David Bowie
Acting • Born 1947-01-08 – Died 2016-01-10
Biography
David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades, regarded by critics and musicians as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded nine platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, releasing eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and seven gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Born and raised in South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. “Space Oddity” became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single “Starman” and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterized as “plastic soul,” initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single “Fame” and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that would come to be known as the Berlin Trilogy. Heroes (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes,” its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure,” a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance, with its title track topping both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. Bowie also continued acting; his roles included Major Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), the Goblin King Jareth in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped concert touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).
Filmography
254 credits
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Movie • 1976
Thomas Jerome Newton
The Prestige
Movie • 2006
Tesla
Basquiat
Movie • 1996
Andy Warhol
David Bowie: An Earthling at 50
Movie • 1997
Self - Interviewee
Der Reichstag
Movie • 2017
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie - Live at The Elysee Montmartre Paris
Movie • 1999
Self
David Bowie: Live at Montreux
Movie • 2002
Self
David Bowie - Live from the 10th spot
Movie • 1997
Self
The Last Temptation of Christ
Movie • 1988
Pontius Pilatus
Into the Night
Movie • 1985
Colin Morris
The Velvet Underground
Movie • 2021
Self (voice)
Yellowbeard
Movie • 1983
The Shark (uncredited)
Bandslam
Movie • 2009
David Bowie
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Inductions
Movie • 2020
Self (archive footage)
The Hunger
Movie • 1983
John Blaylock
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Movie • 1983
Celliers
Just a Gigolo
Movie • 1978
Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski
Can't Buy Me Lunch: Another Look at The Rutles
Movie • 2003
Self - Interviewee
Christiane F.
Movie • 1981
David Bowie
Imagine: John Lennon
Movie • 1988
Self
Zoolander
Movie • 2001
David Bowie
Arthur and the Invisibles
Movie • 2006
Maltazard (voice)
The Filth and the Fury
Movie • 2000
Self (archive footage)
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
Movie • 1992
Self
WBCN and the American Revolution
Movie • 2019
Self
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Movie • 1983
Self / Ziggy Stardust
Labyrinth
Movie • 1986
Jareth
August
Movie • 2008
Cyrus Ogilvie
Cool Cats: 25 Years of Rock 'n' Roll Style
Movie • 1983
Self (archive footage)
David Gilmour - Breaking Bread, Drinking Wine
Movie • 2007
Self
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
Movie • 1980
Self
Absolute Beginners
Movie • 1986
Vendice Partners
Zappa
Movie • 2020
Self (archive footage)
Gunslinger's Revenge
Movie • 1998
Jack Sikora
David Bowie: Love You Till Tuesday
Movie • 1969
Self
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie • 2021
Self
Live Aid
Movie • 1985
Self
David Bowie: Live at Beat Club Musikladen
Movie • 1978
Self - Keyboard, Vocals
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World
Movie • 2016
Self (archive footage)
Nine Inch Nails: Closure
Movie • 1997
Self
The Linguini Incident
Movie • 1991
Monte
Live Aid Against All Odds
Movie • 2005
Self
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s
Movie • 2002
Self - Narrator (voice)
Bowie: A Reality Tour
Movie • 2004
Self
Mr. Rice's Secret
Movie • 2000
Mr. William Rice
The Love We Make
Movie • 2011
Self
Tina Turner: Private Dancer Tour
Movie • 1985
Self
Acoustic at the BBC
Movie • 2011
Self
The Concert for New York City
Movie • 2001
Self
David Bowie I Love You (Since I Was Six)
Movie • 2016
Self
David Bowie Birthday Celebration Live in NYC
Movie • 1997
Self
WHAM!
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
Moonage Daydream
Movie • 2022
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Earthling On TV
Movie • 1997
Self
David Bowie: Jazzin' for Blue Jean
Movie • 1984
Vic / Screaming Lord Byron
Everybody Loves Sunshine
Movie • 1999
Bernie
Baal
Movie • 1982
Baal
Rockthology 2
Movie • 2004
Self (archive footage)
Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart
Movie • 1998
Self
AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Rockpalast
Movie • 1996
Self
LOLA
Movie • 2023
Self - Singer (archive footage)
David Bowie: Cracked Actor
Movie • 1975
Self
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight Montreal
Movie • 1983
Self
The Image
Movie • 1969
The Boy
The Looking Glass Murders
Movie • 1970
Cloud
David Bowie: Out of this World
Movie • 2021
Self
Inside the Labyrinth
Movie • 1986
Self
David Bowie: The Serious Moonlight Tour
Movie • 1984
Self
Burden
Movie • 2016
Self (archive footage)
Night Flight: Born Again
Movie • 2016
Self
David Bowie On Stage
Movie • 1978
Tin Machine - Live at Paradiso
Movie • 1989
Bowie at the BBC
Movie • 2000
Self - Vocals
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight
Movie • 1984
Self - Lead Vocals / Guitar
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
Movie • 2014
Phillip Jeffries
Queen: Greatest Video Hits 2
Movie • 2003
Self
Dear Bowie
Movie • 2023
David Bowie
In Stillness and in Silence (Sacred)
Movie • 1998
Self
Goldie: When Saturn Returns
Movie • 1998
Self
David Bowie: Best of Bowie
Movie • 2002
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Glass Spider
Movie • 1988
Self
David Bowie & Friends: A Very Special Birthday Celebration
Movie • 1997
Self
Are We Not Men?
