Sir Robert Stephens (left) as Sherlock Holmes and Colin Blakely as Dr. John H. Watson in Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

Sir Robert Stephens (14 July 1931 – 12 November 1995) was a leading actor in the early years of England's Royal National Theatre. People called Robert Stephens include: Robert Stephens, (1503–1559) was a Parisian printer credited with arranging the bible into the modern system of chapter and verse. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ... Colin Blakely (September 23, 1930 - May 7, 1987) was a British character actor. ... Dr Watson (left) and Sherlock Holmes, by Sidney Paget. ... Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-born, Jewish-American journalist, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. ... The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is a 1970 film directed and produced by Billy Wilder, and starring Robert Stephens as Sherlock Holmes. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ...

Stephens was born in Bristol, England, and rose to become one of the most respected actors of his generation. By the 1960s he was regarded as the natural successor to Laurence Olivier. He and his third wife, actress Maggie Smith appeared together on stage and in film, notably in the film version of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969. This article is about the English city. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ... Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE (born 28 December 1934), better known as Dame Maggie Smith, is a two-time Academy Award, and Emmy-winning English film, stage, and television actress. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

His other films in this period included a minor role as Prince Escalus in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet (1968), as well as a starring role in Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) and the science fiction film, The Asphyx (1973). However, following his departure from the National Theatre in 1970 and the breakup of his marriage in 1973 he suffered a career slump, not helped by heavy drinking. Franco Zeffirelli (born Gianfranco Corsi on February 12, 1923), is an Italian film director. ... Romeo and Juliet (1968) is an Oscar-winning movie adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. ... Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-born, Jewish-American journalist, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. ... The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is a 1970 film directed and produced by Billy Wilder, and starring Robert Stephens as Sherlock Holmes. ... The Asphyx is a 1973 horror film directed by Peter Newbrook. ...

Although he continued to work on stage (notably in the National Theatre'sThe Mysteries in 1986), film (The Fruit Machine (1988), a/k/a Wonderland (USA), and television (notably in the role of Abner Brown in the 1984 BBC TV dramatisation of the children's classic The Box of Delights), it wasn't until the 1990s that he re-established himself at the forefront of his profession, when the Royal Shakespeare Company invited him to play Falstaff in Henry IV, part 1 and then the title role in King Lear. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1993 for Best Actor, for his performance as Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was knighted in 1995. The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ... The Mysteries is a version of the medieval English mystery plays presented at Londons National Theatre in 1977. ... Tony Forsyth as Michael in The Fruit Machine, a/k/a Wonderland (USA). ... The Box of Delights is a childrens fantasy novel by John Masefield. ... Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a British theatre company. ... Adolf Schrödter: Falstaff and his page Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vainglorious, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, but he... Title page of the first quarto (1598) Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare. ... King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806-1864) King Lear is a play by William Shakespeare, considered one of his greatest tragedies, based on the legend of King Lear of Britain. ... The Laurence Olivier Awards, previously known as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, were renamed in honour of British actor Laurence Olivier, Baron Olivier in 1984, having first been established in 1976. ... Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a British theatre company. ... The dignity of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. ...

Robert Stephens was known for a rich, sonorous, velvety voice with crisp enunciation: he provided the voice of Aragorn in the acclaimed 1981 BBC Radio serialisation of The Lord of the Rings. Aragorn II, son of Arathorn II, is an important character from J. R. R Tolkiens legendarium. ... BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. ... In 1981 BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo instalments. ...

Stephens was married four times:

• 1951, to Nora Ann Simmons;^{[citation needed]} they had one child, Michael Stephens and divorced 1952
• 1956, to Tarn Bassett; they had one child and divorced 1967
• 1967, to Maggie Smith their two sons are the actors Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin; they divorced in 1974
• 1995, to Belfast-born Patricia Quinn (aka Lady Stephens), who appeared with him in Fortunes of War.

He died from cancer 11 months after he was knighted, aged 64, following years of ill health. Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE (born 28 December 1934), better known as Dame Maggie Smith, is a two-time Academy Award, and Emmy-winning English film, stage, and television actress. ... 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). ... Actor son of Dame Maggie Smith, and the late Sir Robert Stephens. ... Quinn with Richard OBrien and Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... Fortunes of War - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

Stephens was one of eight actors profiled in Roger Lewis' 1989 book Stage People. Roger Lewis (born 26 February 1960) is the biographer of Anthony Burgess. ...

External links

• Robert Stephens at the Internet Movie Database

• [1] Robert Stephens at screenonline

• [2] Portraits of Stephens

• [3] Performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company