Stephen Greif
Stephen John Greif is an English actor known for his roles as Travis in Blake's 7, Harry Fenning in three series of Citizen Smith, Signor Donato in Casanova and Commander John Shepherd in Shoot on Sight.
Early life
Greif was born in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England, in a building originally belonging to Anne Boleyn as a gift from King Henry VIII.He was educated at Sloane Grammar School, where he was school champion at athletics and swimming and represented the school and the county at athletics at the White City Stadium amongst others. He briefly attended the Regent Street Polytechnic before entering a variety of jobs including trouble shooter at a TV and radiogram manufacturer and as a negotiator in a boutique West End estate agency before applying for drama school.
Career
Grief is an honours graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won numerous awards including Best Actor and Most Promising Actor, and is now an Associate Member and serves on the audition panel. He was a member of the National Theatre Company both at the Old Vic in Olivier's company and on the South Bank for Peter Hall's company. Among his productions were Danton's Death, A Woman Killed with Kindness, The Merchant of Venice, Long Days Journey into Night, The School for Scandal, Richard II, The Front Page and Macbeth.Grief was invited back to appear with them at Queen's Theatre in the West End in the Italian Comedy Saturday, Sunday, Monday, directed by Franco Zeffirelli and Laurence Olivier, where he won a Best Actor nomination in the Critics' Circle Theatre Award. Later, he was invited to join the National again on the South Bank under Peter Hall in the revival of Death of a Salesman, directed by Michael Rudman and with Warren Mitchell winning himself another Best Actor Nomination in the Olivier Awards. Grief was back again at the invitation of Nicholas Hytner to join his inaugural season appearing in His Girl Friday, Edmund and the Christmas production His Dark Materials. He acted alongside Elaine Stritch in The Gingerbread Lady, Denholm Elliott in The Paranormalist, Frank Langella in Abracadaver, Albert Finney in Ronald Harwood's Reflected Glory, Felicity Kendal and Frances de la Tour in Fallen Angels, Joseph Fiennes in George Dillon and Lesley Manville in Six Degrees of Separation.
Greif has been in many films including Risen, Woman in Gold, Bill, D is for Detroit, Lasse Hallström's Casanova, Shoot on Sight, Eichmann, Spartan, The Upside of Anger, Boogie Woogie and Fakers. His many television appearances include Only When I Laugh, Howard’s Way, Spooks, Mistresses, He Kills Coppers, Silent Witness, the last story of Waking the Dead and New Tricks.
He reprised his Blake's 7 role of Travis in two new audio stories for Big Finish Productions. He voiced Raymond Maarloeve in the video game The Witcher.
Personal life
Greif has three children, enjoys golf and is a member of the Stage Golfing Society.He lives near Richmond in London.
Acting roles
Dates, Shows and Roles2015 | - | - |
Film | Risen | Caiaphus |
2014 | - | - |
Film | Woman in Gold | Bergen |
2013 | - | - |
TV | D is for Detroit | Greg |
TV | New Tricks | Peter Russell |
VG | Puppeteer | Narrator |
2012 | - | - |
TV | Coronation Street | Ron Dent |
TV | Silent Witness | Gordon Cairns |
2011 | - | - |
TV | Waking The Dead | Bill Knight |
2010 | - | - |
VG | Xenoblade Chronicles | Zanza / Arglas |
2009 | - | - |
VG | Venetica | Various |
F | Boogie Woogie | Bob's Lawyer |
VG | Anno 1404 | Lord Richard Northburgh |
TV | Mistresses | Alexander |
TV | The Cold Way | Narrator |
2008 | - | - |
TV | Spooks | Claude Denizet |
VG | Fable II | Barnum |
TV | He Kills Coppers | The Proprietor |
VG | Momento Mori | Various |
2007 | - | - |
F | Shoot on Sight | Commander John Shepherd |
VG | The Witcher | Raymond Maarloeve |
