Orson Welles
Directing
331
Acting Credits
57
Directed
Biography
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio. Noted for his innovative dramatic productions as well as his distinctive voice and personality, Welles is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished dramatic artists of the twentieth century, especially for his significant and influential early work—despite his notoriously contentious relat...
Known For
Filmography
The Scorpion and the Frog
2025
as Narrator (archive footage)
Human Nature in Eleven Parts
2025
as Narrator "The Scorpion and the Frog" (archive footage)
WeirdWorld
2025
as Troy2000 (Archive footage)
Othelo The Great
2024
as Self (archive footage)
The Battle of Grovers Mill
2024
as Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
Aliens Uncovered: Close Encounters
2024
as Self
Jim Henson Idea Man
2024
as Self (archive footage)
From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight
2023
as Falstaff
Looking Back Before You Leap
2023
as General Zaroff (voice)
It's Pretty, but is it Art?
2023
as Self (voiceover)
American: An Odyssey to 1947
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
as Self (archive footage)
The Welles Raft
2022
as Himself (Archive Footage)
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
2021
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Parkinson at 50
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles
2021
as Self
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
2021
as Self (archive footage)
The Real Charlie Chaplin
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Hopper/Welles
2020
as Self
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
2019
as (archive footage)
LIFE BEYOND
2019
as Self (voice)
The Other Side of the Wind
2018
as Journalist (uncredited)
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018
as Self (archive footage)
The Eyes of Orson Welles
2018
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit
2018
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The Magic History of Cinema
2017
Embers & Dust
2016
as Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
This Is Orson Welles
2015
as Self
Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance
2014
as Self (archive footage)
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
2014
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Jodorowsky's Dune
2013
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Talking Pictures
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
2012
as (archive footage)
The Shadow Knows
2012
as Self (archive footage)
Magic Mirror Maze
2012
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
2011
as Himself
Orson Welles: The Paris Interview
2010
as Himself
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
as Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
Lucifer et moi
2009
as (archive footage 1982)
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
The Well
2005
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
2005
as Self (archive footage)
The Other Side of Welles
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Lost in "The Thinking"
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles Talks With Roger Hill
2005
as (Self)
Orson Welles Uncut
2005
The Hitch Hiker
2004
as Ronald Adams
The UFO Conspiracy
2004
as Self (archive sound)
The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Lost in La Mancha
2002
as Self (archive footage)
Heart of the Festival
2002
as Self (archive footage)
The Movie Movie (An Excerpt)
2002
as Archival Footage
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
2001
as Self (Archive footage)
A Huey P. Newton Story
2001
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
2001
as Narrator
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
2000
as Self (Archive footage)
Moby Dick
2000
as Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
Lon Chaney: A thousand faces
2000
as Self (archive footage)
According to Occam's Razor
1999
Hi-Fi
1999
One Man Band
1999
as Presenter / Various
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1998
as Self - Roaster (archive footage)
Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional
1997
as Self
It's All Brazil
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
1997
as Self (archive footage)
The Battle Over Citizen Kane
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles: The One-Man Band
1995
as Self (archive footage)
It's All True
1993
as Self
Working with Orson Welles
1993
as Himself (Archive Footage)
La Classe américaine
1993
as Self (archive footage)
Rosabella - La storia italiana di Orson Welles
1993
Don Quixote
1992
as Self
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
1991
as Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound)
Welles' Language
1990
as Self (archive footage)
Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream
1990
as Self (archive footage)
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
1990
as Self (archive footage)
On the tracks of a filmmaker
1988
as Orson Welles
American Experience
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Someone to Love
1987
as Danny's Friend
The Transformers: The Movie
1986
as Unicron (voice)
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
1986
as Self (archive footage)
It's Not All True
1986
as Himself (archive footage)
The Dreamers
1985
as Marcus Kleek
Orson Welles' Magic Show
1985
as Self
Moonlighting
1985
as Orson Welles
Scene of the Crime
1985
Where Is Parsifal?
1984
as Klingsor
The Road to Bresson
1984
as Self
The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh
1984
as himself
The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail
1984
as Narrator
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon
1984
as Self
In Our Hands
1984
as Himself
Almonds and Raisins
1984
as Narrator
The Witching
1983
as Mr. Cato
Hot Money
1983
as Sheriff Paisley
Notre Dame de la Croisette
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française
1983
as Himself
The Psychic Connection
1983
as Narrator
King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands
1983
as Self - Narrator
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
1983
as Magician (uncredited)
Butterfly
1982
as Judge Rauch
Slapstick of Another Kind
1982
as Aliens' Father (voice)
Magic with the Stars
1982
as Self - Host
The Quest for Fire Adventure
1982
as Narrator
Genocide
1982
as Narrator (voice)
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982
as Self
Baryshnikov in Hollywood
1982
as Self - Narrator
Doug Henning's World of Magic
1982
as Self - Special Guest
Let Poland Be Poland
1982
as Self
Wagner e Venezia
1982
as Richard Wagner (voice)
Night of 100 Stars
1982
as Self
The Orson Welles Story
1982
as Self
History of the World: Part I
1981
as Narrator (voice)
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
1981
as Presenter / Narrator (voice)
Filming 'The Trial'
1981
as Self
Enchanted Journey
1981
as Pippo
Search for the Titanic
1981
as Himself (host)
A Gift of Harvest
1981
as Narrator
The New Deal for Artists
1981
as Narrator (voice)
Brasil
1981
as Self (archive footage)
Tales of the Klondike
1981
as Narrator
The Secret of Nikola Tesla
1980
as J.P. Morgan
A Step Away
1980
as English Narrator
The Greenstone
1980
as Narrator (voice)
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
1980
as Narrator
Shōgun
1980
as Narrator
Magnum, P.I.
