Stephen Greif

Stephen Greif was born on Aug 26, 1944 in Highgate, London. He is an Honours graduate from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He is also a recent and past Member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a Laurence Olivier and London Critics Circle award winning nominee for his work at The National Theatre over many years. He has often appeared in the West End and at The Old Vic.His grandparents were from Budapest, Lithuania, Russia and Poland. His father Ferenc was born in Vienna and his mother Polly in the East End of London. He attended Hordle House Preparatory School for two years with his older brother Anthony and his younger brother Peter, but in 1955 when his father's partnership was defrauded and the family endured severe financial hardship, he and Peter were enrolled in Primary School in the London area of Ladbroke Grove, then a run-down part of London.He went on to Sloane Grammar School in Chelsea where he excelled in sport, becoming the school's Athletics and Swimming champion representing his school and county in various London and Regional championships - at the famous White City Stadium amongst others.He played Captain Hook at primary school, and his love of acting was rekindled during a brief spell at Regent Polytechnic. After brief times working for an electronics manufacturer (where he nearly electrocuted himself) and as a junior negotiator in a West End real estate agency, he finally decided to become an actor.Having been offered places at LAMDA and RADA, he chose the latter where he won a first Class Honours Diploma, as well as receiving 5 other awards including the prestigious Kendal Award (the Gold Medal equivalent) and others judged and presented by Sir John Gielgud.He has appeared in many seasons with the National Theatre in both Olivier's companies at the Old Vic and in the West End. Whilst performing in 'Saturday, Sunday, Monday', directed by Franco Zeffirelli and Sir Laurence , he won a best actor nomination at the Critics Circle awards. Shortly after he played Biff opposite Warren Mitchell in the landmark revival of Arthur Miller's masterpiece 'Death of a Salesman' in The Lyttleton Theatre. He won a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for his performance.Further to these notable engagements, Stephen was contracted in Nicholas Hytner's inaugural season at the National Theatre, where he played in productions such as 'His Girl Friday' directed by the multi-award-winning Broadway veteran Jack O'Brien, 'Edmond' directed by Edward Hall, and starring Kenneth Branagh, and 'His Dark Materials', the two-part Christmas show directed by Nicholas Hytner. He appeared in the West End in Ronald Harwood's 'Reflected Glory' with Albert Finney, 'Epitaph for George Dillon' with Joseph Fiennes, directed by Peter Gill and in Bill Kenwright's smash hit 'Fallen Angels' working with Felicity Kendal and Frances de la Tour. He recently appeared at The Old Vic in 'Six degrees of Separation' with Lesley Manville. He also contributed to the 85th Birthday celebration of his friend, the playwright Bernard Kops, with a rehearsed performance of his breakthrough play 'The Hamlet of Stepney Green' at London's Jewish Museum.He recently appeared (2016) at The St James Theatre in "Tears, Treachery ..and just a little murder" With Fenella Fielding reprising this in 2017 this time at The Crazy Coqs at Zed's Brasserie with further shows to come in May and September. He also played The Globe in an adaptation of 'The Prince of West End Avenue'.He has played on stage opposite such luminaries as Sir Laurence Olivier, Elaine Stritch, Denholm Elliot, Dame Joan Plowright, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Frank Langella, Sir Ian Mackellan, Joseph Fiennes and Albert Finney and has been directed by Laurence Olivier, Franco Zeffirelli, Trevor Nunn, David Jones, Clifford Williams, Michael Blakemore, Jonathan Miller, John Dexter, Nicholas Hytner, Edward Hall, Alan Strachan, Peter Coe, Elijah Moshinsky, Peter Gill and on several occasions Michael Rudman.Aside from a continuing presence in the theatre, Stephen has also garnered a long list of television and film work. Early television roles included parts in Edward II (1970) and The Tragedy of King Richard II (1971), The Persuaders! (1971), Thriller (1973), The New Avengers (1976), Killers (1976), Armchair Thriller (1978), The Great Riviera Bank Robbery (1979) (aka "Sewers of Gold" and "Dirty Money", with Ian McShane) and The Life and Loves of a She-Devil (1986).He was cast in his most recognizable role - the villainous Travis in the famous BBC science fiction series Blake's 7 (1978). The character would appear throughout the first series. He also took notable roles in The Persuaders! (1971), Dick Turpin (1979), Return of the Saint (1978), Play for Today (1970) (twice) and three series of Citizen Smith (1977), with Robert Lindsay and produced and directed by the legendary Dennis Main Wilson.He has continued to build up a remarkable number of television appearances to the present, acting in productions such as"Doctors"(2016) New Tricks (2003), Silent Witness (1996), Waking the Dead (2000), Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest (2007), Mistresses (2008), Spooks (2002), Space Race (2005), Holby City (1999), Screen Two: Midnight Movie (1994) (Denis Potter), Minder (1979), EastEnders (1985) and The Bill (1984).Recent film roles include Risen (2016), Bill (2015), Woman in Gold (2015), Boogie Woogie (2009), Shoot on Sight (2007), Eichmann (2007), Back in Business (2007), Sixty Six (2006), Casanova (2005), The Upside of Anger (2005), Fakers (2004) and Spartan (2004).Stephen has narrated countless talking books including The History of the Jews, Inspector Palfrey of Westminster (6 books), Send No More Roses, The Match King, He Kills Coppers, Seeking Robinson Crusoe, The Boy with the Magic Numbers (for which he won the prestigious Earphones Award from BBC Audiobooks America), The Pianist, The Darkness of Wallis Simpson, and His Dark Materials.His radio work includes Waterloo, The Ball at Brussels, The Castle, The Zone, The Carter Mysteries, Austerlitz, Love and War, The Man in Black, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Peter Lorre V Peter Lorre (playing Lorre), The Grand Hotel Babylon, The Babbington Plot, The Devil was Here Yesterday, The Iceman, Witness, Take-Away, Down and Out in London and Paris, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and Hooligan Nights.He has also voiced hundreds of radio and television commercials as well as thousands of cinema and television promos and trailers, on-line games, corporate presentations, narratives and scores of voices for numerous computer games including the latest Sony Playstation game, Puppeteer, Zenoblade Chronicles, Risen 2, Fable 2. Dragon Quest, Witcher, Venetica, Medieval, Momento Mori.He is the proud inventor of "VoiceQuality", a system for describing the quality and character of the human voice and licensed worldwide to the famous actors' directory "The Spotlight".He appeared by invitation of the National Film Theatre to discuss his work in Blakes 7, and by invitation of the Israeli Embassy to read from Amos Oz's "A Tale of Love and Darkness" to celebrate the founding of the state of Israel.He is a keen golfer, a member of The Stage Golfing Society and a movie buff. Show less «