F | Eichmann | Hans Lipmann |
VG | Doragon | Sir Dick Worthington |
TV | Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest | Gurney |
TV | Back in Business | Leonidov |
2006 | - | - |
VG | Medieval II Total War | Various |
F | Sixty Six | Uncle Henry |
TV | Judge John Deed | Lorne Michaels |
2005 | - | - |
TV | Space Race | Colonel Toftoy / Toftoy |
TV | Holby City | Rabbi Ben Silver |
F | Casanova | Donato |
F | The Upside of Anger | Emily's Doctor |
2004 | - | - |
VG | Dragon Quest: Cursed King | Voices / Additional Voices |
F | Fakers | Alfonse Potrelli |
F | Spartan | Business Man |
2002 | - | - |
TV | Shackleton | Valiente |
VG | Medieval: Total War | General Kihoto |
1993–1998 | - | - |
TV | The Bill | A.C. Lampriere / Neville Juke |
1998 | - | - |
TV | Killer Net | Harvey Levin |
1997 | - | - |
TV | Crime Traveller | Leonard Gebler |
1996 | - | - |
TV | EastEnders | Brian Lassiter |
1995 | - | - |
TV | Castles | Adam Robins |
TV | Space Precinct | Eric Volker |
TV | Stick with Me, Kid | Gordon Lundey |
1994 | - | - |
TV | Midnight Movie | Johnny |
TV | Lie Down With Lions | Grigor |
1992–1994 | - | - |
TV | The House of Eliott | Abraham Barak |
1993 | - | - |
TV | Comics | Tony Fratelli |
TV | The Upper Hand | Jason McCloud |
TV | Drop the Dead Donkey | Valdez |
1991–1992 | - | - |
TV | Trainer | Stavros Mikhalides |
1992 | - | - |
TV | Dark Justice | Tony Hastings |
F | Leon the Pig Farmer | Doctor |
1990 | - | - |
TV | Birds of a Feather | Marcus Green |
TV | Rab C. Nesbitt | DI Sergeant |
TV | The Gravy Train | Rudolph |
TV | Zorro | Torres |
TV | Face To Face | Grant Ross |
1989 | - | - |
TV | About Face | Neville |
TV | Young Gifted and Broke | Colegate |
TV | Chelworth | Tony Evrington |
TV | Laura and Disorder | Jim Lipthorpe |
TV | Ticket To Ride | Capt. Szigismund |
1988 | - | - |
TV | Bust | John Evans |
TV | Howards' Way | John Reddings |
1987 | - | - |
TV | Pretorius | Vaneck |
TV | C.A.T.S. Eyes | Jack Brand |
TV | Boon | Lomas |
TV | Rumpole of the Bailey | Vanberry |
1986 | - | - |
TV | The Life and Loves of a She-Devil | Dr Ghengis |
TV | Love with a Perfect Stranger | Andrea |
TV | Auf Wiedersehen, Pet | Prince Stefano |
1985 | - | - |
TV | One By One | Richard Neville |
1984 | - | - |
TV | Dempsey and Makepeace | Bernie Silk |
TV | Ellis Island | Jesse Lasky |
TV | Cold Warrior | Dr Mohammed Riffi |
TV | Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense | Clifford Richardson |
TV | The Last Days of Pompeii | Sporus |
1983 | - | - |
TV | Hart To Hart | Anthony Vlachos |
TV | Tales of the Unexpected | Rinaldo |
TV | The Cleopatras | Demetrius |
1982 | - | - |
TV | The Professionals | Dr Lowe |
TV | The Bounder | Count Montefiore |
TV | Play For Tomorrow | Shapiro |
TV | Minder | Spencer |
1981 | - | - |
TV | Goodbye Darling | Victor |
1980 | - | - |
TV | Cry Wolf | Professor Ion Porphiriou |
1979 | - | - |
TV | Only When I Laugh | Nicos |
1977–1979 | - | - |
TV | Citizen Smith | Harry Fenning |
1979 | - | - |
TV | Kids | David Newman |
TV | Dick Turpin | Major Walther Von Gerhardt |
TV | Thomas & Sarah | Pocock |
F | The Great Riviera Bank Robbery | Rocco |
1978 | - | - |
TV | Famous Five | Pottersham |
TV | The Sandbaggers | DI Gomez |
TV | Return of the Saint | Masrouf |
TV | Blake's 7 | Space Commander Travis |
TV | Armchair Thriller | Juan |
1977 | - | - |
TV | Treasure Island | Job Anderson |
TV | Target | Duroy |
TV | Spaghetti Two-Step | Luigi |
1976 | - | - |
TV | The New Avengers | Juventor |
1975–1976 | - | - |
TV | Play for Today | Gerry Joe Marks |
1976 | - | - |
TV | Killers | Stinie Morrison |
1975–1976 | - | - |
TV | Thriller Thriller | Ben Kroom / Enrico |
1974–1976 | - | - |
TV | Dixon of Dock Green | DCI. Basset / Charles Negri / Tony |
1974 | - | - |
TV | The Aweful Mr Goodall | Doctor |
TV | A Little Bit of Wisdom | Jacques |
1970–1974 | - | - |
