Simon Russell Beale

Simon Russell Beale (b. 1961) is an English stage actor, known for his Shakespearean portrayals, and an associate of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Beale also played the second gravedigger in Kenneth Branagh's 1996 film Hamlet. In 1999, Beale played the fussy King of Hearts in the Creature Shop TV movie Alice in Wonderland.

On Broadway, Beale starred in the 2004 revival of Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, as George (a part originated by Michael Hordern). In 2005, he replaced Tim Curry as King Arthur in Spamalot. In 2006, he portrayed John Adams in an episode of the PBS series The American Experience.