1980
as Robin Masters (voice)
Filming Othello
1979
as Host
The Greatest Adventure--The Story of Man's Voyage to the Moon
1979
as Narrator
The Muppet Movie
1979
as Lew Lord
The Orson Welles Show
1979
as Self
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
1979
as Self
The Double McGuffin
1979
as Narrator (voice)
To Try Again... and Succeed
1979
as Narrator (voice)
The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis
1979
as Narrator
The Biggest Battle
1978
as Narratore
The Late Great Planet Earth
1978
as Self
Mysterious Castles of Clay
1978
as Narrator
Tut: The Boy King
1978
as Himself - Host
Caesar's Guide to Gaming with Orson Welles
1978
as Himself
Orson Welles at The Magic Castle
1978
as Self
The Magic of David Copperfield
1978
A Woman Called Moses
1978
as Narrator (voice)
Hot Tomorrows
1977
as Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
The Force Beyond
1977
as Himself (archive footage)
It Happened One Christmas
1977
as Henry F. Potter
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
1977
as Narrator
From Fiber to Fabric: Wool's a Natural
1977
as Narrator
The Lions of Capitalism: Some Call It Greed
1977
as Narrator
The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here?
1977
as Self
Voyage of the Damned
1976
as José Estedes
Bugs Bunny Superstar
1976
as Narrator (voice)
NBC: The First Fifty Years
1976
as Self / Narrator
A Mother's Tale
1976
as Narrator
Cérémonie des César
1976
as Self - President
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
1975
as Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
Who's Out There?
1975
as Host
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles - Das vermarktete Genie
1975
as Self
Magnificent Monsters of the Deep
1975
as Narrator
Doug Henning's World of Magic
1975
as Self
And Then There Were None
1974
as Voice on Tape
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
1974
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art
1974
as Narrator
A Legend a Lifetime: Citizen Welles
1974
Dinah!
1974
as Self
F for Fake
1973
as Self
The Cave: a parable told by Orson Welles
1973
as Narrator
The Battle of Sutjeska
1973
as Winston Churchill
The Cave
1973
as Narrator
Kelly Country
1973
as Narrator
Power and Corruption
1973
as Himself
Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
1973
as Self - Host
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1973
as Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
Treasure Island
1972
as Long John Silver
Necromancy
1972
as Mr. Cato
Malpertuis
1972
as Cassavius
Future Shock
1972
as Narrator
Get to Know Your Rabbit
1972
as Mr. Delasandro
The Man Who Came to Dinner
1972
as Sheridan Whiteside
Jeanne Moreau : Vive le cinéma !
1972
as Self
A Safe Place
1971
as The Magician
Ten Days' Wonder
1971
as Théo Van Horn
Sentinels of Silence
1971
Flame of Persia
1971
as Narrator
Directed by John Ford
1971
as Narrator (voice)
Freedom River
1971
as Narrator
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971
as Self
The Silent Years
1971
Catch-22
1970
as Brigadier General Dreedle
The Deep
1970
as Russ Brewer
Waterloo
1970
as Louis XVIII
The Kremlin Letter
1970
as Bresnavitch
Is It Always Right to Be Right?
1970
as Narrator
Upon This Rock
1970
as Michelangelo (voice)
Start the Revolution Without Me
1970
as The Narrator
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon
1970
A Horse Called Nijinsky
1970
as Narrator
The Enemy Before Us
1970
as Narrator
The Merchant of Venice (Rushes)
1970
as Shylock
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Happy Prince
1970
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. I – Selections from George Ade, Thomas Wolfe, Mark Twain
1970
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. II – Clarence Darrow
1970
An Evening with Orson Welles: Two Wise Old Men – Socrates and Noah
1970
An Evening with Orson Welles: My Little Boy
1970
Night Gallery
1970
as Narrator
Twelve Plus One
1969
as Markan
The Battle of Neretva
1969
as Četnik
The Southern Star
1969
as Plankett
Tepepa
1969
as Colonel Cascorro
To Build a Fire
1969
as Narrator (voice)
The Merchant of Venice
1969
as Shylock
Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali
1969
as Narrator (voice)
The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal
1969
as Justinian
House of Cards
1968
as Leschenhaut
The Immortal Story
1968
as Charles Clay
The Fight for Rome
1968
as Justinian
Vienna
1968
as Himself
Portrait: Orson Welles
1968
as Self
Oedipus the King
1968
as Tiresias
Around the World of Mike Todd
1968
as Self - Narrator
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
The Name of the Game
1968
as Narrator
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968
as Self
Casino Royale
1967
as Le Chiffre
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
1967
as Jonathan Lute
The Sailor from Gibraltar
1967
as Louis de Mozambique
Ten Days That Shook the World
1967
as Narrator
Disorder Is 20 Years Old
1967
as Self
Beggars Would Ride
1967
as Narrator
Omnibus
1967
as Self - Presenter
A Man for All Seasons
1966
as Cardinal Wolsey
Is Paris Burning?
