- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRobert Graham Stephens
- Height6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
- Sir Robert's career fell into two distinct parts. In the '60s, he was widely regarded as the heir of Laurence Olivier. But, after his departure from Britain's National Theatre in 1970 and the breakup of his marriage with Maggie Smith three years later, he suffered a slump made worse by heavy drinking. In the '90s, the Royal Shakespeare Company invited him to play first Falstaff in "Henry IV" and then Lear in "King Lear", and this re-established Stephens's career. He was knighted early in 1995.
- IMDb mini biography by: Gil Neiger <gil@ccm.jf.intel.com> - Sir Robert Stephens was a flamboyant, award-winning Shakespearean actor who called himself 'knight errant.' One of his three ex-wives was the actress Maggie Smith with whom he acted in the 1960s and 1970s on stage and on film. Sir Robert faded from view for most of the late 1970s and 1980s, resurfacing in recent years to give fine Shakespearean performances. He was the recipient of the 1993 Olivier award.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous - Sir Robert Stephens, knighted in 1995, was a leading actor in the formative years of Britain's National Theatre and won fresh acclaim as a major Shakespearean performer late in his career.
His career fell into two distinct parts. In the 1960s he was regarded as the heir of Sir Laurence Olivier. After his departure from the company in 1970, he went into a slump that was made worse by heavy drinking. Not until the 1990s, when the Royal Shakespeare Company invited him first to play Falstaff in "Henry IV" and then the title role in "King Lear", did he re-establish himself at the forefront of his profession. Maggie Smith was his third wife, the couple having performed together since at least 1965.
- IMDb mini biography by: A. Nonymous
- SpousesPatricia Quinn(January 1995 - November 12, 1995) (his death)Maggie Smith(June 29, 1967 - April 6, 1975) (divorced, 2 children)Tarn Bassett(April 27, 1956 - May 24, 1967) (divorced, 1 child)Nora Ann Simmonds(1951 - 1952) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- Father of actors Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin.
- He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1993 (1992 season) for Best Actor for his performance as Falstaff in "Henry IV, Parts I & II" at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
- Was nominated for Broadway's 1959 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "Epitaph for George Dillon."
- Provided the voice of Aragorn in the acclaimed 1981 BBC Radio serialization of "The Lord of the Rings".
- He was made a Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1995 Queen's New Years Honours List for services to drama.
- [on "The Method"] I once asked two old Russian actors about the Method, because I'd seen American actors in New York use their version of it and it was so awful, amateur and inept and stupid. And they said to me, "If you have a copy of [Konstantin Stanislavski's] "My Life in Art" or "An Actor Prepares", just take it out and throw it in the river". If it was no use to them, it was certainly of no use to me.
- [on "Hamlet"] It is undoubtedly the greatest part ever written, but it's so complex. You can't really play it, you just give an opinion of it.
- One reason I've never chased after films is that once you become a film star, you can't really stop, because you have to be before the public's eye all the time. I wouldn't care for that. Also, in films the material can't be that good all the time. You have to make mostly bad films, or films that aren't frightfully good. That wouldn't interest me - not that I've ever been offered that opportunity.
- [on comedian Sonnie Hale] A gross, unfunny person offstage and someone, on the whole, to avoid.
- [on Tony Richardson] He convinced me (wrongly of course) that anyone can make a movie. All Tony Richardson ever did was come in and ask his cameraman what he should do . . . He was a useless, unpleasant creature.
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