Stephen Frears facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Stephen Frears
Frears in 2014
Born	Stephen Arthur Frears (1941-06-20) 20 June 1941 (age 84) Leicester, England
Education	Gresham's School
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge
Occupation	Director producer
Years active	1968–present
Notable work	My Beautiful Laundrette Prick Up Your Ears Dangerous Liaisons The Grifters The Queen
Television	Fail Safe The Deal Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight A Very English Scandal
Spouse(s)	Mary-Kay Wilmers ​ ​ (m. 1968, divorced)​ Anne Rothenstein ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	4

Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer. He creates movies and TV shows, often telling real-life stories. He is known for exploring social classes through interesting characters.

Stephen Frears has won many awards, including three BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was also nominated for two Academy Awards. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph newspaper said he was one of the 100 most important people in British culture. In 2009, he received a special French award called the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2023, he was made a "Sir" for his amazing work in film and television.

Frears was born in Leicester, England. He went to Gresham's School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He started his career helping directors in theatre and film. He also directed many TV plays. His first full-length movie was Gumshoe in 1971. He became very famous for his films in the 1980s, like My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director twice, for The Grifters (1990) and The Queen (2006).

He has also directed many TV shows and movies made for television. These include Fail Safe (2000), The Deal (2003), and Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013). In 2018, he directed the TV miniseries A Very English Scandal. This show earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

Early Life and Education

Stephen Frears was born on June 20, 1941, in Leicester, England. His mother, Ruth M. Frears, was a social worker. His father, Russell E. Frears, was a doctor and an accountant. Stephen was raised in the Anglican faith. He found out his mother was Jewish when he was in his late twenties.

From 1954 to 1959, Frears attended Gresham's School. This was an independent boarding school for boys in Holt, Norfolk. After that, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge. There, he studied law and earned his degree.

Career Highlights

Starting Out in Film and TV

At Cambridge University, Frears helped manage the stage for a student show in 1963. After college, he worked as an assistant director on movies like Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) and if.... (1968). He also worked with actor Albert Finney on Charlie Bubbles (1968).

Frears spent most of his early career directing for television. He worked for the BBC and other TV companies. He directed episodes for popular shows like Play for Today. His first movie as a director was the detective comedy Gumshoe in 1971.

Becoming Famous in the 1980s

Frears in Sweden, 1989, promoting his film Dangerous Liaisons

In the late 1980s, Stephen Frears became well-known around the world. In 1985, his film My Beautiful Laundrette received great praise. This movie was about a young man in London and his challenges. It was nominated for an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards. The film's success helped make Frears and actor Daniel Day-Lewis famous.

Frears also directed Prick Up Your Ears (1987). This movie was about the life of writer Joe Orton. Another film he directed was Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987).

In 1988, Frears directed Dangerous Liaisons. This film was very popular with critics. It was filmed in France and starred Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer. The movie was based on an old French novel about romantic games. It received seven Academy Award nominations. These included nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress for Glenn Close. Michelle Pfeiffer was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The film also received ten British Academy Film Award nominations. Frears was nominated for Best Direction.

Success in the 1990s

In 1990, Frears directed The Grifters. This was a crime thriller starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, and Annette Bening. Famous director Martin Scorsese helped produce the film. The Grifters won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film. It was also named one of the top 10 films of 1990. Frears was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for this movie.

In 1992, Frears directed the comedy-drama Hero. It starred Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, and Andy Garcia. Many critics compared it to classic comedies from the 1940s. While the film received good reviews, it did not make much money at the box office.

Frears also directed two films based on books by Roddy Doyle: The Snapper (1993) and The Van (1996). Other films he directed include the horror movie Mary Reilly and the Western The Hi-Lo Country (1998).

Films of the 2000s

In 2000, Frears directed High Fidelity. This movie starred John Cusack and Jack Black. It was based on a British novel and was set in Chicago. Critics loved the film, praising Frears's directing and the actors' performances. The movie has a high score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In 2002, Frears directed Dirty Pretty Things. This film was about two immigrants living in London. It starred Audrey Tautou and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. It won a British Independent Film Award for Best Independent British Film in 2003. Chiwetel Ejiofor also won Best Actor for his role.

