Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#1577
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Timothy Spall represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 47 years in, and Timothy is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Timothy Spall appears in 47 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Timothy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the clearest case: a film rated 8.3 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for drama, romance, comedy. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Aneil Karia, Tina Gharavi, Kate Winslet and others, Timothy Spall helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) as Peter Pettigrew · Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) as Peter Pettigrew · Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) as Wormtail
Career snapshot
Ranked #1577 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
47
1979–2026
Career length
47 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
8.3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Average Nutevio score
6.6
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
8.1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Most frequent director
David Yates
3 films together
Longest collaboration
3×
With David Yates
Most common genre
Drama
30 titles
Average runtime
1h 53m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.2
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.9
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2000s
7.2 average MV
The 2000s are where the work and the material meet. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Desert Flower, The Damned United — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2000s
7.2
Across 15 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2000s
7.1
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
1970s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Quadrophenia.
Most productive era
2010s
16 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 1970s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.81 film | 6.82 films | 7.08 films | 6.510 films | 6.19 films |
| Action | — | — | 7.61 film | — | — |
| Thriller | — | — | — | 5.82 films | 5.13 films |
| Comedy | — | — | 6.84 films | 6.13 films | 5.86 films |
| Crime | — | — | 6.61 film | 6.11 film | 6.81 film |
| Romance | — | — | 6.63 films | 6.22 films | 6.52 films |
| Horror | — | — | 7.21 film | 5.61 film | 5.02 films |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
1979Quadrophenia
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Projectionist.
Highest rated performance · Career peak
2004Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
8.3 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
2026Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
The current state of the argument, as Terence Hilbery.
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
47 of 47 films
as Peter Pettigrew
Directed by David Yates
as Peter Pettigrew
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
as Simon Graham
Directed by Edward Zwick
as Peter Pettigrew
Directed by David Yates
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Peter Pettigrew
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Performance score8.0
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Peter Pettigrew gives Timothy Spall a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Peter Pettigrew
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Performance score8.0
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Peter Pettigrew is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Simon Graham
The Last Samurai (2003)
Performance score7.9
The Last Samurai asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Simon Graham is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Peter Pettigrew
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Performance score7.8
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Peter Pettigrew is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Peter Pettigrew
Start here. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the clearest statement of what Timothy Spall does — accessible, 130 minutes, and rated 8.3 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Timothy at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
The Last Samurai (2003)
A deliberate change of key after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
A deliberate change of key after The Last Samurai — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Keeps the fantasy register of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban but asks for a colder reading of it.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Keeps the fantasy register of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but asks for a colder reading of it.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
David Yates
Director
3 films together
Notably Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Tom Hooper
Director
2 films together
Notably The King's Speech
Tim Burton
Director
2 films together
Notably Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Nick Park
Director
2 films together
Notably Chicken Run
Franc Roddam
Director
1 film together
Notably Quadrophenia
Clint Eastwood
Director
1 film together
Notably White Hunter, Black Heart
Kenneth Branagh
Director
1 film together
Notably Hamlet
Roland Joffé
Director
1 film together
Notably Vatel
Cameron Crowe
Director
1 film together
Notably Vanilla Sky
Stephen Herek
Director
1 film together
Notably Rock Star
Douglas McGrath
Director
1 film together
Notably Nicholas Nickleby
Edward Zwick
Director
1 film together
Notably The Last Samurai
Brad Silberling
Director
1 film together
Notably Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Alfonso Cuarón
Director
1 film together
Notably Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Mike Newell
Director
1 film together
Notably Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Kevin Lima
Director
1 film together
Notably Enchanted
Ed Harris
Director
1 film together
Notably Appaloosa
Mick Jackson
Director
1 film together
Notably Denial
James Bobin
Director
1 film together
Notably Alice Through the Looking Glass
Isabel Coixet
Director
1 film together
Notably It Snows in Benidorm
André Szöts
Director
1 film together
Notably Grizzly II: Revenge
Pablo Larraín
Director
1 film together
Notably Spencer
Chris Foggin
Director
1 film together
Notably This Is Christmas
Scott Cooper
Director
1 film together
Notably The Pale Blue Eye
Thea Sharrock
Director
1 film together
Notably Wicked Little Letters
Kate Winslet
Director
1 film together
Notably Goodbye June
Tina Gharavi
Director
1 film together
Notably Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
Aneil Karia
Director
1 film together
Notably Hamlet
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
David Yates
Director
3 films together · 8.1 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 3 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2Tom Hooper
Director
2 films together · 7.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The King's SpeechTim Burton
Director
2 films together · 6.9 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetNick Park
Director
2 films together · 6.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Chicken RunAlfonso Cuarón
Director
1 film together · 8.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanMike Newell
Director
1 film together · 8.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireEdward Zwick
Director
1 film together · 7.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Last SamuraiKenneth Branagh
Director
1 film together · 7.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
HamletChris Foggin
Director
1 film together · 7.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
This Is ChristmasThea Sharrock
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Wicked Little LettersMick Jackson
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
DenialKevin Lima
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
EnchantedDouglas McGrath
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Nicholas NicklebyScott Cooper
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Pale Blue EyeBrad Silberling
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate EventsCameron Crowe
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Vanilla SkyFranc Roddam
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
QuadropheniaPablo Larraín
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
SpencerStephen Herek
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Rock StarKate Winslet
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Goodbye JuneJames Bobin
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Alice Through the Looking GlassEd Harris
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
AppaloosaClint Eastwood
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
White Hunter, Black HeartRoland Joffé
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
VatelTina Gharavi
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Virginia Woolf's Night & DayAneil Karia
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
HamletIsabel Coixet
Director
1 film together · 5.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
It Snows in BenidormAndré Szöts
Director
1 film together · 3.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Grizzly II: RevengeSix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
as Peter Pettigrew
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
The King's Speech
as Winston Churchill
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
as Peter Pettigrew
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
as Peter Pettigrew
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
as Peter Pettigrew
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Timothy Spall has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
47 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Drama Legend
Awarded
30 catalogue titles in drama, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
as Peter Pettigrew
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
The Pale Blue Eye
as Superintendent Thayer
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Upside Down
as Bob Boruchowitz
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
The Pale Blue Eye
as Superintendent Thayer
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
as Peter Pettigrew
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
The Last Samurai
as Simon Graham
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
The Love Punch
as Jerry
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
as Wormtail
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
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Have your say
Community
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Reference
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