Movie
Self (archive footage)
Fame
Movie • 1976
Himself (voice)
David Bowie: Live by Request
Movie • 2002
Self
David Bowie: Live at Riverside Studios '03
Movie • 2003
Self
Queen: Greatest Flix II
Movie • 1991
Self (archive footage)
Supergroups
Movie • 2002
Self
Video AID
Movie • 1985
Self
Inside the Music
Movie • 2005
Self
David Bowie Is Happening Now
Movie • 2013
Self (archive footage)
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise
Movie • 1993
Self
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
Movie • 2022
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie at Live Aid
Movie • 1985
David Bowie: The 1980 Floor Show
Movie • 1973
Self
David Bowie: Under Review 1976-79
Movie • 2006
Self
David Bowie: Live At The Tokyo Dome
Movie • 1990
Self
David Bowie: Sound and Vision
Movie • 2016
Self
David Bowie: Starman
Movie • 2016
Self
David Bowie On Stage: Live in Japan
Movie • 1978
Self
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight Sydney
Movie • 1983
David Bowie & The Story of Ziggy Stardust
Movie • 2012
Self / Ziggy Stardust (archive footage)
Bowie at the BBC
Movie • 2017
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: The Man Who Stole the World
Movie • 2016
Self (archive footage)
Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under
Movie • 2015
Self
David Bowie: VH1 Storytellers
Movie • 2009
Self
The Nomi Song
Movie • 2004
Self (archive footage)
Françoise Hardy : tant de belles choses
Movie • 2020
Self
Vanilla Ice Archive
Movie • 2012
Self (archive footage)
A Bing Crosby Christmas
Movie • 1998
Self (archive footage)
Bowie, Iggy & Lou 1971-1973: The Sacred Triangle
Movie • 2010
Self (archive footage)
TIME
Movie • 2024
Narrator (voice)
The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
Movie • 2013
Lou Reed - Transformer
Movie • 2001
Self
David Gilmour: Remember That Night - Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Movie • 2007
Self - Guest Artist
The Virgin Soldiers
Movie • 1969
Soldier
David Bowie - Sound and Vision
Movie • 2003
Self
Freddie Mercury: The Final Act
Movie • 2022
Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
Movie • 2014
Self (archive footage)
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
Movie • 1996
Self
Clockwork Orange County
Movie • 2012
Self
Bing Crosby: The Television Specials Volume 2 – The Christmas Specials
Movie • 2010
Self
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
Movie • 1992
Phillip Jeffries
Beside Bowie - The Mick Ronson Story
Movie • 2017
Self - Narrator (voice)
David Bowie: Rare and Unseen
Movie • 2010
Self
Ricochet
Movie • 1984
Self
B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989
Movie • 2015
Self
Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas
Movie • 1977
Self
Wilde Jahre West-Berlin
Movie • 2015
Self
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary
Movie • 1986
Self
TV Party
Movie • 2005
Self
The Work of Director Mark Romanek
Movie • 2005
Self (archive footage)
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
Movie • 2007
Self
NBC television special: The Pursuit of Pleasure
Movie • 1967
Self
Group Madness
Movie • 1983
Self
Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany
Movie • 2009
Self (archive footage)
The Oshima Gang
Movie • 1983
Self
Night Lunch
Movie • 1975
Self
Bowie: Glastonbury 2000
Movie • 2018
Self - Vocals
Why Are We Creative?