In 2003, Frears directed the TV movie The Deal. This film showed a famous agreement between British politicians Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Michael Sheen played Tony Blair very well. In 2005, Frears directed Mrs Henderson Presents. This British comedy starred Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins. Both actors were praised for their roles, and Judi Dench was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Frears's next big film was The Queen (2006). This movie showed the events after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. It explored how the royal family and the public reacted. The film first showed at the Venice Film Festival. There, Helen Mirren won Best Actress for playing Queen Elizabeth II. Frears was nominated for the Golden Lion award. The film was a big success and won many awards. Frears received his second Academy Award for Best Director nomination. Helen Mirren won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role.

Works in the 2010s

Steve Coogan with Frears at a screening of Philomena in 2013

Stephen Frears teaches at the National Film and Television School. He holds the "David Lean Chair in Fiction Direction."

In 2013, Frears directed the drama Philomena. This movie was based on a true story about a woman named Philomena Lee. She searched for her son for 50 years after he was taken from her as a baby. The film starred Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. It premiered at the 70th Venice International Film Festival and received great reviews. The writers won the best screenplay award. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Judi Dench.

In the same year, Frears directed the TV drama Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight for HBO. This film explored the United States Supreme Court's decision about banning Muhammad Ali from boxing. Ali had refused to serve in the US Army during the Vietnam War.

In 2016, Frears directed Florence Foster Jenkins. This film starred Meryl Streep as a New York heiress who wanted to be an opera singer, even though she sang poorly. Hugh Grant played her manager. The movie was very successful, and Streep and Grant were praised for their acting. Meryl Streep received her 20th Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for this role.

In 2017, Frears worked with Judi Dench again on Victoria & Abdul. This movie was about the real friendship between Queen Victoria and her Indian servant, Abdul Karim. The film premiered at the 74th Venice Film Festival. It was a success, earning over $65 million worldwide.

In 2018, Frears directed the miniseries A Very English Scandal. This three-part show was based on a true story about a British politician, Jeremy Thorpe. It starred Hugh Grant as Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as his lover. The series was highly praised in both the UK and the US. Critics called it "absorbing and appalling." Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw both received many award nominations for their performances. Whishaw won an Emmy and a BAFTA award.

It has been announced that Frears will direct a film about the famous director Billy Wilder. The movie is expected to start filming in early 2025.

Personal Life

In 1968, Stephen Frears married Mary-Kay Wilmers. They had two sons, Sam and Will. They divorced in the early 1970s. His son, Will Frears, also became a director.

Early in his career, Frears made a TV show featuring the band the Scaffold. He is even mentioned in their hit song "Lily the Pink" with the line, "Mr Frears had sticky-out ears...".

As of 2002, Frears lives in London with Anne Rothenstein and their two children.

In 2023, Stephen Frears was made a Knight for his important contributions to film and television.

Filmography

Film

Television

TV movies

TV series

Miniseries

Awards and Recognitions

Stephen Frears has won and been nominated for many awards throughout his career. These include two Academy Award nominations, four Primetime Emmy Award nominations (winning one), a Golden Globe Award nomination, and 17 British Academy Film and Television Arts Award nominations (winning three).

In 1990, Frears received his first Academy Award nomination for directing The Grifters. In 2006, he earned his second nomination for The Queen. For the Primetime Emmy Awards, he was nominated for Fail Safe (2000), Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013), and A Very English Scandal (2019). He won an Emmy for State of the Union (2019). He has also been recognized at major film festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto.

Some of his special honors include:

• 2006: Golden Eye Award for Lifetime Achievement at Zurich Film Festival
• 2009: Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (a French cultural award)
• 2014: Golden Duke for Lifetime Achievement at the 5th Odesa International Film Festival
• Honorary Associate of London Film School

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Frears para niños