- Known For
- Directing
- Born
- June 20, 1941
- Place of Birth
- Leicester, England, UK
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is an English director and producer. He has directed numerous acclaimed films since the early 1980s, including My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Grifters (1990), High Fidelity (2000), The Queen (2006), Philomena (2013), Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), and Victoria & Abdul (2017). He has received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director. Frears is also known for his work on various television programs, including Fail Safe (2000), The Deal (2003), Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013), A Very English Scandal (2018), State of the Union (2019), and Quiz (2020). He has received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, with one win. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph named Frears among the 100 most influential people in British culture.
Filmography
Angela Allen: The Woman Who Saw Everything
movieAngela Allen: The Woman Who Saw Everything
2026
movieInnes Lloyd: The Producer
2025 · Self (archive footage)
movieBrian and Maggie
2025 · Director
tvBrian and Maggie
2025 · Director, Executive Producer
tvBrian and Maggie
2025 · Director
movieAlec Guinness: A Class Act
2024 · self
tvThe Regime
2024 · Executive Producer, Director
A Look Through His Lens
movieA Look Through His Lens
2024 · Self
movieThe Rise of the Comic Strip
2023 · Self
movieHans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel
2022 · Self
movieThe Lost King
2022 · Director
tvReel Britannia
2022 · Self
movieShort Cuts: Dangerous Liaisons
2021 · Original Film Writer
tvBack to Barrytown
2021 · Self
movieIn The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplat
2020 · Self
tvQuiz
2020 · Executive Producer, Director
Revisiting The Man in the White Suit
movieRevisiting The Man in the White Suit
2019
tvThe Loudest Voice
2019 · Director
movieMemories of Lindsay Anderson
2019 · Self
tvState of the Union
2019 · Executive Producer, Director
movieWho Killed British Cinema?
2018 · Self
movieSeduction. Betrayal. Murder: The Making of The Grifters
2018
tvA Very English Scandal
2018 · Director, Executive Producer
movieShe's French
2018
movieVictoria & Abdul
2017 · Director
Il était une fois... « The Queen »
movieIl était une fois... « The Queen »
2017 · Self
movieAlan Clarke: Out of His Own Light
2016 · Self
movieFlorence Foster Jenkins
2016 · Writer, Director
movieThe Program
2015 · Director
movieReflecting on My Beautiful Laundrette: A Conversation between Stephen Frears and Colin MacCabe
2015
movieFrench Cinema Mon Amour
2015 · Self
movieHenri Langlois vu par...
2014 · Self, Director
movieNight Will Fall
2014 · Executive Producer
moviePhilomena
2013 · Director
movieMuhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
2013 · Director
movie30 Years of Comic Strip
2012
movieLay the Favorite
2012 · Director
My Friend Sam: Living for the Moment
movieMy Friend Sam: Living for the Moment
2012
movieHans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood
2011 · Self
movieTamara Drewe
2010 · Director
movieHeavy Rain
2010 · Himself
movieOnce Upon a Time... 'Notorious'
2009 · Self
movieJean Charles
2009 · Executive Producer
movieGreat Directors
2009 · Self
movieChéri
2009 · Narrator (voice) (uncredited), Director
movieHere’s Looking at You, Boy
2007 · Self
The Making of 'The Queen'
movieThe Making of 'The Queen'
2007 · Self
movieThe Queen
2006 · Director
tvGreat British Menu
2006 · Self - Guest Judge
movieLe court des grands
2005 · Director
movieMrs. Henderson Presents
2005 · Director
movieEletrodoméstica
2005 · Thanks
movieMichael Powell
2005
Lindsay Anderson: Lucky Man?
movieLindsay Anderson: Lucky Man?
2004 · Self (Archival)
tvKulturplatz
2004 · Self
movieCast & Crew: If....
2004 · Self - Interviewee
movieThe Route V50
2004 · Director
movie100 Greatest Sexy Moments
2003 · Self
movieThe Deal
2003 · Director
movieForever Ealing
2002 · Self
movieDirty Pretty Things
2002 · Director
Robert Altman in England
movieRobert Altman in England
2002 · Self
movieAll About Desire: The Passionate Cinema of Pedro Almodovar
2001 · Narrator
movieLiam
2001 · Director
movieAlan Clarke: His Own Man
2000 · Self
movieFail Safe
2000 · Director
movieHigh Fidelity
2000 · Director
movieThe Hi-Lo Country
1998 · Director
movieBeyond Fear
1997 · Executive Producer
Howard Hawks: American Artist
movieHoward Hawks: American Artist
1997 · Narrator
movieThe Van
1996 · Director
movieMary Reilly
1996 · Director
movieTypically British: A Personal History of British Cinema
1995 · , Director
tvHollywood U.K.: British Cinema in the Sixties
1993 · Self
movieThe Snapper
1993 · Director
movieHero
1992 · Director
movieDirector: Alan Clarke
1991
movieThe Grifters
1990 · Director
movieDangerous Liaisons
1988 · Director
movieMr Jolly Lives Next Door
1988 · Director
movieSammy and Rosie Get Laid
1987 · Director
moviePrick Up Your Ears
1987 · Director
Hooray For Holyrood
movieHooray For Holyrood
1986 · Self
movieSong of Experience
1986 · Director
movieConsuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
1986 · Director of Photography
movieShooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman
1985 · Self
movieMy Beautiful Laundrette
1985 · Director
tvScreen Two
1985 · Director
movieDecember Flower
1984 · Director
movieThe Bullshitters: Roll Out the Gunbarrel
1984 · Director
movieThe Hit
1984 · Director
movieSaigon: Year of the Cat
1983 · Director
movieWalter and June
1983 · Director
movieWalter
1982 · Director
tvThe Comic Strip Presents...
1982 · Director
The Tractor Factor
movieThe Tractor Factor
1982 · Director
movieGoing Gently
1981 · Director
movieBloody Kids
1980 · Director
movieLong Distance Information
1979 · Director
movieOne Fine Day
1979 · Director, Producer
movieAfternoon Off
1979 · Director, Producer
movieDoris and Doreen
1978 · Producer, Director
movieMe! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf
1978 · Director
movieLong Shot
1978 · Biscuit Man
Cold Harbour
movieCold Harbour
1978 · Director
movieA Visit from Miss Prothero
1978 · Director
movieBlack Christmas
1977 · Director
movieAble's Will
1977 · Director
tvBBC2 Play of the Week
1977 · Director
movieLast Summer
1977 · Producer, Director
moviePlay Things
1976 · Director
movieEarly Struggles
1976 · Director
movieThree Men in a Boat
1975 · Director
movieSunset Across the Bay
1975 · Director
movieMatch of the Day
1974 · Director
tvPlayhouse
1974 · Director
Second City Firsts
tvSecond City Firsts
1973 · Director
movieA Day Out
1972 · Director
Full House
tvFull House
1972 · Director
movieGumshoe
1971 · Director
tvFollyfoot
1971 · Director
Incident
movieIncident
1971 · Man
tvPlay for Today
1970 · Director
tvParkin's Patch
1969 · Director
Tom Grattan's War
tvTom Grattan's War
1968 · Director
movieThe Burning
1968 · Director
tvOmnibus
1967
tvITV Playhouse
1967 · Director
movieMorgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment
1966 · Assistant Director
movieWilder & Me
— · Director