TV | Special Branch | Finch / Mikhali Joanides |
1974 | - | - |
TV | Intimate Strangers | Doctor |
F | Soft Beds, Hard Battles | Colonel Hiller |
1973 | - | - |
TV | The Protectors | Policeman at Cafe |
TV | The Merchant of Venice | Prince of Morocco |
F | No Sex Please, We're British | Niko |
1971 | - | - |
TV | The Persuaders! | Krilov |
F | Nicholas and Alexandra | Martov |
TV | Eyeless in Gaza | Young Englishman |
TV | The Tragedy of King Richard II | Mowbray / Glendower |
1970 | - | - |
TV | Edward II | Earl of Pembroke |
1968 | - | - |
TV | Boy Meets Girl | Lounge Lizard |
Theatre
Date/Venue | Show | Role/Director |
2012 | - | - |
Globe Theatre, Bankside | Prince of West End Lane, Kerry Shale | Role: Otto / Dir: Matthew Lloyd |
2011 | - | - |
Royal Shakespeare Theatre | Maydays, David Edgar | Role: Teddy Weiner / Dir: Polly Findlay |
2010 | - | - |
The Old Vic | Six Degrees of Separation, John Guare | Role: Dr Fine / Dir: David Grindley |
2006 | - | - |
Comedy Theatre | George Dillon, John Osborne | Role: Barney Evans /Dir: Peter Gill |
2003/2004 | - | - |
National Theatre | His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman | Roles: The President and John Faa / Dir: Nick Hytner |
National Theatre | Edmund, David Mamet | Roles: The Interrogator and Hotel Clerk / Dir: Edward Hall |
National Theatre | His Girl Friday, John Guare | Role: Louis / Dir: Jack O’Brien |
2002 | - | - |
Hampstead Theatre | Benchmark, Bud Shrake & M Rudman | Role: Ginsberg / Dir: Michael Rudman |
2000/2001 | - | - |
Apollo Theatre | Fallen Angels, Noël Coward | Role: Maurice / Dir: Michael Rudman |
1999 | - | - |
Hampstead Theatre | Immaculate, Carl Djerassi | Role: Menachem / Dir: Gordy Greenberg |
1994 | - | - |
Vaudeville Theatre | Reflected Glory, Ronald Harewood | Role: Robert / Dir: Elija Moshinsky |
1992 | - | - |
Almeida Theatre | The Life of the World To Come, Rob Williams | Role: Don Strohmeyer / Dir: Derek Wax |
1990 | - | - |
Wyndham's Theatre / Theatre Royal Windsor | Abracadaver, Allan Scott & David Ambrose | Role: Chief Insp Scott / Dir: Richard Olivier |
1985 | - | - |
Theatre Royal Windsor/ Old Vic | A View from the Bridge, Arthur Miller | Role: Marco / Dir: Peter Coe |
1982 | - | - |
Greenwich Theatre | The Paranormalist, Jonathan Gems | Role: Cedric / Dir: Alan Strachan |
1979/1980 | - | - |
The National Theatre | Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller | Role: Biff (Nom. Best Supporting Actor – Olivier Awards / Dir: Michael Rudman |
1976 | - | - |
Derby Playhouse | View from The Bridge, Arthur Miller | Role: Eddie Carbone / Dir: Patrick Lau |
1974/1975 | - | - |
National Theatre at the Queen's Theatre | Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Eduardo De Fillipo | Role: Luigi / Nom. Best Supporting Actor – Critics' Circle Theatre Award / Dir: Franco Zeffirelli, Laurence Olivier |
Theatre Royal Windsor | The Gingerbread Lady, Neil Simon | Role: Lou |
1971/1973 | - | - |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare | Role: Prince of Morocco / Dir: Jonathan Miller |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | A Woman Killed with Kindness, Thomas Heywood | Role: Sir Francis Acton / Dir: John Dexter |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | The Front Page, Hecht & Macarthur | Role: Diamond Louis / Dir: Michael Blakemore |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | The School For Scandal, Sheridan | Role: Moses / Dir: Jonathan Miller |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | Long Day's Journey into Night, Eugene O'Neill | Role: Edmund / Dir: Michael Blakemore |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | Richard II, William Shakespeare | Role: Willoughby, Dir: David William |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | Macbeth, William Shakespeare | Role: Caithness / Dir: Michael Blakemore |