1966
as Konsul Nordling
Orson Welles in Spain
1966
as Himself
Chimes at Midnight
1965
as Falstaff
Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees
1965
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Marco the Magnificent
1965
as Akerman, Marco's Teacher
A King's Story
1965
as Narrator
Americans on Everest
1965
as Narrator- Self
Profile No. 6: Orson Welles
1965
National Geographic Specials
1965
as Narrator
The Finest Hours
1964
as Narrator (voice)
In the Land of Don Quixote
1964
as Himself
The V.I.P.s
1963
as Max Buda
Ro.Go.Pa.G.
1963
as The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta")
Hollywood and the Stars
1963
as Self (archive footage)
The Trial
1962
as Albert Hastler
Lafayette
1962
as Benjamin Franklin
River of the Ocean
1962
as Narrator (English)
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self - Guest Host
The Tartars
1961
as Burundai
King of Kings
1961
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Tempo
1961
as Self
Survival
1961
as Narrator
David and Goliath
1960
as King Saul
Crack in the Mirror
1960
as Hagolin / Lamerciere
The Battle of Austerlitz
1960
as Robert Fulton
An Arabian Night
1960
as Storyteller
Five Columns on the Front Page: Hong Kong as seen by Orson Welles
1960
as Self (narrator)
Compulsion
1959
as Jonathan Wilk
Ferry to Hong Kong
1959
as Captain Hart
High Journey
1959
as Narrator
Touch of Evil
1958
as Police Captain Hank Quinlan
The Long, Hot Summer
1958
as Will Varner
The Vikings
1958
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Fountain of Youth
1958
as the narrator
The Roots of Heaven
1958
as Cy Sedgewick
Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina
1958
as Self - Host
South Seas Adventure
1958
as Narrator
Lords of the Forest
1958
as Narrator (voice)
Colgate Theatre
1958
Man in the Shadow
1957
as Virgil Renchler
Moby Dick
1956
as Father Mapple
Out of Darkness
1956
as Self - Narrator
Orson Welles and People: Camille, the Naked Lady and the Musketeers
1956
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Steve Allen Show
1956
as Self
Cinépanorama
1956
as Self
Napoleon
1955
as Sir Hudson Lowe
Mr. Arkadin
1955
as Gregory Arkadin
Three Cases of Murder
1955
as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
1955
as Self - Host
The Land of the Basques
1955
as Himself
Moby Dick—Rehearsed
1955
as An Actor Manager /Father Mapple /Ahab
Around the World with Orson Welles
1955
as Host: Orson Welles
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
1955
as Himself - Host
Ford Star Jubilee
1955
as Oscar Jaffe
Trouble in the Glen
1954
as Sanin Cejador y Mengues
Reflets de Cannes
1954
as Self
Royal Affairs in Versailles
1953
as Benjamin Franklin
Return to Glennascaul
1953
as Narrator
Man, Beast and Virtue
1953
as Captain Perella, the Beast
King Lear
1953
as King Lear
Trent's Last Case
1952
as Sigsbee Manderson
Omnibus
1952
as King Lear
Othello
1951
as Othello
I Love Lucy
1951
as Orson Welles
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Sheridan Whiteside
The Black Rose
1950
as Bayan
Disorder
1950
as Self
The Miracle of St. Anne
1950
as The Director
What's My Line?
1950
as Self
The Third Man
1949
as Harry Lime
Prince of Foxes
1949
as Cesare Borgia
Black Magic
1949
as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
Macbeth
1948
as Macbeth
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
The Lady from Shanghai
1947
as Michael O'Hara
The Stranger
1946
as Prof. Charles Rankin
Tomorrow Is Forever
1946
as John Andrew MacDonald
Duel in the Sun
1946
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Battle for Survival
1946
as Narrator
Mexico City, Old and New
1945
as Narrator
Follow the Boys
1944
as Orson Welles (uncredited)
Know Your Ally: Britain
1944
as Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger)
Journey into Fear
1943
as Colonel Haki
Jane Eyre
1943
as Edward Rochester
Show-Business at War
1943
as Self
The Magnificent Ambersons
1942
as Narrator (voice)
Citizen Kane
1941
as Charles Foster Kane
Swiss Family Robinson
1940
as Opening Narrator (uncredited)
Citizen Kane Trailer
1940
as himself
The Green Goddess
1939
as Rajah/Narrator
Too Much Johnson
1938
as Keystone Kop
The Spanish Earth
1937
as Narrator (voice)
The Hearts of Age
1934
as Death
Twelfth Night
1933
as Narrator