Limiting the choice to the shows and movies I have seen/know of. I'm not asking who the first actor you have seem playing Arthur was, rather the one you instinctively think about when someone mentions him or the one closest to your heart.

Guinevere's wedding dress and chainmail veil in Excalibur 1981

Excalibur (1981) | dir. John Boorman

"In another life... I really would've liked just doing taxes and laundry with you"

-Arthur Pendragon, Excalibur 1981

I'M IN SO MUCH PAIN

Excalibur (1981) dir. John Boorman

The Dark Knight Returns, Alexander McQueen, Jermey Scott, Sean Ellis, 1998

getting into arthurian legend has been the most rewarding thing ever because after months of reading brilliant novels It brought me to the campest, most incredibly shit and beautiful and depraved movie ever. Excalibur. It's over two hours long and Lancelot just kissed king Arthur's sword to declare his love and devotion. Merlin is a morally grey crazy bastard just as he should be. Also everything glitters all the time which is amazing.

This is now a print! Plus I worked more on it.

The character Merlin, from the Arthurian legend, as portrayed by the actor Nicol Williamson in the film Excalibur from 1981

"For it is the doom of all men, that they forget."

(Nicol Williamson as Merlin; Excalibur 1981)

Morgan Le Fay's green red dress & headpiece in Excalibur

Excalibur (1981) | dir. John Boorman

Excalibur (1981) | Directed by John Boorman

Arthurian Film List | Arthurian Show List | Movie review below the cut ⤦

Star rating: 10/10 Content warning: multiple rape scenes, heavy gore throughout, elements of horror, nudity, animal brutality (horses in battle are treated roughly) Overview: Writer and director John Boorman understood the assignment. It's evident this film was a passion project. Both of his children are in it (his daughter as Igraine, his son as young Mordred) and he had been working with J. R. R. Tolkien back in the 70s on an adaptation of Lord of the Rings which fell through, and much of those elements were revived and put to use here. The script, acting, score, and cinematography meet the epic demands an Arthurian film requires to succeed. Synopsis: The film opens with Uther before he meets Igraine and goes on to detail the entirety of Arthur's reign and life. Arthur's beginnings with Ector and Kay are very sweet and culminate in his pulling the sword in the stone and meeting a fun, quirky Merlin. The wizard trains Arthur up and he's eventually knighted by Urien and makes an ally of him while defending Leodegrance and Guinevere's castle. Arthur falls in love with Guinevere and intends to marry her, but first meets and battles Lancelot, wins his loyalty, and sends him to pick Guinevere up for the royal wedding. Meanwhile Morgan learns magic from Merlin and uses it to conceive Mordred with Arthur. After the royal wedding, the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere begins. While staying away from Camelot, Lancelot meets country bumpkin Perceval, who follows Lancelot back to Camelot from his secluded woodland home, then takes up the mantle of Gareth Beaumains by working for Kay in the kitchens and champions Guinevere against Gawain until Lancelot can arrive. After the affair between he and Guinevere is found out, Lancelot runs off mad into the woods, and Arthur's prosperity declines. Perceval begins a decade-long quest in search of the Holy Grail to restore Arthur/Fisher King's health so he can reclaim his lands now ravaged by disease. Mordred has grown up in this time and been taught by Morgan to hate Arthur. Once Arthur has been cured, he goes to find Guinevere in the abbey where she had been living, and retrieves Excalibur, which she had been keeping safe for him all that time. Arthur then goes with his remaining knights to battle Mordred, where he is mortally wounded, and Perceval fulfills his final act for his king by returning the sword to the Lady of the Lake as Arthur is spirited away to Avalon. Final thoughts: This movie is so damn good. Nobody's doing it like Boorman. It's my favorite version of the grail quest. Very horror, as it should be. (Monty Python is a different tone, not a worse one!) I love everyone's acting here, the casting is so rich, I love the look and vibe of everyone, the Shakespearean line delivery. All of it. The gaudy green lighting is so 80s but it works, it sets a tone, it commits to the bit, illuminates every magical scene. And the armor is obviously incredible. I won't hear criticism. Either you get it or you don't. You can watch an entire mini-series about the armorer, Terry English, produced by Mythbuster's Adam Savage on YouTube, here. And if you want to learn more about Mordred's cool helmet specifically, watch here. Anyway please watch this, you won't be disappointed.

Guenivere (Cheri Lunghi) Wedding dress.. Excalibur (1981).. Costume by Bob Ringwood.

**I’ve featured this dress a few times, but it’s just because I love it so.

**Update, I’ve seen people ask what the veil material is made of, I watched at behind the scenes commentary from the director who said he had it made out of very fine chain mail. He said many people have asked the costume maker how to recreate it and he said it was impossible as it was made special for this movie.