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 Frears (born June 20, 1941) is a famous British director and producer. He makes movies and TV shows. Many of his projects tell real-life stories. He also explores different social groups through interesting characters.

Stephen Frears has won many awards. These include three BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was also nominated for two Academy Awards. In 2008, a newspaper called The Daily Telegraph named him 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. He was made a knight in 2023 for his great work in film and television.

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

Frears is also known for his TV work. This includes TV films like Fail Safe (2000) and The Deal (2003). He also directed Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013). He directed the TV miniseries A Very English Scandal (2018). For this, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

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 accountant.

From 1954 to 1959, Frears attended Gresham's School. This was a boarding school in Holt, Norfolk. After that, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was there from 1960 to 1963. He earned a degree in Law.

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. He helped on films like Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) and if.... (1968). He also worked with actor Albert Finney.

Frears made a short film called The Burning. It was filmed in Tangier. He spent most of his early career directing for television. He worked for the BBC and other channels. He directed episodes for TV series like Play for Today. His first full-length movie was Gumshoe in 1971. It was a detective comedy.

Becoming Famous in the 1980s

Frears in Sweden, 1989, promoting his film Dangerous Liaisons

In the late 1980s, Stephen Frears became known around the world. In 1985, he directed My Beautiful Laundrette. This film was very popular. It was about life in London and received an Academy Award nomination. The film helped make Frears and actor Daniel Day-Lewis famous.

Frears also directed for the TV comedy series The Comic Strip Presents. He directed Mr Jolly Lives Next Door in 1988. He also made a comedy version of the novel Rebecca.

His next film was Prick Up Your Ears (1987). This movie was about the life of writer Joe Orton. He also directed Sammy and Rosie (1987).

In 1988, Frears directed Dangerous Liaisons. This film was highly praised. It was filmed in France. The cast included famous actors like Glenn Close and John Malkovich. The movie was based on an old French novel. It received seven Academy Award nominations. Frears was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Direction.

Films of the 1990s

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

In 1992, Frears directed Hero. This comedy-drama starred Dustin Hoffman and Geena Davis. Critics liked the film, but it did not make much money at the box office.

Frears also directed two films based on books by Roddy Doyle. These were 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).

Work in the 2000s

In 2000, Frears directed High Fidelity. This film starred John Cusack and Jack Black. It was based on a British book. The movie received very good reviews from critics.

In 2002, Frears directed Dirty Pretty Things. This film was about two people living in London. It starred Audrey Tautou and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The film was nominated for an Academy Award. It also won an award for Best Independent British Film.

In 2003, Frears directed the TV film The Deal. This movie showed a famous agreement between 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. Judi Dench was nominated for an Academy Award for her role.

Frears's next big film was The Queen (2006). This movie showed the events after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. It focused on the reaction of the royal family and the public. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Helen Mirren won Best Actress for playing Queen Elizabeth II. Frears was nominated for the Golden Lion award. The film was very successful and won many awards. Frears received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Direction. Helen Mirren won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Projects 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 a special teaching position there.

In 2013, Frears directed Philomena. This drama was based on a true story. It was about Philomena Lee's 50-year search for her son. Her son was taken from her when she was young. The film starred Judi Dench and Steve Coogan.

Philomena premiered at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. It received great praise. The writers won an award for best screenplay. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards. It was also nominated for four British Academy Film Awards. In the same year, HBO released Frears's TV drama Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight. This film explored the US Supreme Court's decision about Muhammad Ali refusing to serve in the army.

Frears directed a movie about cyclist Lance Armstrong called The Program (2015). It starred Ben Foster. Many of Frears's films are based on real people.

In 2016, Frears directed Florence Foster Jenkins. This film starred Meryl Streep. Streep played a New York heiress who wanted to be an opera singer. She was known for her poor singing. Hugh Grant played her manager. The film was very successful. Meryl Streep received her 20th Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

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

In 2018, Frears directed the miniseries A Very English Scandal. It was shown on BBC One and Amazon Prime. This comedy-drama was based on a true story about a British politician. It starred Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as his lover. The series was highly praised. Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw both received many award nominations for their performances.

In 2022, it was announced that Frears would direct a film about Billy Wilder. The film is called Wilder & Me. It is based on a novel by Jonathan Coe.

Personal Life

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

Frears lives in London with Anne Rothenstein and their two children.

He was made a knight in 2023. This was for his contributions to film and television.

Filmography

Film

Television

TV movies

TV series

Miniseries

Awards and Honors

Stephen Frears has won many awards throughout his career. He has received two Academy Award nominations. He also has four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning one. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. He has 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 TV, he was nominated for Emmys for Fail Safe (2000) and Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013). He won an Emmy for State of the Union (2019). He has also been recognized at major film festivals. These include Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto.

His 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 honor)
• 2014: Golden Duke for Lifetime Achievement at the 5th Odesa International Film Festival
• Honorary Associate of London Film School

Academy Award Performances Directed by Frears
Actors in Frears's films have received Academy Award nominations (and wins) for their roles.

Images for kids

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  Frears in 2014

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  Frears in Sweden, 1989, promoting his film Dangerous Liaisons

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  Steve Coogan with Frears at a screening of Philomena in 2013

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Frears para niños