy "Enchanted."

Other major roles included football manager Brian Clough's assistant Peter Taylor in "The Damned United" (2009) and Winston Churchill in the Academy Award-winning historical drama "The King's Speech" (2010), starring Colin Firth.

Spall also voiced Bayard the Bloodhound in Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" (2010), reprising the role in the 2016 sequel "Alice Through the Looking Glass."

Getty Images

Mr. Turner and Cannes Film Festival Victory

One of Spall's greatest career achievements came in 2014 when he starred as the celebrated British landscape painter J. M. W. Turner in Mike Leigh's "Mr. Turner."

The film explored the final 25 years of Turner's life, portraying the artist as an eccentric, emotionally complicated figure whose extraordinary creative abilities contrasted with his sometimes difficult personal behavior.

Spall undertook an unusually demanding preparation process. At Leigh's request, he spent two years learning to paint under the guidance of portrait artist Tim Wright, studying drawing, watercolor, and oil painting techniques. He eventually created a full-size copy of one of Turner's paintings to develop the physical confidence required for the role.

His performance received widespread critical acclaim, earning him the Best Actor award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. He also won the European Film Award for Best Actor and received honors from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics.

The role marked an important transition in Spall's career, demonstrating that an actor best known internationally for supporting parts could carry a major historical drama.

Later Career and The Sixth Commandment

Following "Mr. Turner," Spall continued working in British television and independent films. His credits included "The Enfield Haunting" (2015), "Stanley a Man of Variety" (2016), "The Party" (2017), "Hatton Garden" (2019), and "Summer of Rockets" (2019).

In 2019, he portrayed another famous British painter, L. S. Lowry, in "Mrs Lowry & Son," opposite Vanessa Redgrave. He subsequently appeared in the psychological drama "The Corrupted," the historical drama "Spencer" (2021), and the 2023 comedy "Wicked Little Letters," starring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley.

In 2023, Spall delivered one of his most acclaimed television performances in the BBC true-crime drama "The Sixth Commandment."

He portrayed Peter Farquhar, a retired teacher and author who was manipulated and ultimately murdered by Benjamin Field, a former student who exploited Farquhar's loneliness and trust. The four-part series examined the circumstances surrounding Farquhar's death and the subsequent investigation.

Spall's sensitive portrayal earned him the 2024 BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actor, his first competitive BAFTA win after several previous nominations. Later that year, he received the International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor for the same role.

In 2024, he portrayed the Duke of Norfolk in the BBC historical drama "Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light," appearing alongside Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis.

In 2025, Spall took the leading role in the BBC crime comedy "Death Valley," playing John Chapel, a retired television detective actor who begins helping a young Welsh police officer, portrayed by Gwyneth Keyworth, solve real murders. The series became a ratings success and returned for a second season in 2026, with Spall also serving as an executive producer.

He also appeared in "Goodbye June" (2025), the directorial debut of Kate Winslet. In the Netflix family drama, Spall played Bernie, the husband of Helen Mirren's terminally ill character, alongside an ensemble that included Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, and Johnny Flynn.

Painting Career

Spall's extensive preparation for "Mr. Turner" eventually developed into a serious interest in painting.

After portraying both J. M. W. Turner and L. S. Lowry on screen, he continued producing his own landscapes and other artwork. In 2021, he held his first solo exhibition, "Out of the Storm," at London's Pontone Gallery.

The exhibition featured 20 paintings created over six months, depicting dramatic skies, coastlines, landscapes, and other scenes inspired by his travels. Spall approached the project with the same intensity he brought to acting, spending long days painting in preparation for the show.

His second solo exhibition, "Winter Sun," opened at Pontone Gallery in November 2023 and continued into February 2024. His work has also been offered for sale through the gallery, establishing painting as a commercial creative pursuit alongside his acting career.

Personal Life and Leukemia

Spall married his wife, Shane, on December 1, 1981. The couple has three children: Pascale, Rafe, and Mercedes. Their son, Rafe Spall, is also a successful actor whose credits include "Shaun of the Dead," "The Big Short," "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," and the Apple TV+ series "Trying."

In 1996, while enjoying considerable professional success, Spall was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Doctors initially gave him a 60% chance of survival, and he underwent intensive chemotherapy.

The illness went into remission, but the experience profoundly affected his outlook on life and work. Spall subsequently explained that surviving cancer made him less concerned about professional insecurity and more selective about the projects he accepted.

His wife remained closely involved in his treatment and recovery, and he has frequently credited her with helping him through the illness.

Life at Sea

One of Spall's more unusual personal interests is sailing. He and Shane purchased a 52-foot Dutch barge, which they used to travel extensively around the British coastline.

Their adventures were documented in the BBC Four series "Timothy Spall: …at Sea," including "Somewhere at Sea," "Back at Sea," and "All at Sea." The programs followed the couple as they navigated rivers, canals, coastal waters, and challenging weather conditions.

The journeys provided an opportunity for the couple to spend extended periods together away from film sets and television studios. Shane subsequently wrote about their experiences in the book "The Voyages of the Princess Matilda."

Spall has described his experiences at sea as an important part of his life following his recovery from leukemia, offering both adventure and a different perspective on his career.

Awards and Honors

Throughout his career, Spall has received numerous honors for his work in film, television, and theater.

His major acting awards include the 2014 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor prize and European Film Award for "Mr. Turner," the 2024 BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actor, and the 2024 International Emmy Award for "The Sixth Commandment."

He has also received multiple BAFTA nominations, British Independent Film Award nominations, and recognition from international film critics' organizations. In 2011, he shared in the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for "The King's Speech."

In 2000, Spall was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to drama.

Who's Richer?

Timothy
Spall

Compare!

Rafe
Spall