National Theatre at the Old Vic | Danton's Death, Georg Büchner | Role: Bertrand / Dir: Jonathan Miller |
1970 | - | - |
Forum Theatre | Henry IV, Part 1, William Shakespeare | Role: Hotspur / Dir. Brian Shelton |
1969/1970 | - | - |
Piccadilly Theatre | Richard II, William Shakespeare | Role: Mowbray / Dir: Richard Cotterel |
Mermaid Theatre | Edward II, Christopher Marlowe | Role: Pembroke / Dir: Toby Robertson |
1968/1969 | - | - |
Royal Shakespeare Company | King Lear, William Shakespeare | Role: Edmund’s Captain / Dir: Trevor Nunn |
Royal Shakespeare Co & North American Tour | Dr Faustus, Christopher Marlowe | Role: Valdes, Wrath / Dir: Clifford Williams |
Royal Shakespeare Co & North American Tour | Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare | Role: Soldier / Dir: Trevor Nunn |
Royal Shakespeare Co & North American Tour | As You Like It, William Shakespeare | Role: Forester / Dir: David Jones |
Royal Shakespeare Co & North American Tour | The Duchess of Malfi, John Webster | Role: Antonio / Dir: Christie Dickason |
Royal Shakespeare Company | Troilus & Cressida, William Shakespeare | Role: Prologue / Dir: John Barton |
Radio and Talking Books
Date/Venue | Name | Role |
2013 | - | - |
BBC R4 | The Letters of JKF | Krushchev |
BBC R4 | Second Body | Jacobin |
BBC R4 | Austerlitz | Narrator |
2011 | - | - |
BBC R4 | Life & Death, Vasily Grossman | Karimov |
BBC R4 Extra | The Man in Black, Mathew Collins | Mr Rubinstein |
BBC R4 | Small Acts of Kindness, Trevor Preston | Charlie |
2010 | - | - |
BBC R4 | Harry and the Angels, Bernard Kops | Harry |
BBC R4 | The Art of Deception, Philip Palmer | Stefan Hunt |
USA Radio | Charlie's Choice | Sir Philip |
2009 | - | - |
BBC R4 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John Le Carre | Polyakov |
BBC R4 | The Grand Babylon Hotel, Arnold Bennett | Felix Babylon |
USA Radio | The Captive | Kanye |
2008 | - | - |
BBC R4 | The Babbington Plot, Michael Butt | Narrator |
BBC R4 | Peter Lorre V Peter Lorre, Michael Butt | Peter Lorre |
BBC R4 | Beat the Dog in His Own Kennel, Gary Brown | Avi |
BBC Wales | Blake's 7 Interview | Himself as Travis |
BBC R3 | The Devil was Here Yesterday, Colin Teevan | Hector |
2007 | - | - |
BBC R4 | Take Away, Gary Brown | Narrator |
BBC R4 Classic Serial | Witness, Nick Warburton | John The Baptist |
BBC R4 Classic Serial | Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernières | Dr Iannis |
BBC R4 | The Iceman, Simon Bovey | Supt. Malpacket |
BBC R4 Classic Serial | Down and Out in Paris and London, George Orwell | Boris |
BBC R4 | Hooligan Nights, Mike Walker | PC91 |
2006 | - | - |
BBC R4 | Speed and Silver, Catherine Bailey | Ch. Insp. Collinson |
Pre 2006 | - | - |
BBC R4 | The Nine Tailors, DL Sayers | Nobby Cranton |
BBC R4 | Call for the Dead, John Le Carre | Dieter Frey |
BBC R2 | Hinge & Bracket, Gerald Frow | Roberto |
BBC R4 | Brogue Male | Count Laszlo Stroganoff |
Talking Books | - | - |
AudioGo | "The Tractate Middoth", M R James | Narrator |
AudioGo | Dr Palfrey of Westminster, John Creasey | Narrator |
AudioGo | The Siege of the Villa Lipp, Eric Ambler | Narrator |
The Story Circle Random House | His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman | Metatron |
Isis | He Kills Coppers, Jake Arnott | Narrator |
Isis | In a True Light, John Harvey | Narrator |
Isis | Seeking Robinson Crusoe, Tim Severin | Narrator |
Isis | The Lowlife, Alexander Baron | Narrator |
Isis | The Sergeant's Tale, Bernice Rubens | Narrator |
BBC Audio | The Match King, Frank Partnoy | Narrator |
BBC Audio | Bad Dog and all that Hollywood Hoo Haa, Martin Chatterton | Narrator |
BBC Audio | The Boy with the Magic Numbers, Sally Gardner | Narrator |
BBC Audio | The Pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman | Narrator |
BBC Audio | The Darkness of Wallis Simpson, Rose Tremain | Narrator |