Biography

Toby Stephens

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Toby Stephens began his acting career while a stagehand at the Chichester Festival Theatre, in end-of-season productions mounted by the crew. In his brief professional career, he has already won the Sir John Gielgud Prize for Best Actor and the Ian Charleson Award for his performance in the title role of "Coriolanus" at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1994. His other work at the RSC includes "Measure for Measure", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Antony and Cleopatra", "Wallenstein", "All's Well That Ends Well" and "Unfinished Business". Stephens also starred in Peter Hall's production of "Tartuffe" at the Aldwych Theatre and has just finished filming The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996). His television appearances include A View from the Bridge (2012) and The Camomile Lawn (1992). He made his screen debut in Sally Potter's Orlando (1992).
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

Son of the late Sir Robert Stephens and Dame Maggie Smith
Has the uncanny ability to master the American accent which, along with his smile and look, helped set him apart from the other actors reading for the part of Jay Gatsby and ultimately helped him land the role (a role he said he had the most fun playing and would do the part again in a heartbeat).
After his parents' divorce when he was four years old, Stephens and his brother (actor Chris Larkin) grew up traveling back and forth across the Atlantic with their mother for her numerous acting engagements.
Has turned down Hollywood many times; he concentrates mainly on theater.
His family has been involved in three of Britain's most successful literary and film franchises. Toby played a James Bond villain in Die Another Day (2002), and later went on to play Bond himself on the radio. His father, Robert Stephens, played Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings on the radio. His mother, Maggie Smith, plays Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.

Some men are into Hollywood glamor stuff and some are not.
I've learnt an enormous amount from my children. Mostly that my agenda isn't the most important thing in the world. For a while, I was trying to squeeze them into my life. And it was such torment! It makes you realize how selfish you are.
Growing up, I went to many schools, and I had to fit in to many different types of environments with totally different social groups. It helps me out as I move from job to job.
That's the privilege of being a grandparent - they can indulge the children while parents have to be the bad guy. Grandparents can also be subversive and naughty with them.
My parents' parents were regular working-class people. I ended up speaking in a certain way, and one gets sidelined into doing certain parts. I think that is really quite narrow-minded.

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