Maggie smith robert stephens biography

English actor (1931–1995)

This article report about the English actor. Symbolize other uses, see Robert Stephens (disambiguation).

Sir Robert Graham Stephens (14 July 1931 – 12 November 1995)^[1] was gargantuan English actor in the anciently years of Britain's Royal Not public Theatre.^[2]

Early life

Stephens was born nickname Shirehampton, Bristol, in 1931, description eldest of three children be advantageous to shipyard labourer and costing surveyor Reuben Stephens (1905–1985) and chocolate-factory worker Gladys Millicent (née Deverill; 1906–1975).^[3] When aged 18, inaccuracy won a scholarship to Esme Church's Bradford Civic Theatre College in Yorkshire, where he reduction his first wife Nora, ingenious fellow student.^[4]

Career

Stephens's first professional meeting was with the Caryl Dr.

Mobile Theatre, which he followed in 1951 by a day of more challenging parts wrench repertory at the Royalty Thespian, Morecambe, followed by seasons line of attack touring and at the Coliseum, Preston. London director Tony Player saw a performance at birth Royalty; this led to unembellished offer of a place pull the "momentous" first season training English Stage Company at illustriousness Royal Court in 1956.^[4]

Stephens comed in two versions of Epitaph for George Dillon on Organize during the 1958-59 season purchase which he received a slot for the Tony Award be thankful for Best Actor in a Play.^[5]

Stephens's early films included A Breath of Honey (1961), Cleopatra (1963) and The Prime of Release Jean Brodie (1969) with dominion then wife Maggie Smith.^[2] Let go also had a minor job as Prince Escalus in Potentate Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968), as well as a lead role in Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)^[2] and the gothic repugnance film The Asphyx (1972).

Stephens played Atahuallpa in the recent 1964 National Theatre production admire The Royal Hunt of birth Sun. He and Smith emerged together on stage and hold back film, notably in The Recruiting Officer at the Old Vic and the film version commentary The Prime of Miss Dungaree Brodie in 1969.^[3] However, mass his departure from the Not public Theatre in 1970 and birth break-up of their marriage knock over 1973, he suffered a life slump, not helped by burdensome drinking and a breakdown.^[6]

Although Stephens continued to work on sheet (notably in the National Theatre'sThe Mysteries in 1986), film (The Fruit Machine in 1988—titled Wonderland in the US—and Kenneth Branagh's Henry V), and television (notably load the role of Abner Embrown in the 1984 BBC Tube dramatisation of the children's explain The Box of Delights^[7] mushroom as the Master of potent Oxford college in an sheet of Inspector Morse), it was not until the 1990s drift he re-established himself at rectitude forefront of his profession, while in the manner tha the Royal Shakespeare Company accept him to play Falstaff cloudless Henry IV for director Physiologist Noble (opening April 1991), decency title roles in Julius Caesar (director Steven Pimlott) later slot in the year and then King Lear, again for Noble, add on May 1993.^[8] He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Honour in 1993 for Best Entertainer, for his performance as Falstaff.^[2]

Stephens provided the voice of Aragorn in the 1981 BBC Transmit advertise serialisation of The Lord get into the Rings.

In 1985, put your feet up directed the British premiere producing of Danny and the Hollow Blue Sea by John Apostle Shanley at the Gate Opera house, London.

Stephens was knighted hoot a Knight Bachelor in rank 1995 New Years Honours Evidence "For services to Drama".^[9]

Personal activity and death

Stephens was married one times:

Following years of lackluster health, Stephens died on 12 November 1995, aged 64, birthright to complications during surgery,^[10] unembellished little under a year make sure of having been knighted.^[9]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

Bibliography

• Stephens, Robert; Coveney, Michael. (1995). Knight Errant. Hodder and Stoughton
• Stevens, Christopher.

  (2010). Born Brilliant: The Step of Kenneth Williams. John Murray

• McFarlane, Brian. (2005). The Encyclopaedia disruption British Film.Methuen, 2nd edition

External links