Michael Maloney (born 19 June 1957) is a British actor, best known for his many roles in film and television, including several roles in various Shakespeare screen adaptations. He has also appeared as a voice actor on radio, for audio books, and in video games. In 2025, Maloney starred as Hercule Poirot in a touring production of Murder on the Orient Express.
Early life and education Michael Maloney was born on 19 June 1957 at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. His father had emigrated from County Cork, Ireland, to Godalming, Surrey.
After finishing school, he attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Career Maloney's first television appearance was as Peter Barkworth's teenage son in the 1979 drama series Telford's Change.What's on Stage, 20 Questions with Michael Maloney . Accessed 15 September 2013
He made his West End debut in 1979 in Can you Hear Me at The Back?, by Brian Clark, followed immediately by Taking Steps by Alan Ayckbourn. After playing Toby Gashe in The Bell, by Iris Murdoch, Maloney joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 playing Ferdinand in The Tempest. After the RSC, he went on to play in The Perfectionist at Hampstead, the title role of Peer Gynt for Cambridge Theatre Company, The London Cuckolds at the Lyric Hammersmith, Two Planks and a Passion by Anthony Minghella, directed by Danny Boyle at Greenwich and Built on Sand at the Royal Court. Maloney went on to appear in many films and television series, including What If It's Raining, by Anthony Minghella, for Channel 4. He became a familiar face after playing the Dauphin in Kenneth Branagh's 1989 film adaptation of Henry V. In the early 1990s, he played Prince Hal in Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet for the RSC and Hamlet on a national tour starting at Greenwich. He appeared on television in Mr Wakefield's Crusade, on film as Mark in Truly, Madly, Deeply, and in 1994 he took the lead in the BBC adaptation of Love on a Branch Line. He appeared in both the 1990 and 1996 film versions of Hamlet, as Rosencrantz and Laertes respectively,Macmillan Readers, "An Interview with Michael Maloney". Accessed 15 September 2013 and in several other Shakespeare screen adaptations, including the lead role in In the Bleak Midwinter by Kenneth Branagh. In addition to his TV appearances, he starred as Jason Fields in the film American Reel in 1999. 2002 saw him play Brian Albumen, personal aide to Rik Mayall's Adonis Cnut character in the Gran and Marks penned TV sitcom Believe Nothing. In 2003, he appeared as the Belgian Prosper Profond in The Forsyte Saga. In the theatre he played Hamlet again for Yukio Ninagawa on tour and at the Barbican. He played Cassius in the 2005 miniseries Empire, John Major in 2009's Margaret and Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel in the 2009 film The Young Victoria.
He is active in radio drama on BBC Radio 4, playing the Dean in both series of High Table, Lower Orders and Giles the gossip columnist in His Master's Voice. He has made a guest appearance in the BBC Radio 4 series Baldi. He has also appeared in a Bollywood films Kisna, and I See You, playing the detective inspector.
In 2010, he appeared in long-running drama Casualty as consultant Howard Fairfax, and in series 4 of the political satire series The Thick of It, he played Matthew Hodge, part of the Goolding Inquiry.Radio Times Castlist In 2013, he portrayed Sir Henry Stafford, third husband of Lady Margaret Beaufort, in the BBC TV series The White Queen.
In 2016, he appeared in the ITV/Netflix series Paranoid. He was also in the second series of Utopia for Channel 4 and played Edward Heath in series 3 of The Crown. He most recently has a cameo role in Belfast, directed by Kenneth Branagh, and played the role of Vanya, in Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike, by Christopher Durang, directed by Walter Bobbie, at the Charing Cross Theatre.
He has recorded many audio books, including Captain Corelli's Mandolin.Audiobooks.com Retrieved 8 May 2019.
He has also lent his voice to various video game characters, including The Lost Soul in the 2013 video game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, Avallac'h in the 2015 video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Doloran in the 2018 video game Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.
In 2025, Maloney starred as Hercule Poirot in a touring production of Murder on the Orient Express. In September 2026, he played the part of Ernest Eccles in a new stage adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's 20,000 Streets Under the Sky, adapted by Simon Reade and directed by Matthew Iliffe, which premiered at London's Southwark Playhouse Borough.
Personal life In 2002, Maloney married Italian-American model and photographer Kim Andreolli.
He is an advocate for macrobiotic eating.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1980 Richard's Things Bill 1984 Sharma and Beyond Stephen Archer Television film Ordeal by Innocence Micky Argyle 1985 Tartuffe, or The Impostor Damis Television film 1986 A Dangerous Kind of Love Whymper Television film 1987 Scoop William Boot Television film 1988 The Mask Leonardo 1989 Henry V Louis the Dauphin Relatively Speaking Gregory Pointer Television film1990 Truly, Madly, Deeply Mark Hamlet Rosencrantz 1993 Micky Love Tony Scott Television film Screen Play Short film The Waiter Frederico Short film1995 In the Bleak Midwinter Joe Harper (Hamlet) Othello Roderigo Trafford Tanzi Referee Television film 1996 Hamlet Laertes 1997 Hysteria Dr. Samuel Fry Thursday Nick Short film Sex & Chocolate Billy Gale Television film1998 Macbeth Banquo Television film The Changeling Frank Short film 1999 American Reel Jason Fields2000 Unleaded Anton A Christmas Carol Bob Cratchit Television film Journey Through the Night Narrator Short film 2002 Me & Mrs Jones Ivan McDermott Television film2003 Twelfth Night, or What You Will Malvolio Television film Bed and Breakfast Peter 2004 Battle of the Brave Governor James Murray 2005 Kisna: The Warrior Poet Peter Beckett2006 Pinochet in Suburbia Jack Straw Television film Babel James Notes on a Scandal Sandy Pabblem I See You Inspector John Smith2007 Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars Inspector Stirling Television film The Soul Rescuer The Soul Rescuer Short film Learners John Television film Saturday's Shadow Father Short film Impact Earth Adam Bregorsky Television film 2008 The Applicant Rejection Letter Short film2009 Margaret John Major Television film The Young Victoria Sir Robert Peel 2010 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll Graham Koda Ken Short film Trouble Brewing Alan Short film 2011 The Iron Lady Doctor 2012 Rage William Short film 2013 Summer in February Colonel Paynter2014 Born of War Ian Luna Dean Two Horrible Little Girls Clive Short film2015 The C Word Ian McFarlane Television film The Other Side of Home Ian Short film2021 A Brixton Tale Simon Three Pints and a Rabbi Ian Where Is Anne Frank Otto Frank Voice role Belfast Frankie West Lawrence: After Arabia George Brough2022 Help! I've Stolen Amy Adams' Nose! Kat's Dad Short film Care Alan Short film Reaching Four Dr Maloney Short film 2023 Best of Three Stewart Short film
Television