
Shakespeare in Love
Desperate playwright William Shakespeare must overcome crippling writer’s block, rival theater politics, and a dangerous debt to secure a buyer for his new comedy before his patron’s creditors ruin the production.
“Love is the only inspiration.”
Synopsis
Young William Shakespeare is forced to stage his latest comedy.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 258+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by David GambleShot by Richard GreatrexScored by Stephen WarbeckDesigned by Martin ChildsSound by John DownerCostumes by Sandy Powell Nm0694309VFX by Antony Hunt
Box Office
1998 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 12× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$289.3M
US & Canada: $100.3M — 35% of worldwide · International: $189.0M (65%)
Opening weekend: $224K — 0% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Peak 8 theaters
Full synopsis
Also known as
- Shakespeare in Lovede
- (English)Shakespeare in Love
- (Bulgarian)Влюбеният Шекспир
Release dates around the world2 countries · showhide
- United StatesDec 3, 1998
- ChileDec 10, 1998
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Cast & Crew
258 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Gwyneth Paltrow
as Viola De Lesseps
Joseph Fiennes
as Will Shakespeare
Geoffrey Rush
as Philip Henslowe
Tom Wilkinson
as Hugh Fennyman
Steven O Donnell
as Lambert
Tim Mcmullan
as Frees
Steven Beard
as Makepeace, the Preacher
Antony Sher
as Dr Moth
Patrick Barlow
as Will Kempe
Martin Clunes
as Richard Burbage
Sandra Reinton
as Rosaline
Simon Callow
as Tilney, Master of the Revels
Supporting cast
50Judi Dench
as Queen Elizabeth
Bridget Mcconnell
as Lady in Waiting
Georgie Glen
as Lady in Waiting
Nicholas Boulton
as Henry Condell
Imelda Staunton
as Nurse
Colin Firth
as Lord Wessex
Desmond Mcnamara
as Crier
Barnaby Kay
as Nol
Jim Carter
as Ralph Bashford
Paul Bigley
as Peter, the Stage Manager
Jason Round
as Actor in Tavern
Rupert Farley
as Barman
Adam Barker
as First Auditionee
Joe Roberts
as John Webster
Harry Gostelow
as Second Auditionee
Alan Cody
as Third Auditionee
Mark Williams
as Wabash
David Curtiz
as John Hemmings
Gregor Truter
as James Hemmings
Simon Day
as First Boatman
Jill Baker
as Lady De Lesseps
Amber Glossop
as Scullery Maid
Robin Davies
as Master Plum
Hywel Simons
as Servant
Nicholas Le Prevost
as Sir Robert De Lesseps
Timothy Kightley
as Edward Pope
Mark Saban
as Augustine Philips
Bob Barrett
as George Bryan
Roger Morlidge
as James Armitage
Daniel Brocklebank
as Sam Gosse
Roger Frost
as Second Boatman
Rebecca Charles
as Chambermaid
Richard Gold
as Lord in Waiting
Rachel Clarke
as First Whore
Lucy Speed
as Second Whore
Patricia Potter
as Third Whore
John Ramm
as Makepeace's Neighbour
Martin Neely
as Paris, Lady Montague
The Choir Of St George S School In Windsor
Jason Anthony
as Nobleman
Steve Apelt
as Theatregoer
Paul Bannon
as Theatre Attendee
Matthew Christian
as Queen Elizabeth I Party Guest
Kelley Costigan
as Theatregoer
Matthew Crosby
as Theatregoer
Rupert Everett
as Christopher Marlowe
Russell Greening
as Thomas Crown
John Inman
as Lady Capulet in Play
Carlisle Redthunder
as Indian
Ben Affleck
as as Ned Alleyn
Directors
1Writers
2Producers
9Other crew
188Robin Huffer
2d digital artist: The Magic Camera Company
Helen Manley
accountant: art department
Kate Higham
additional first assistant editor
Robert Laycock
additional first assistant editor
Colin Chapman
additional sound editor
Brigitte Arnold
adr editor
Steven Lawrence
as Steve Lawrence
Erik Jordan
assistant music mixer / assistant music recordist
Emma Short
assistant post-production accountant (uncredited)
Tracy Ann Baines
assistant sculptor
Andrew Green
assistant to composer
Mark Friedman
assistant: Harvey Weinstein
Parents Guide
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Trailers
Shakespeare in Love - Trailer
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