Skip to content
MovieCove
Robert Stephens

Robert Stephens

Actor, also producer · Died November 12, 1995, aged 64 · Bristol, England, UK

Sir Robert Stephens  (14 July 1931 – 12 November 1995) was a leading English actor in the early years of England's Royal National Theatre. He was one of the most respected actors of his generation and was at one time regarded as the natural successor to Laurence Olivier. While very acting on stage his whole life, he also participated in more than 100 theatrical films and TV series episodes.  He was married to actress Maggie Smith between 1967 and 1974. They had two children together, who both have become actors: Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin.  Following years of ill health, he died on 12 November 1995 at the age of 64 due to complications during surgery, eleven months after having been knighted.  Description above partly from the Wikipedia article Robert Stephens, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 14, 1931
Died
November 12, 1995 (aged 64)
From
Bristol, England, UK
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 86 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 25% in 30 days

What are Robert Stephens' films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
28%
Bonds
23%
Power
15%
Morality
13%
Society
10%
Survival
10%
Ideas
2%
Identity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 10 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 8

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 7 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 6

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 2 of 6 analyzed roles.

Hero
2 of 6
Threshold guardian
1 of 6
Shadow
1 of 6
Trickster
1 of 6
Herald
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Contemplative
10
Melancholic
8
Romantic
3
Dread
3
Other
13

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Robert Stephens' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Stephens' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

86 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • England, My England (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as John Dryden

  • Dandelion Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 4 episodes · as Henry Vaughan

  • 99-1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 7 episodes · as Commander Oakwood

  • Century (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Mr. Reisner

  • The Secret Rapture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Max Lopert

  • Searching for Bobby Fischer(1993)

    as Poe's Teacher

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Chaplin(1992)

    as Ted the Drunk

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Adam Bede (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Reverend Irwine

  • Afraid of the Dark(1991)

    as Dan Burns

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Storyteller: Greek Myths - Orpheus & Eurydice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Hades

  • The Storyteller: Greek Myths(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Hades

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • 30 Door Key (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Prof. Pimco

  • In My Defence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Sir Roger Casement

  • The Pope Must Diet(1991)

    as Camarlengo

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Sir Ensor Doone

  • The Bonfire of the Vanities(1990)

    as Sir Gerald Moore

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Azariah Dobree

  • Wings of Fame(1990)

    as Merrick

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Henry V(1989)

    as Auncient Pistol

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • War and Remembrance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 3 episodes · as Karl Rahm

  • The Fruit Machine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Vincent

  • Testimony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Vsevolod Meyerhold

  • Ada in the Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Lord Gordon

  • American Roulette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Empire of the Sun(1987)

    as Mr. Lockwood

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Fortunes of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 3 episodes · as Bill Castlebar

  • High Season(1987)

    as Konstantinis

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Comrades(1986)

    as James Frampton

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Lizzie's Pictures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 4 episodes · Actor

  • Inspector Morse(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Sir Wilfred Mulryne

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Unnatural Causes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Vince

  • Hell's Bells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 6 episodes · as Bishop Godfrey Hethercote

  • The Mysteries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 3 episodes · as Pontius Pilate / Herod

  • The Box of Delights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 6 episodes · as Abner Brown

  • Puccini (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Giacomo Puccini

  • Ill Fares the Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • By the Sword Divided (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sir Ralph Winter

  • Birth of a Nation(1983)

    as Vic Griffiths

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Tales Out of School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · as Vic Griffiths

  • Anyone for Denis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Schubert

  • Anyone for Denis? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Schubert

  • The Year of the French (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 6 episodes · as George Moore

  • The Tractor Factor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Actor

  • Celebrity Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · as Charles Appleby

  • The Games of Countess Dolingen(1981)

    as Le professeur

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Search for Alexander the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 4 episodes · as Darius of Persia

  • The Winter's Tale(1981)

    as Polixenes

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Lady Killers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 1 episode · as Sir Edward Marshall Hall, K.C.

  • The Executioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Beust

  • A Question of Guilt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 8 episodes · as Edward Clarke QC

  • Hesther for Example (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Warburton

  • Minder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Percy

  • One Fine Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Welby

  • The Shout(1978)

    as Chief Medical Officer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Holocaust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 4 episodes · as Uncle Kurt Dorf

  • At Night All Cats Are Crazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Charles Watson

  • The Duellists(1977)

    as Brigadier-General Treillard

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • QB VII (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 2 episodes · as Robert Highsmith

  • Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Warburton

  • Luther(1974)

    as Johann von Eck

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Vienna 1900 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Travels with My Aunt(1972)

    as Ercole Visconti

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Asphyx(1972)

    as Sir Hugo Cunningham

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Oberon

  • The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Max Carrados

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes(1970)

    as Sherlock Holmes

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Julius Caesar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Mark Antony

  • The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie(1969)

    as Teddy Lloyd

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Horizontal Hold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as James Woodley

  • Romeo and Juliet(1968)

    as the Prince

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • ITV Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Bryan Baker · as James Woodley · as The Duke of Bristol

  • Much Ado About Nothing(1967)

    Associate Producer · as Benedick

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ten Days That Shook the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Lenin

  • NET Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Mark Anthony

  • Morgan!(1966)

    as Charles Napier

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • BBC Play of the Month (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Grigory Rasputin · as Mark Antony · as Oberon · as Prince of Wales · as Trigorin

  • Theatre 625 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Boris Trigorin · as Stephen

  • Channing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Paddy Riordan

  • Cleopatra(1963)

    as Germanicus

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Small World of Sammy Lee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Gerry Sullivan

  • The Inspector (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Dickens

  • Lunch Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Man

  • The Queen's Guards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • A Taste of Honey(1961)

    as Peter Smith

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Pirates of Tortuga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Henri Morgan

  • Circle of Deception (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Capt. Stein

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 86 titles from 1960 to 1995; peak year 1969.

Biggest box office

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

$7.3M worldwide

Highest rated

The Duellists (1977)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Film career

19601995

Peak 1969 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting86 of 86: 85 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thProducing1 of 86: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1960s20 · 20 acting · 1 crew1970s15 · acting1980s33 · acting1990s18 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 6% of 17 roles
6171

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Robert Stephens' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 25; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor, producer

Much Ado About Nothing (1967)

82nd percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Empire of the Sun (1987)

Midcredits 96th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Robert Stephens' work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles6–50 · median 25 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles17–55 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles9–28 · median 18 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles22–42 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles13–42 · median 18 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Robert Stephens work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Stephens' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Shakespeare shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers