| Stephen Greif | |
| Birth Name: | Stephen John Greif |
| Birth Date: | 1944 8, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1968–2022 |
| Children: | 2 |
Stephen John Greif (; 26 August 1944 – 23 December 2022) was 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.
Greif was born in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England, in a building originally belonging to Anne Boleyn as a gift from King Henry VIII. Greif was the son of Pauline (née Rubinstein) and Franz Greif. He was of Polish, Russian and Hungarian Jewish descent. He was educated at Sloane Grammar School, where he was school champion in athletics and swimming, and represented the school and the county in athletics at the White City Stadium amongst other venues. He briefly attended the Regent Street Polytechnic before entering a variety of jobs, including troubleshooter at a TV and radiogram manufacturer and as a negotiator in a boutique West End estate agency, before applying for drama school.
Greif was an honours graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won numerous awards including Best Actor and Most Promising Actor, and was an Associate Member and served on the audition panel. He was a member of the National Theatre Company both at the Old Vic in Laurence Olivier's company and on the South Bank for Peter Hall's company. Among the productions he appeared in were Danton's Death, A Woman Killed with Kindness, The Merchant of Venice (with Olivier), Long Day's Journey into Night (again with Olivier), The School for Scandal, Richard II, The Front Page and Macbeth.
Greif 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. He appeared in three plays by his friend Bernard Kops, an East End playwright and poet, at the Jewish Museum, the JW3 and the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate the author's 85th and 90th birthdays.
From 2016 to 2018, together with Fenella Fielding, Greif appeared at Crazy Coqs at Zedel's Brasserie on multiple occasions, and various other venues in David Stuttard's adaptation of drama and comedy from famous ancient Greek literature called Tears, Treachery..and Just a little Murder produced by Simon McKay. The production was revived in 2020/21, with Dame Sian Phillips replacing Fielding, and retitled Savage Beauty, playing again at Crazy Coqs with further shows to come, this time entitled Lovers, Traitors...and bloody Greeks.
Greif appears in many films including Gerry, 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, Thriller (1 episode, 1976), Howard's Way, Spooks, Mistresses, He Kills Coppers, Silent Witness, the last story of Waking the Dead, The Crown, , Doctors and New Tricks.
Greif reprised his Blake's 7 role of Travis from season 1 of the TV series in eleven new audio stories for Big Finish Productions. He voiced Raymond Maarloeve in the video game The Witcher. He voiced and was nominated for best narrator for Sony's PlayStation Video game Puppeteer in addition to many more games and cartoon series including Elliott from Earth for the Cartoon Network.
Greif won the BBC audio books of America award for narrating The Boy with the Magic Numbers by Sally Gardner. He also narrated various documentaries on Channel 5, and in 2021 contributed to and participated in the documentary tribute Alfred Burke is Frank Marker.
Greif enjoyed golf, and was a member and past President of the Stage Golfing Society. He married in 1980; the marriage produced twin sons in 1982. He resided near Richmond in London.
Greif died on 23 December 2022, aged 78.
| Dates | Title | Roles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | |||
| TV | The Crown | Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Bernard Weatherill | |
| 2019 | |||
| TV | Angel of Darkness | Judge | |
| 2018 | |||
| F | Gerry | Royston | |
| 2016 | |||
| TV | Doctors | Ian Tilworth | |
| F | Risen | Caiaphus | |
| 2015 | |||
| F | 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 | 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 |
| 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 (The Harold Pinter) | 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 |
| Date/Venue | Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | |||
| BBC R4 | Keeping The Wolf Out | Sandor Farkas | |
| 2017 | |||
| BBC R4 | The Carter Mysteries | Phil | |
| 2015 | |||
| BBC R4 | Waterloo: The Ball at Brussells | Prince Tallyrand | |
| 2013 | |||
| BBC R4 | The Letters of JKF | Krushchev | |
| BBC R4 | Second Body | Jacobin | |
| BBC R4 | Austerlitz | Narrator | |
| 2011 | |||
| BBC R4 | 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 | 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 | John The Baptist | ||
| BBC R4 Classic Serial | Dr Iannis | ||
| BBC R4 | 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 (1987–92) | Flying The Flag | The American Ambassador | |
| BBC R4 | The Nine Tailors, DL Sayers | Nobby Cranton | |
| BBC R4 | Call for the Dead, John le Carré | Dieter Frey | |
| BBC R2 | Hinge & Bracket, Gerald Frow | Roberto | |
| BBC R4 (1985–1986) | Brogue Male | Count Laszlo Stroganoff | |
| Audiobooks | |||
| AudioGo | "The Tractate Middoth", M R James | Narrator | |
| AudioGo | Dr Palfrey of Westminster (5 books), John Creasey | Narrator | |
| AudioGo | The Siege of the Villa Lipp, Eric Ambler | Narrator | |
| The Story Circle Random House | 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 | Narrator | ||
| BBC Audio | Bad Dog and all that Hollywood Hoo Haa, Martin Chatterton | Narrator | |
| BBC Audio (Won BBC Audio Books USA Earphones Award) | The Boy with the Magic Numbers, Sally Gardner | Narrator | |
| BBC Audio | Narrator | ||
| BBC Audio | Narrator (With Eleanor Bron) |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Navtgr Awards | Best Narrator | Puppeteer | Nominated | |
| 2008 | BBC Audio Books | Best Narrator | Boy with the magic No's | Won | |
| 1979 | Oliver Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Death of Salesman | Nominated | |
| 1975 | Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actor | Sat, Sun, Mon | Nominated |