George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985), best known as Orson Welles, 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 distinctiv ... e 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 relationship with Hollywood. His distinctive directorial style featured layered, nonlinear narrative forms, innovative uses of lighting such as chiaroscuro, unique camera angles, sound techniques borrowed from radio, deep focus shots, and long takes. Welles's long career in film is noted for his struggle for artistic control in the face of pressure from studios. Many of his films were heavily edited and others left unreleased. He has been praised as a major creative force and as "the ultimate auteur." After directing a number of high-profile theatrical productions in his early twenties, including an innovative adaptation of Macbeth and The Cradle Will Rock, Welles found national and international fame as the director and narrator of a 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds performed for the radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was reported to have caused widespread panic when listeners thought that an invasion by extraterrestrial beings was occurring. Although these reports of panic were mostly false and overstated, they rocketed Welles to instant notoriety. Citizen Kane (1941), his first film with RKO, in which he starred in the role of Charles Foster Kane, is often considered the greatest film ever made. Several of his other films, including The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Touch of Evil (1958), Chimes at Midnight (1965), and F for Fake (1974), are also widely considered to be masterpieces. In 2002, he was voted the greatest film director of all time in two separate British Film Institute polls among directors and critics, and a wide survey of critical consensus, best-of lists, and historical retrospectives calls him the most acclaimed director of all time. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Well known for his baritone voice, Welles was also an extremely well regarded actor and was voted number 16 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars list of the greatest American film actors of all time. He was also a celebrated Shakespearean stage actor and an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety shows in the war years.
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon
1970
Writer, Music Arranger, Production Design, Editor
| Organization | Category | Movie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | Citizen Kane | Won |
| Golden Globes | Best Actor | The Lady from Shanghai | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film Festival | Best Actor | The Third Man | Won |
| Cannes Film Festival | Best Actor | The Stranger | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | Best Actor | Citizen Kane | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | Best Director | Othello | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | Best Director | The Trial | Won |
Tales of the Klondike
as Narrator
Episodes: 7
First Aired: May 16, 1981
Shōgun
as Narrator
Episodes: 5
First Aired: Sep 15, 1980
Magnum, P.I.
as Robin Masters (uncredited) (voice)
Episodes: 3
First Aired: Dec 11, 1980
A Woman Called Moses
as Narrator (voice)
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Dec 11, 1978
Magnum, P.I.
as Robin Masters (voice)
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Dec 11, 1980
Moonlighting
as Orson Welles
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 03, 1985
I Love Lucy
as Orson Welles
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 15, 1951
Omnibus
as King Lear
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 09, 1952
Night Gallery
as Narrator
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 16, 1970
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Sheridan Whiteside
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 24, 1951
National Geographic Specials
as Narrator
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 10, 1965
Ford Star Jubilee
as Oscar Jaffe
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 24, 1955
The Name of the Game
as Narrator
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 20, 1968
Survival
as Narrator
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 01, 1961
Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
as Self - Host
Episodes: 26
First Aired: Sep 01, 1973
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
Episodes: 16
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Best of The Dean Martin Variety Show
Episodes: 10
First Aired: Feb 10, 1966
In the Land of Don Quixote
as Himself
Episodes: 9
First Aired: Jan 01, 1964
Around the World with Orson Welles
as Host: Orson Welles
Episodes: 7
First Aired: Oct 07, 1955
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
as Himself - Host
Episodes: 7
First Aired: Apr 24, 1955
An Evening with Orson Welles
Episodes: 6
First Aired: Dec 01, 1970
Scene of the Crime
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Apr 14, 1985
The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Jun 06, 1968
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self - Guest Host
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Dinah!
as Self
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Oct 21, 1974
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
Episodes: 3
First Aired: Jun 20, 1948
One Man Band
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Dec 01, 1968
The Steve Allen Show
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Jun 24, 1956
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Sep 14, 1973
The Magic of David Copperfield
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Oct 27, 1978
Star Life
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Aug 04, 1990
The Silent Years
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 01, 1971
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 09, 1967
Doug Henning's World of Magic
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 26, 1975
Talking Pictures
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 05, 2013
Around the World with Orson Welles
as Self (Host)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 07, 1955
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 02, 1973
V.I.P. Schaukel
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: May 09, 1971
Cinépanorama
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 04, 1956
Hollywood and the Stars
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 30, 1963
What's My Line?
as Self - Panelist
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 02, 1950
Omnibus
as Self - Presenter
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 13, 1967
Tempo
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 15, 1961
Colgate Theatre
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 19, 1958
Reflets de Cannes
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 25, 1954
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 21 | 30 | 13 |
| 2024 | 6 | 18 | 28 | 13 |
| 2024 | 7 | 28 | 40 | 14 |
| 2024 | 8 | 24 | 42 | 14 |
| 2024 | 9 | 22 | 47 | 8 |
| 2024 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 8 |
| 2024 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 7 |
| 2024 | 12 | 16 | 22 | 10 |
| 2025 | 1 | 17 | 32 | 10 |
| 2025 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Rank
| Year | Month | Avg Rank | Max Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 330 | 88 |
| 2024 | 6 | 473 | 133 |
| 2024 | 12 | 592 | 216 |
| 2025 | 1 | 591 | 116 |
| 2025 | 2 | 369 | 16 |
| 2025 | 3 | 651 | 569 |
| 2025 | 7 | 581 | 518 |