Toby Stephens

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Toby Stephens
Born April 21, 1969 (1969-04-21) (age 39)
London, England
Spouse(s) Anna-Louise Plowman

Toby Stephens (born April 21, 1969) is an English stage, television and film actor, best known for playing supervillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day (2002) and Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre (2006).

Contents

[edit] Biography

Stephens, the son of actors Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, was born in London, England. He was educated at Aldro and Seaford College and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He began his film career with the role of Othello in 1992's Orlando. He has since made regular appearances on television (including in The Camomile Lawn) and on stage.

He has gained acclaim as a stage actor of distinction, notably playing the title role in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Coriolanus shortly after graduation from LAMDA; that same season he played Claudio in Measure for Measure for the RSC. He also played Stanley Kowalski in a West End production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, and Hamlet in 2004. He has appeared on Broadway in Ring Round the Moon. He played the lead in the film Photographing Fairies and played Orsino in Trevor Nunn's film of Twelfth Night. In 2002 he took on the role for which he is most widely known, that of Gustav Graves in the James Bond movie Die Another Day.

In 2005 he played the role of a British army captain in the Indian movie, Mangal Pandey: The Rising, portraying events in the Indian rebellion of 1857. The following year he returned to India to play a renegade British East India Company officer in Sharpe's Challenge.

In autumn 2006 he starred as Edward Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre (broadcast in the United States on PBS in early 2007) and The Wild West in February 2007 for the BBC in which he played General George Armstrong Custer in Custer's Last Stand.

On 31 May 2007 The Guardian announced that Toby Stephens and his wife of six years, New Zealand actress Anna-Louise Plowman, had their first child, a son named Eli Alistair.[1] Simon Gray, the renowned British playwright (who penned Japes, a stage play, and Missing Dates, a radio drama, both of which starred Stephens), is reportedly Eli's godfather.[2]

During the summer of 2007, Stephens played the role of Jerry in a revival of Harold Pinter's Betrayal under the direction of Roger Michell. Most recently, Stephens starred as Horner in Jonathan Kent's revival of William Wycherley's The Country Wife. The play was the inaugural production of The Theatre Royal Haymarket Company, which in addition to Stephens includes the actors Eileen Atkins, Patricia Hodge, David Haig and Ruthie Henshall. Various members of the Company are expected to star in upcoming productions at the Haymarket Theatre with various artistic directors. The formation of the Company is considered by many London theatre critics to be a bold move for West End theatre.[3]

In February 2008, Fox Broadcasting Company gave the go-ahead to cast Stephens as the lead in a potential one hour, prime time U.S. television show, Inseparable, to be produced by Shaun Cassidy. Billed as a modern Jekyll and Hyde story, the show was to feature a partially paralyzed forensic psychologist whose other personality is a charming criminal. Stephens' casting was highly unusual, because Fox had not yet approved a script nor purchased a pilot for the show. However, in mid-May 2008, The Hollywood Reporter announced that "[b]y the time the network picked up the pilot . . . [the producers'] hold on Stephens had expired . . . ."[4][5]

In April 2008, Stephens' agent announced that Stephens will, at some future date, play the role of "Crawford" in a new three-part ITV television drama entitled Wired, to be directed by Kenny Glenaan. Early details suggest it will concern various characters caught up in a fictional Internet banking scam. Filming was reported to begin in March 2008[6] in or near Manchester and Liverpool, England, although another report in mid-May 2008 stated that producers had "just started" filming.[7]

In May 2008, Stephens performed the role of James Bond in a BBC Radio 4 production of Ian Fleming's Dr. No, as part of the centenary celebration of Fleming's birth. The production is reportedly the first radio dramatization of the novel. Stephens continues to prolifically narrate audiobooks and perform in radio dramas; between November 2007 and May 2008, he will have given 6 such performances.

Also in May 2008, Stock-pot Productions announced that Stephens will have the lead role in a feature-length film entitled Fly Me, co-starring Tim McInnerny.[8] Stock-pot was also the producer of One Day, a short 2006 film shown at international film festivals, in which Stephens played a small part as the boss of McInnerny's character.

