If we close our eyes and ask any (superhero) movie fan to give us the name of a character that is a textbook secondary, it is very possible that in all cases we will get the same answer: Alfred Pennyworth , the butler of Bruce Wayne and protector of Batman, who has been in his shadow since the superhero’s parents were shot dead on a dark street in Gotham. But do you know all the actors who have played that role?
Alfred, 80 years next to Batman
His full name is Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth and he is a silent, helpful figure who is Bruce Wayne’s main emotional pillar and the closest thing to a living relative he will ever have. As if that were not enough, he was officially his legal guardian, the one who took care of him throughout his childhood, so he knows all his secrets, weaknesses and virtues.
The character of Alfred Pennyworth was created by DC for comics in 1943, four years after the birth of Batman himself, and quickly became one of the essential figures in the entire superhero universe thanks to his ability to serve as a connection between the capricious millionaire heir and reality.
Its importance has always been fundamental, because Alfred is the point of realism in all the adventures of the batman , his conscience, his alarm when he crosses the limits and the one that makes him see the dangers that Bruce Wayne often insists on denying. Surely, without the presence of this character, the superhero would have died many, many years ago, a victim of his impetus and youth that can only be tempered by that vital perspective that only experience is capable of giving.
So, as we are talking about one of the most versioned heroes in film and television in history, there are many (renowned) actors who have played his perfect squire , for which he deserves a tribute that we are going to proceed to perform.
These are all the faces that are already part of history and that have spoken on behalf of Alfred Pennyworth.
Alfred Pennyworth on TV
There are many productions that have been broadcast on the air about the famous DC superhero, so it was normal that his faithful squire Alfred accompanied him in all of them. Here you have all the actors who have brought him to life over the years on the small screen or, more recently, on some other streaming platform:
William Austin
William Austin was decisive in the way in which DC was going to represent Alfred in comics from that moment on, 1943, the year not only of the character’s own creation but also of the series that was shot for television. It was because of this actor that the original idea that Pennyworth was quite slack and with an unkempt appearance, was changed to a radically different one, closer to that of an English Sir: educated, intelligent, clean and neat.
eric wilton
This actor was in charge of giving life to Alfred in the Batman and Robin series that premiered in 1949. Just six years after his creation in the DC comics.
Alan Napper
Alan Napier became Alfred for the 1966 television series , which also featured Adam West and Burt Ward. As a curiosity, say that the character does not have any last name at this time because in the comics it was never mentioned as such. At DC they thought it would be interesting to create a certain background and then yes, that Pennyworth was added to the comics once the series itself was over.
Ian Abercrombie
This Alfred, with a more good-natured appearance, from the 2002 Birds of Prey series , was performed by a Hollywood classic such as Ian Abercrombie.
reed birney
Titans was another series that in 2018 showed us some DC heroes in their youth, and among them there was a partner of Batman such as Robin. So Alfred Pennyworth, who also appeared at some point, was taken over by Reed Birney.
Sean Pertwee
Alfred Pennyworth was a key character in Gotham , the 2014 series that tells us what happens in the city of Batman before the superhero himself is born.
jack bannon
And we come to what is surely the only series that focuses on the figure of Albert as the main character, long before he became part of the Wayne family. In Pennyworth we will travel through her first adventures when that soldier of the SAS, the special forces of the British army.
Alfred Pennyworth in film
But surely it is because of the huge number of roles that have been played in the cinema that Alfred Pennyworth has become one of the best known characters in the DC universe , especially in recent years when superhero movies have become the favorites of the general public and each advent of the bat man has collapsed the headlines of the media around the world. Here you have all the Alfreds in the history of cinema:
Alan Napper
Alan Napier reprized the character of Alfred for the big screen in a film version of Adam West’s Batman , which was the result of the success of the television series itself.
Michael Gough
We arrive at one of the most recognizable Alfreds, the one who starred in the entire Batman film series since 1989, the year Tim Burton’s film was released with Michael Keaton as the protagonist. And despite the changes of director (Joel Schumacher) and leading actors in the role of Bruce Wayne (Val Kilmer or George Clooney), Pennyworth always remained in the guise of this veteran and renowned actor. Quite a luxury for the time that must have suffered in its flesh the bad reviews of some of the deliveries of the 90s.
Michael Cain
What to say about this Alfred. It is, by far, the one that has best captured the tone, the most severe but understanding of all those seen in the cinema and, in addition, the one that uses the most corrosive humor. He was helped to glory by the success of The Dark Knight in a trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s, which is the best we’ve ever seen inspired by Batman.
Jeremy Irons
This incredible actor had no qualms about what the DC Extended Universe would be in a film as risky as Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice . From there he appeared in all the other films in which Ben Affleck remains in the role of Bruce Wayne, which includes that Justice League that after a bumpy premiere in 2017, had a kind of director’s montage (Zack Snyder ) in 2021 quite interesting. This Alfred is one of those who are not afraid to get down to work and touch the state-of-the-art weapons and machinery that the bat man handles on a daily basis.
Douglas Hodge
In Joker it was not so much a main character as a secondary character who makes an appearance when the joker ‘s life slightly intersects with that of Bruce Wayne. It is here that Alfred makes an appearance for a few minutes on the screen, enough to recognize him practically without saying anything. Great movie you should not forget to see.
Andy Serkis
And we travel to 2022, when Warner takes one of his most risky steps with The Batman . A film in which the role of Alfred is carried out by Andy “Gollum” Serkis, the same one who played the creature that tries to recover the ring of power. This Pennyworth is the one that transmits the most bad vibes since it is noticeable almost from the first plane that he lives in a permanent conflict with Bruce Wayne that leads them to hardly speak to each other.