Stephen Fry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Fry
FRSL FRSA
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Fry in 2024
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Stephen John Fry
24 August 1957 |
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| Education | Uppingham School |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Elliott Spencer
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Sir Stephen John Fry, born on August 24, 1957, is a well-known English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator, and writer. He became famous as part of the comedy duo Fry and Laurie with his friend Hugh Laurie. They starred in shows like A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. He also appeared in other popular TV series such as Alfresco and Blackadder. Since 2011, he has been the president of the mental health charity Mind. In 2025, he received a knighthood for his important work in mental health awareness, environmental causes, and charity.
Fry has acted in many films. He played Oscar Wilde in the movie Wilde (1997), which earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. He was also in Gosford Park (2001) and Love & Friendship (2016). Other film roles include Chariots of Fire (1981), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), and V for Vendetta (2005). He voiced the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland (2010) and its sequel. He also played the Master of Lake-town in The Hobbit film series. From 2001 to 2017, he hosted the British Academy Film Awards 12 times.
On television, Fry played Lord Melchett in the comedy series Blackadder. He was also the main character in Kingdom. He had guest roles in Bones and It's a Sin. He has created and presented several documentaries, including the Emmy Award-winning Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, where he discussed his bipolar disorder. He also hosted the travel series Stephen Fry in America. For many years, he hosted the BBC quiz show QI from 2003 to 2016. He often appears on radio shows like Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
Fry is also known for his theatre work. In 1984, he adapted Me and My Girl for the West End, which was very successful. In 2012, he played Malvolio in Twelfth Night at Shakespeare's Globe. This play later moved to Broadway, where he was nominated for a Tony Award. Fry is a talented writer, contributing to newspapers and magazines. He has written four novels and three autobiographies. He has also narrated many audiobooks, including all seven Harry Potter novels and the Paddington Bear books.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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Stephen John Fry was born in Hampstead, London, on August 24, 1957. His mother, Marianne Eve Fry, was Jewish, and his father, Alan John Fry, was a physicist and inventor. Stephen has an older brother, Roger, and a younger sister, Joanna. His maternal grandparents came to the UK from Slovakia in 1927.
Fry grew up in Booton, Norfolk. He attended several schools, including Stouts Hill Preparatory School and Uppingham School. He was expelled from Uppingham at 14 and later from Paston School. He described himself as a "monstrous" child during these years.
He then went to Norfolk College of Arts and Technology. After some challenges, he studied hard and passed his A-levels. In 1977, he was offered a scholarship to Queens' College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he joined the Footlights, a famous student comedy group. He also met his future comedy partner, Hugh Laurie, there. Fry studied English Literature and graduated in 1981.
Career Highlights
Comedy and Early Television
Fry's career began with writing the play Latin! or Tobacco and Boys in 1980, which won an award. In 1981, his Footlights show, The Cellar Tapes, also won a comedy award. In 1984, he adapted the musical Me and My Girl for the West End, which was a huge success and later moved to Broadway.
His television career started in 1982 with The Cellar Tapes. This led to shows like Alfresco with Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson. In 1986, the BBC created A Bit of Fry & Laurie, a sketch show that ran for four series until 1995. During this time, Fry also starred in Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third, and Blackadder Goes Forth as Lord Melchett. From 1990 to 1993, he played Jeeves alongside Hugh Laurie's Bertie Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster, based on the books by P. G. Wodehouse.
Fry also became known on radio. In 1986, he created the character Donald Trefusis for the BBC Radio 4 show Loose Ends. He also starred in the radio show Delve Special, which later became a TV series. He frequently appeared on radio panel games like Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
Film Roles and Voice Work
Fry's first novel, The Liar, was published in 1991. He has written three more novels, including Making History (1996), which won an award. His book The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within is a guide to writing poetry. He also wrote a weekly technology column for The Guardian.
In 1997, Fry played his idol Oscar Wilde in the film Wilde, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. He also appeared in Spice World (1997) and Gosford Park (2001). In 2000, he played Professor Bellgrove in the BBC series Gormenghast.
