To celebrate the film award season, we look at some famous actors who have received a knighthood, damehood, CBE, OBE or MBE British honour.
Actors who have received a knighthood or damehood
Some of the United Kingdon’s most celebrated actors and directors have been honoured with knighthoods and damehoods through the years. Past stage and screen greats such as Sir John Gielgud (Gazette issue 39863) and Sir Alec Guinness (Gazette issue 41589) were knighted, while acting royalty Laurence Olivier was also appointed a Knight Bachelor (Kt) in the 1947 Birthday Honours “for services to the stage and to films” (Gazette issue 37977).
Olivier was also later appointed to the Order of Merit in 1981 (Gazette issue 48524) and remains the first and only life peer created predominantly for his acting abilities (Gazette issue 45117).
More recently, acting legends Dame Judi Dench (Gazette issue 51171), Sir Ian McKellen (Gazette issue 52382) and Dame Julie Walters (Gazette issue 61962) have also been recognised for their careers.
While all female actors with damehoods have been appointed Dame Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), male actor knighthoods have varied. In the past, the likes of Sir Charlie Chaplin (Gazette issue 46444) and Sir Alfred Hitchcock (Gazette issue 48041) were appointed Knight Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). However, in more recent history, male actors have tended to be appointed as Knight Bachelors (Kt); a basic rank of knighthood in the British honours system, which entitles them to the title ‘Sir’ but does not involve induction into an order of chivalry.
Living actors with a knighthood or damehood
Here is a list of notable living actors who have received a knighthood or damehood:
| Name | Honour | Gazette issue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dame Judi Dench | DBE | 51171 | 30 December 1987 |
| Sir Ian McKellen | Kt | 52382 | 28 December 1990 |
| Sir Anthony Hopkins | Kt | 53153 | 31 December 1992 |
| Dame Julie Andrews | DBE | 55710 | 31 December 1999 |
| Sir Michael Caine | Kt | 55879 | 19 June 2000 |
| Sir Ben Kingsley | Kt | 56430 | 31 December 2001 |
| Dame Helen Mirren | DBE | 56963 | 14 June 2003 |
| Sir Patrick Stewart | Kt | 59282 | 31 December 2009 |
| Sir Kenneth Branagh | Kt | 60173 | 16 June 2012 |
| Sir Daniel Day-Lewis | Kt | 60895 | 14 June 2014 |
| Dame Kristin Ann Scott Thomas | DBE | 61092 | 31 December 2014 |
| Dame Julie Walters | DBE | 61962 | 16 June 2017 |
| Sir Mark Rylance | Kt | 61803 | 31 December 2016 |
| Dame Emma Thompson | DBE | 62310 | 9 June 2018 |
| Sir Jonathan Pryce | Kt | 63377 | 12 June 2021 |
| Dame Vanessa Redgrave | DBE | 63571 | 31 December 2021 |
| Dame Imelda Staunton | DBE | 64423 | 15 June 2024 |
| Sir Stephen Fry | Kt | 64607 | 31 December 2024 |
| Sir Gary Oldman | Kt | 64759 | 14 June 2025 |
| Sir Idris Elba | Kt | 64940 | 30 December 2025 |
Former actors who received a knighthood or damehood
Here is a list of notable former actors who received a knighthood or damehood:
| Name | Honour | Gazette issue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Laurence Olivier | Kt | 37977 | 12 June 1947 |
| Sir John Gielgud | Kt | 39863 | 26 May 1953 |
| Sir Alec Guinness | Kt | 41589 | 30 December 1958 |
| Dame Gladys Cooper | DBE | 44326 | 10 June 1967 |
| Sir Charlie Chaplin | KBE | 46444 | 31 December 1974 |
| Sir Alfred Hitchcock | KBE | 48041 | 28 December 1979 |
| Dame Maggie Smith | DBE | 51981 | 29 December 1989 |
| Sir Dirk Bogarde | Kt | 52767 | 31 December 1991 |
| Sir Michael Gambon | Kt | 54993 | 31 December 1997 |
| Sir Ian Holm | Kt | 55155 | 13 June 1998 |
| Sir Sean Connery | Kt | 55710 | 31 December 1999 |
| Dame Elizabeth Taylor | DBE | 55710 | 31 December 1999 |
| Sir Roger Moore | KBE | 56963 | 14 June 2003 |
| Dame Angela Lansbury | DBE | 60728 | 31 December 2013 |
| Sir John Hurt | Kt | 61092 | 31 December 2014 |
Living actors who have received British honours
If they have not received a knighthood or damehood, the majority of notable living actors with British honours have been appointed either a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) or a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
One notable exception is Daniel Craig, who was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2022 New Year Honours for “services to Film and Theatre” (Gazette issue 63571). This matches the CMG given to James Bond in the fictional series.