Movie • 2018
Self
David Bowie: The Last Five Years
Movie • 2017
Self (archive footage)
Diamond Dogs Demo Video
Movie • 1974
Self / Harpie
Superstar in a Housedress: The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis
Movie • 2004
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Finding Fame
Movie • 2019
Self (archive footage)
The Ten Commandments of Creativity
Movie • 2000
Self
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers
Movie • 2006
Self
My Music: A Classic Christmas
Movie • 2019
Self (archive footage)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Movie • 2017
Jack Celliers (archive footage)
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
Movie • 2003
Self
Gaga for Dada: The Original Art Rebels
Movie • 2016
Self
The World of Jim Henson
Movie • 1994
Jareth (archive footage)
The Dada Principle
Movie • 2016
Self
Lindsay Dances - Theatre and life according to Lindsay Kemp
Movie • 2020
Self
Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today
Movie • 2005
Self
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto
Movie • 1985
Celliers (archive footage)
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis
Movie • 2007
Lord Royal Highness
Queen - The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert 10th Anniversary Documentary
Movie • 2002
Self
Soul Boys of the Western World
Movie • 2014
Self (archive footage)
Freddie Mercury: The King of Queen
Movie • 2018
Self - Singer
David Bowie: Five Years
Movie • 2013
Self (archive footage)
The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story
Movie • 2019
Self (archive footage)
Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock
Movie • 2017
Self - Musician (archive footage)
Live Aid
Movie • 2004
Self
Kings of Glam
Movie • 2008
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: On the Rock Trail
Movie • 2015
Self (archive footage)
The Genius of David Bowie
Movie • 2012
Self - Performer (archive footage)
Nine Inch Nails & David Bowie: Dissonance
Movie • 1995
Self
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special
Movie • 1999
Self
David Bowie: London Boy
Movie • 2021
Self
David Bowie: Roseland Ballroom, NYC
Movie • 2000
Self
Moby Doc
Movie • 2021
Self
David Bowie - The Plastic Soul Review
Movie • 2007
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David Bowie: Live Olympia Paris
Movie • 2002
Self
David Bowie - The Calm Before The Storm: Under Review 1969 - 1971
Movie • 2012
Self - Singer, songwriter
David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust
Movie • 2006
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David Bowie - Music in Review
Movie • 2007
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David bowie - Up Close and Personal
Movie • 2007
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David Bowie - Total Rock Review
Movie • 2006
Self
Hr. Vinterberg & Mr. Bowie
Movie • 2002
Self
Glam Rock at the BBC
Movie • 2017
Self (archive footage)
The Dancing Man of L.A.
Movie • 2021
Self (archive footage)
Best of Bowie
Movie • 2006
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
Movie • 2003
Self
David Bowie: The Making of "1.Outside"
Movie • 1995
Self
Twiggy
Movie • 2025
(archival footage)
Pixies: Gouge
Movie • 2004
Self
Thriller 40
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie - In His Own Words
Movie • 2016
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (2024 Dolby Atmos Mix)
Movie • 2024
Guitar, Saxophone, Vocals
Luther: Never Too Much
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
The BRITs at 40
Movie • 2020
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie - Kremlin Palace Moscow
Movie • 1996
self
David Bowie: Reality Live
Movie • 2003
Self
Can Creativity Save the World?
Movie • 2024
Self
David Bowie: Musikladen Extra
Movie • 1978
Self - Keyboard, Vocals
David Bowie - PNE Live Rehearsal 1976
Movie
Self - Vocals, Saxophone
Enigma
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ed Sullivan Presents: Rock 'N' Roll Revolution: The British Invade America, America Fights Back
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage)
DEVO
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
Placebo: This Search for Meaning
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: The Berlin Briefings
Movie • 2016
Bowie: The Final Act
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage)
Jim Henson Idea Man
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
The Snowman
Movie • 1982
Older James (re-released/US version)
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage)
BowieNext - Nascita di una galassia
Movie • 2018
David Bowie: Glastonbury Festival 2000
Movie • 2000
Self
Queen: Champions of the World
Movie • 1995
Self
Gay! Gay! Hollywood
Movie • 1994
Dream On
TV • 1990
Sir Roland Moorecock
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
TV • 2001
Self - Guest
Extras
TV • 2005
David Bowie
70 Years of Youth Revolt
TV • 2020
Self (archive footage)
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
TV • 1966
Self
Discovering Music
TV • 2013
Self (archive footage)
Ready Steady Go!
TV • 1963
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Musical Guest
The Hunger
TV • 1997
The Host
Where Are They Now?
TV • 1999
Self
Cher
TV • 1975
Self
This Is Pop
TV • 2021
Self (archive footage)
Die Harald Schmidt Show
TV • 1995
Self
Wetten, dass..?
TV • 1981
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Musical Guest
Full Stretch
TV • 1993
David Bowie
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
MTV Video Music Awards
TV • 1984
Self
Musikladen
TV • 1972
Self
Hits That Missed at the BBC
TV • 2024
Self (archive footage)
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
TV • 2021
Self (archive footage)
The Frame
TV • 2013
John Blaylock
Twin Peaks
TV • 1990
Phillip Jeffries (archive footage)
ECHO-Verleihung
TV • 1992
Self
Auf los geht's los
TV • 1977
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
TV • 1975
Self
Young Music Show
TV • 1978
Système 2
TV • 1975
Self
Champs-Elysées
TV • 1982
Self
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
TV • 2022
Self (archive footage)
The Dick Cavett Show
TV • 1968
Self - Guest
Personne ne bouge !
TV • 2012
Self
Seven Ages of Rock
TV • 2007
Self
Exclusiv - Das Star-Magazin
TV • 1994
self
Parkinson
TV • 1998
Self
Sacrée Soirée
TV • 1987
Self (Clip) (archive footage)
Sacrée Soirée
TV • 1987
Self - Tin Machine
David Bowie - Best Of
TV • 2002
Omnibus
TV • 1967
Self
Theatre 625
TV • 1964
Unsere kleine Show - Musik zur blauen Stunde
TV • 1969
Self
The BRIT Awards
TV • 1977
Self