Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears is a British film and television director, producer, and actor, born on 20 June 1941 in Leicester.
He was educated at Gresham's School before going on to study at Trinity College. Those formative years preceded a career that has taken in directing, producing, and acting across both film and television, with English as the language of his work throughout.
Over the course of his career, Frears has received a number of significant honours from the international film community. He was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director, one of the most competitive prizes in European cinema, as well as the Berlinale Camera, a distinction presented at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also received the Goya Awards and was appointed Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, a decoration conferred by the French government in recognition of contributions to the arts. The European Film Academy further honoured him with its Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging the span and substance of his output as a filmmaker.
His work spans both film and television directing, and he has also taken on roles as a film producer and, on occasion, as an actor. That breadth of involvement across different aspects of production reflects the range of his professional activity over the decades. Throughout his career, Frears has worked consistently within the English language, and his output as a director across both the big and small screen represents the core of his professional identity.
Quotes by Stephen Frears
I have to travel for my work, so the idea of getting on planes depresses me. They give me frequent-flyer points, and I think, 'I don't want them, because I'm sick of flying!'
Oh, I live in London. So, whether I like it or not, I am a member of the metropolitan elite. If I were anywhere else in the country, I'd hate me.
Audiences aren't fools - their judgement really is important. And the true heroes of films are the investors. They take the risk, after all.
I can't write; I don't think I'm even particularly good at telling a writer what's good or what's missing. So, actually having someone who can do that is a godsend.
There isn't a route to success. Make a film. If people like it, you'll be okay. There is no route that I know of.
Film schools didn't exist when I was growing up. I learned by working with clever people. Good writers and cinematographers.
I had a somewhat charmed life. I was brought up at the BBC. I did meet so many people cleverer than myself in those years. Often, I was slapped down and made to feel not good enough.
I never expected to become a director. It never occurred to me to come to America, to Hollywood. It's all been a wonderful accident. I'm still amazed every time I finish a film.