Here is a list of notable actors and their honours:
| Name | Honour | Gazette issue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liam Neeson | OBE | 55710 | 31 December 1999 |
| Brian Cox | CBE | 56797 | 31 December 2002 |
| Tom Wilkinson | OBE | 57509 | 31 December 2004 |
| Hugh Laurie | CBE | 58196 | 30 December 2006 |
| Catherine Zeta-Jones | CBE | 59446 | 12 June 2010 |
| Colin Firth | CBE | 59808 | 11 June 2011 |
| Helena Bonham Carter | CBE | 60009 | 31 December 2011 |
| Kate Winslet | CBE | 60173 | 16 June 2012 |
| Ewan McGregor | OBE | 60367 | 29 December 2012 |
| Emily Watson | OBE | 61092 | 31 December 2014 |
| Benedict Cumberbatch | CBE | 61256 | 13 June 2015 |
| Chiwetel Ejiofor | CBE | 61256 | 13 June 2015 |
| Eddie Redmayne | OBE | 61256 | 13 June 2015 |
| Naomie Harris | OBE | 61803 | 31 December 2016 |
| Tom Hardy | CBE | 62310 | 9 June 2018 |
| Keira Knightley | OBE | 62310 | 9 June 2018 |
| Thandiwe Newton | OBE | 62507 | 29 December 2018 |
| Olivia Colman | CBE | 62666 | 8 June 2019 |
| Daniel Craig | CMG | 63571 | 1 January 2022 |
| Stephen Graham | OBE | 63918 | 31 December 2022 |
| Carey Mulligan | CBE | 64607 | 31 December 2024 |
| Samantha Morton | OBE | 64759 | 14 June 2025 |
| Warwick Davis | OBE | 64940 | 30 December 2025 |
| Cynthia Erivo | MBE | 64940 | 30 December 2025 |
Former actors who have received British honours
Here is a list of notable former actors who were appointed a CBE, OBE or MBE:
| Name | Honour | Gazette issue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Scofield | CBE | 40669 | 2 January 1956 |
| Peter Sellers | CBE | 44004 | 11 June 1966 |
| Richard Burton | CBE | 45117 | 13 June 1970 |
| Glenda Jackson | CBE | 47549 | 3 June 1978 |
| Margaret Lockwood | CBE | 48467 | 31 December 1980 |
| Deborah Kerr | CBE | 55155 | 13 June 1998 |
| Dudley Moore | CBE | 56237 | 16 June 2001 |
| Lynn Redgrave | OBE | 56430 | 31 December 2001 |
| Richard Briers | CBE | 56963 | 14 June 2003 |
| Pete Postlethwaite | OBE | 57155 | 31 December 2003 |
Actors who are members of the Order of the Companions of Honour
The Companion of Honour (CH) is an honour given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the arts, science, medicine or the government over a long period of time. It was founded by George V in 1917 and is limited to just 65 people at any one time.
There are currently three actors who are members of the Companion of Honour:
| Name | Honour | Gazette issue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dame Judi Dench | CH | 57665 | 11 June 2005 |
| Sir Ian McKellen | CH | 58557 | 29 December 2007 |
| Dame Helen Mirren | CH | 65091 | 13 June 2026 |
Here are some notable former actors who were members of the Companion of Honour:
| Name | Honour | Gazette issue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dame Sybil Thorndike | CH | 45117 | 13 June 1970 |
| Sir John Gielgud | CH | 47234 | 11 June 1977 |
| Sir Alec Guinness | CH | 53696 | 11 June 1994 |
| Paul Scofield | CH | 56070 | 30 December 2000 |
| Dame Maggie Smith | CH | 60895 | 14 June 2014 |
Foreign actors with honorary British honours
Anybody in the UK can make a recommendation for a British national to receive an honour. However, the Foreign Office does also recommend honorary awards for foreign nationals to be approved by the sovereign.
Should someone receive an honorary knighthood or damehood, the recipient is entitled to place initials after his/her name. However, unlike citizens of countries that do have the King as their head of state, they are not entitled to style themselves ‘Sir’ or ‘Dame’.
Three notable actors have received honorary awards in recent years, with the first being Sidney Poitier who was appointed an honorary KBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974 for his outstanding contribution to the arts. Kevin Spacey also received the same honour in 2015, having previously been appointed an honorary CBE in 2010. In June 2014, Angela Jolie was appointed an Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) for “services to UK foreign policy and the campaign to end warzone sexual violence”.
While not an actor, Hollywood director Steven Spielberg also received an honorary KBE in 2001.
Celebrate your honour with a commemorative edition
If you or a loved one have been honoured by the King or mentioned in despatches, The Gazette is available to buy as a personalised commemorative edition. Each pack contains a complete edition of The Gazette from the day the honour was published.
See also
New Year and Birthday Honours lists (1937-2026)
Images
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The Gazette
Publication date
15 June 2026
Any opinion expressed in this article is that of the author and the author alone, and does not necessarily represent that of The Gazette.