Fry is well-known for his voice work. He narrated all seven of the Harry Potter audiobooks for the UK. He also read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and his own books. In 2002, he voiced Winnie-the-Pooh in an audiobook. He also narrated The Incomplete and Utter History of Classical Music for Classic FM.
In 2003, Fry began hosting QI (Quite Interesting), a popular comedy quiz show. He won the Rose d'Or award for "Best Game Show Host" in 2006 for his work on QI. He stepped down as host in 2015 and was replaced by Sandi Toksvig.
Fry made his directing debut in 2003 with Bright Young Things. He also hosted the BAFTA Film Awards from 2001 to 2006. He continued to appear in films like The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) and V for Vendetta (2005). In 2006, he played Smithers in Stormbreaker.
Documentaries and Recent Work
From 2007 to 2009, Fry starred in the legal drama Kingdom. He also had a recurring role as Dr. Gordon Wyatt in the American drama Bones.
In 2008, Fry started a podcast series called Stephen Fry's Podgrams, where he shared stories from his life. His travel series Stephen Fry in America aired in 2008, showing him visiting all 50 US states. In 2009, he and zoologist Mark Carwardine searched for endangered species in the series Last Chance to See.
Fry's voice has been used in many video games, including Fable II (2008) and Fable III (2010), and as the narrator for the LittleBigPlanet series. Since 2008, he has presented Fry's English Delight, a BBC Radio 4 series about the English language.
In 2010, Fry voiced the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. He also played Mycroft Holmes in the 2011 film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. He appeared as the Master of Lake-town in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
In September 2012, Fry returned to the stage at Shakespeare's Globe as Malvolio in Twelfth Night. This role earned him a Tony Award nomination when the production moved to Broadway. In November 2012, Fry hosted Gadget Man, a show exploring useful gadgets. In October 2013, he presented Stephen Fry: Out There, a documentary exploring attitudes towards gay people around the world.
In 2014, he starred as British Prime Minister Alastair Davies in 24: Live Another Day. In 2015, he narrated The Rocky Horror Show live. He also supported the children's fairy tale app GivingTales to help UNICEF. In 2017, Audible released a complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories read by Fry. He also wrote and narrated his own audiobooks, Mythos (2017) and Heroes (2018), about Greek myths.
In 2016, Fry had a lead role in the American sitcom The Great Indoors. In 2019, he guest-starred in Doctor Who. In 2020, he appeared in The Big Night In, a charity telethon during the COVID-19 pandemic, reprising his Lord Melchett character with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. In 2022, he played biochemist Ian Gibbons in the miniseries The Dropout. He also appeared in the Netflix series The Sandman and Heartstopper. In 2023, he played a fictional King James III in the film Red, White & Royal Blue. He also presented the documentary Stephen Fry: Willem & Frieda – Defying the Nazis.
Recognition and Awards
Stephen Fry has received many awards and honors throughout his career. He has been nominated for 11 BAFTA Awards for his television work. For his role as Oscar Wilde in the film Wilde, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award with the cast of Gosford Park (2001). On Broadway, he received two Tony Award nominations.
He has received honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Dundee and the University of East Anglia. In 2003, he was named Pipe Smoker of the Year. In 2007, he was named Mind Champion of the Year for raising awareness about bipolar disorder through his documentary The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive. He also received a lifetime achievement award at the British Comedy Awards in 2007.
In 2010, he received the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards. He is an honorary fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge, his former university. In 2011, he was given the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism by Harvard University. In 2014, he won the Best Presenter award at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards for his program Stephen Fry: Out There. In 2015, he was made a member of The Magic Circle.
In 2017, Fry became a patron of the Norwich Film Festival. A bird louse was named Saepocephalum stephenfryii after him in 2017, honoring his work in popularizing science. In 2019, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). In 2021, he was honored by the Greek president for his contributions to enhancing knowledge about Greece. In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Authors. In 2024, he became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In 2025, he was knighted by King Charles III for his services to mental health awareness, the environment, and charity. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Belgian university KU Leuven. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
Personal Life
Fry married comedian Elliott Spencer in January 2015. He lives in West Bilney in Norfolk. He is friends with King Charles III and Rowan Atkinson. His best friend is Hugh Laurie, whom he met at Cambridge. Fry was best man at Laurie's wedding and is godfather to his children.
