Shakespeare in Love (1998): cast, story & where to watch
1998 · Film · ★ 6.9
Released in 1998, Shakespeare in Love is a comedy, romance and history film directed by John Madden, running about 123 minutes. “Love is the only inspiration.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Young Shakespeare is forced to stage his latest comedy, "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter," before it's even written. When a lovely noblewoman auditions for a role, they fall into forbidden love -- and his play finds a new life (and title). As their relationship progresses, Shakespeare's comedy soon transforms into tragedy.
Who’s in it. Shakespeare in Love stars Joseph Fiennes as Will Shakespeare, Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola De Lesseps, Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe and Tom Wilkinson as Hugh Fennyman, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Shakespeare in Love has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $289.3M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential and Paramount+ Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Shakespeare in Love page.
If you liked it. Fans of Shakespeare in Love tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Shakespeare in Love (1998)?
- In US, Shakespeare in Love is available to stream on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium and Paramount Plus Essential, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Shakespeare in Love worth watching?
- Shakespeare in Love holds an audience score of 6.9 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy, romance and history. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Shakespeare in Love?
- Shakespeare in Love stars Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson and Judi Dench.