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Director Other Notes
1992 Orlando Othello Sally Potter Written by Sally Potter, based on the novel Orlando by Virginia Woolf
1996 Twelfth Night Duke Orsino Trevor Nunn Based on the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night
1997 Sunset Heights Luke Bradley Colm Villa Written by Colm Villa
1997 Photographing Fairies Charles Castle Nick Willing Written by Chris Harald and Nick Willing, based on the book by Steve Szilagyi
1998 Cousin Bette Victorin Hulot Des McAnuff Written by Lynn Siefert and Susan Tarr, based on the book Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac
1999 Onegin Vladimir Lensky Martha Fiennes Written by Peter Ettedgui Michael and Ignatieff Alexander, based on the poem Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
2000 The Announcement Ross Troy Miller Written by Morwenna Banks
2000 Space Cowboys Frank Clint Eastwood Written by Ken Kaufman and Howard Klausner
2001 Possession Fergus Wolfe Neil LaBute Written by David Henry Hwang, Laura Jones, and Neil LaBute, based on the novel Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt
2002 Die Another Day Gustav Graves Lee Tamahori Written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, based on the characters of Ian Fleming
2004 Terkel in Trouble Voice of Justin Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen, Thorbjørn Christoffersen, Stefan Fjeldmark Animated film Written by Anders Matthesen (original Danish title: Terkel i knibe)
2005 Midsummer Dream Voice of Demetrius Ángel de la Cruz, Manolo Gómez Animated film written by Ángel de la Cruz and Beatriz Iso, based on the play A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare
2005 Mangal Pandey: The Rising Captain William Gordon Ketan Mehta Written by Farrukh Dhondy and Ranjit Kapoor
2006 Dark Corners Dr Woodleigh Ray Gower Written by Ray Gower
2006 Severance Harris Christopher Smith Written by James Moran and Christopher Smith

[edit] Television

Year Title Role Other notes
1992 The Camomile Lawn Oliver Written by Kenneth Taylor based on the book The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley
1996 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Gilbert Markham Written by Janet Barron based on the book The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
2000 The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby Written by John McLaughlin based on the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2001 Perfect Strangers Charles Written by Stephen Poliakoff (distributed in the United States under the title Almost Strangers)
2002 Napoléon Tsar Alexander I Written by Didier Decoin based on the book by Max Gallo
2003 Essential Byron Reader Dramatised documentary focusing on poet Lord Byron's work
2003 Cambridge Spies Kim Philby Written by Peter Moffat
2003 Agatha Christie's Poirot Five Little Pigs Philip Blake Written by Kevin Elyot based on the book Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
2004 London Casanova Written by Peter Ackroyd and Chris Granlund
2005 Waking the Dead Dr Nick Henderson Series 5, Episode 22, Subterraneans

Written by Barbara Machin and Ed Whitmore
2005 The Queen's Sister Anthony Armstrong-Jones Written by Craig Warner as a bio of Princess Margaret, billed as part fact, part fiction
2006 The Best Man Peter Written by Russell Lewis
2006 Sharpe's Challenge William Dodd Written by Russell Lewis based on the novels Sharpe's Tiger, Sharpe's Triumph, and Sharpe's Fortress by Bernard Cornwell
2006 Jane Eyre Edward Fairfax Rochester Written by Sandy Welch based on the book Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
2007 The Wild West - Custer's Last Stand General George Armstrong Custer Episode 1 of the BBC docudrama series. Filmed in South Dakota, summer 2006

[edit] Theatre

Year Title Role Other notes
1992 Tartuffe Damis Directed by Sir Peter Hall (Playhouse); play by Molière; Stephens' West End theatre debut
1992 Tamburlaine Celebinus/King of Algier Directed by Terry Hands (RSC); play by Christopher Marlowe
1992 Antony and Cleopatra Pompey Directed by John Caird (RSC); play by Shakespeare
1992 All's Well That Ends Well Bertram Directed by Sir Peter Hall (RSC); play by Shakespeare
1993 Wallenstein Max Piccolomini Directed by Tim Albery (RSC); play by Friedrich von Schiller
1994 Unfinished Business Young Beamish Directed by Steven Pimlott (RSC); play by Michael Hastings
1994 Coriolanus Caius Marcius Coriolanus Directed by David Thacker (RSC); play by Shakespeare
1994 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander Directed by Adrian Noble (RSC); play by Shakespeare
1994 Measure for Measure Claudio Directed by Steven Pimlott (RSC); play by Shakespeare
1996 A Streetcar Named Desire Stanley Kowalski Directed by Sir Peter Hall (The Haymarket); play by Tennessee Williams
1998/99 Phedre Hippolytus Directed by Jonathan Kent (Almeida & Brooklyn Academy); play by Jean Racine
1998/99 Britannicus Nero Directed by Jonathan Kent (Almeida & Brooklyn Academy); play by Jean Racine
1999 Ring Round the Moon Hugo/Frederick Directed by Gerry Gutierrez (Lincoln Center Theatre NY); play by Jean Anouilh; Stephens' Broadway debut
2001 Japes Japes Directed by Sir Peter Hall (The Haymarket); play by Simon Gray
2001 The Royal Family Anthony Cavendish Directed by Sir Peter Hall (The Haymarket); play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber
2004 Hamlet Hamlet Directed by Michael Boyd (RSC); play by Shakespeare
2004 The Pilate Workshop Jesus Directed by Michael Boyd (RSC); play by Helen Edmundson, based on Ann Wroe's Pontius Pilate: The Biography of an Invented Man
2007 Betrayal Jerry Directed by Roger Michell (Donmar); play by Harold Pinter
2007 The Country Wife Mr. Horner Directed by Jonathan Kent (Haymarket); play by William Wycherley