Fry is a big fan of cricket and football, supporting Norwich City FC. He is also very interested in technology and digital devices. He has had his own website since 1997 and launched a podcast series. He is a supporter of GNU and the Free Software Foundation. He drives a dark green TX4 London cab when in London.
Health and Advocacy
Fry has cyclothymia, a form of bipolar disorder. He has openly discussed his experiences with this condition, including in his documentary Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive. In the program, he interviewed others with bipolar disorder to raise awareness. He is the president of the mental health charity Mind. He has spoken about how medication helps him manage his condition. In 2018, he joined Nadiya Hussain and Olly Alexander for Sport Relief to raise mental health awareness.
In 1995, Fry experienced a difficult period during a play, which he later discussed in his documentary about bipolar disorder. He has been open about his mental health challenges to help others. In 2008, he broke his arm while filming in Brazil. In 2009, he lost a significant amount of weight by walking and listening to audiobooks. He also has prosopagnosia, which means he has difficulty recognizing faces.
In February 2018, Fry announced he was recovering from surgery for prostate cancer. He said that early detection saved his life. In March 2021, he received the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. In September 2023, he was hospitalized after a fall but later recovered.
Views and Beliefs
Fry has often expressed his views on various topics. He identifies as a humanist and has spoken about his appreciation for ancient Greek beliefs. He is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association. In 2015, he made a widely discussed comment about the problem of suffering in the world, stating his view that if a God created the universe, that God would be "quite clearly a maniac".
Fry has been a strong supporter of LGBT+ rights. He has spoken about his own journey and his marriage to Elliott Spencer. He is the honorary president of Proud Canaries, a supporters' group for Norwich City's LGBT+ fans. He has also supported causes like free speech and environmental protection.
Ventures
Narration and Voice Work
Fry is widely recognized for his voice-over work. He narrated all seven Harry Potter novels for the UK audiobooks. He also narrated Paddington Bear audiobooks and the video game series LittleBigPlanet. He has narrated animated explanations of the laws of cricket and a series about humanism for Humanists UK.
Social Media Influence
Fry has a large following on Twitter and uses his platform to promote charities and causes. He often recommends musicians and authors, which can lead to a big increase in their popularity. He also uses his influence to raise awareness about current issues. In November 2009, his Twitter account reached one million followers, and by June 2021, he had 12.4 million followers. He has occasionally taken breaks from Twitter due to criticism but has always returned.
Sport and Business
In August 2010, Fry joined the board of directors at Norwich City Football Club, his favorite team. He stepped down in January 2016 to become a "Norwich City Ambassador." In February 2014, he became the honorary president of Proud Canaries, an LGBT+ supporters' group for the club. In October 2022, Fry became the president of Marylebone Cricket Club for one year.
In 2008, Fry formed SamFry Ltd with Andrew Sampson to create new content and manage his website. He is also a co-owner of Sprout Pictures, an independent film and television company. In 2016, Fry launched Pindex, an online platform that provides educational videos and infographics.
Charity Work
Fry is actively involved in charity work. In 2008, he appeared in a film for the Free Software Foundation to explain the principles of free software. For the Comic Relief telethon in 2011, he helped promote a new flavor of Walkers crisps. In 2014, he designed a Paddington Bear statue for an auction that raised money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
He is a strong supporter of nature and wildlife conservation. He has been the president of the Great Fen Project since 2006 and a vice-president of Fauna and Flora International since 2009. Fry also supports action on climate change and groups like Extinction Rebellion. In April 2020, he appeared in a sketch with Prince William for The Big Night In charity show during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, he narrated a short film for Cambridge Children's Hospital. Fry has been the patron of the UK audiobook charity Listening Books since 2005.
See also
In Spanish: Stephen Fry para niños