[edit] Radio and CD audio drama

Year Title Role Other notes
1994 Time and the Conways Robin Radio drama based on the play Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley
1995 The Prince's Choice Coriolanus, Hamlet, Henry V, Henry IV and Edward Poins A selection from Shakespeare's works; narrators include the Prince of Wales and Stephens' parents, Sir Robert Stephens and Dame Maggie Smith, Hodder & Stoughton Audio Books
1997 As You Like It Orlando BBC dramatised recording of Shakespeare's play
1997 The Lifted Veil Latimer BBC dramatised recording of the novella by George Eliot
1997 The Guns of Navarone Mallory BBC two part dramatised recording of the novel by Alistair MacLean, BBC Radio Collection Audiobook
1997 Birdsong Stephen Wraysford BBC three-part drama based on the Sebastian Faulks novel (sometimes listed under the title of Part I, 'France 1910')
1997 Anna Karenina Count Vronsky BBC dramatised recording of the Leo Tolstoy novel, BBC Classic Collection Audiobook
1998 The Troy trilogy Achilles 3 x 90 minute plays by Andrew Rissik for the BBC with Paul Scofield

King Priam and His Sons; The Death of Achilles; Helen at Ephesus
1999 Tales from the Arabian Nights Narrator Includes Aladdin and His Magic Lamp, Sinbad and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Naxos Audiobooks
1999 Macbeth Macbeth Voice of Macbeth for the Movingstage Marionette Company's production of the Shakespeare play
2000 Conversations with Napoleon Reader The words of Napoleon Bonaparte
2001 King Lear Edmund Paul Scofield is King Lear in a dramatised reading of Shakespeare's play, Naxos Audiobooks
2001 On the Road Narrator BBC radio reading of the Jack Kerouac book
2002 The Riddle of the Sands Narrator Novel by Robert Erskine Childers, Penguin Audiobooks
2002 The Woman in White Walter Hartright BBC dramatised recording of novel by Wilkie Collins, BBC Radio Collection Audiobook
2002 Aeneid Aeneas Virgil's Classical Poem abridged by James Burbidge with Paul Scofield, Naxos Audiobooks
2003 Dionysos Pentheus, King of Thebes BBC radio drama by Andrew Rissik with Paul Scofield
2004 Will in the World Reader Based on Stephen Greenblatt's book, a reconstruction of Shakespeare's life & era
2005 Much Ado About Nothing Benedick BBC dramatised recording of Shakespeare's play
2006 Shylock Bassanio BBC Radio 3 dramatised recording of play by Sir Arnold Wesker
2007 Heart of Darkness Narrator Novel by Joseph Conrad, Silksoundbooks Audiobook
2007 Flashman on the March Narrator Novel by George MacDonald Fraser, HarperCollins Audiobook
2008 Flashman and the Dragon Narrator Novel by George MacDonald Fraser, HarperCollins Audiobook
2008 Missing Dates Jason (Japes) BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of play by Simon Gray (a reworking of his play Japes, in which Stephens also played the title role, see Theatre above)
2008 The Good Soldier Narrator BBC Radio 4 reading of the novel by Ford Madox Ford
2008 Dr. No James Bond BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of novel by Ian Fleming
2008 Let's Murder Vivaldi Ben BBC Radio 4 adaptation of David Mercer's television drama

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Mark Lawson, "Prodigal Son", The Guardian, May 31, 2007, Online edition. [1]
  2. ^ Janice Turner, "Simon Gray Has Lung Cancer But Won't Stop Smoking," The Times, April 24, 2008, Online edition. [2]
  3. ^ David Benedict, "Theatre Royal Haymarket Gambles", Variety, July 23, 2007, online edition. [3]
  4. ^ Nellie Andreeva, "Busy Pre-upfront Weekend", The Hollywood Reporter, May 10, 2008, updated May 11, 2008, Online edition. [4]
  5. ^ "Pilot Buzz", zap2it, May 12, 2008.[5]
  6. ^ "Sita's Secret Story", Northwest Vision Media. [6]
  7. ^ "New ITV Thriller Begins Shooting in the North West", How-Do, May 16, 2008. [7]
  8. ^ Stock-pot Productions Limited, Blog, May 27, 2008. [8]

[edit] Awards

  • 1994—Ian Charleson Award (best classical actor under 30): Coriolanus
  • 1994—Sir John Gielgud Award (best actor): Coriolanus
  • 1999—Theatre World Award (debut performance on Broadway): Ring Round the Moon

[edit] External links

[edit] Interviews and articles

Preceded by
Sophie Marceau & Robert Carlyle		 Official James Bond villain actor
2002		 Succeeded by
Mads Mikkelsen
v • d • e
James Bond films and actors
"Official" films (EON Productions)
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