Stephen Fry
Sir Stephen Fry | |
|---|---|
 Fry in 2024 | |
| Born | Stephen John Fry 24 August 1957 Hampstead, London, England |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | Uppingham School |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse |
Elliott Spencer (m. 2015) |
| Website | stephenfry |
Biography
Stephen Fry (born August 24, 1957) is an English actor, writer, comedian, presenter, and activist, widely admired for his intelligence, wit, and versatility. Born in Hampstead, London, and raised in Norfolk, Fry had a troubled youth, including a brief stint in prison for credit card fraud. He later attended Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he joined the renowned Footlights comedy troupe and met longtime collaborator Hugh Laurie.
Fry gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s through his work in sketch comedy, particularly in A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Blackadder. He also starred as the refined valet Jeeves in Jeeves and Wooster. From 2003 to 2016, he hosted the beloved BBC quiz show QI, earning widespread acclaim for his erudition and charm.
His acting career has spanned both comedy and drama, with standout performances in films like Wilde (1997), where he portrayed Oscar Wilde, Gosford Park, Chariots of Fire, and The Hobbit trilogy. As a voice actor, Fry narrated the UK editions of the Harry Potter audiobooks and numerous documentaries.
A prolific writer, Fry has published several novels including The Liar and Making History, as well as autobiographical works such as Moab Is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles, and More Fool Me. He is also known for his deep interest in language and culture, explored in his documentaries Fry’s English Delight and Fry’s Planet Word.
Fry has spoken candidly about his struggles with bipolar disorder and has been a tireless advocate for mental health awareness. He is president of the charity Mind and was knighted in 2025 for his services to mental health, literature, and broadcasting. Married to Elliott Spencer since 2015, Fry remains a beloved and influential figure in British public life.
Music (likes)
Two Paddock's Top Ten Tunes (2017)
- Spanish Flea - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
- Exsultate Jubilate: Alleluja - Cecilia Bartoli
- The Intro and the Outro - The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
- Young and Foolish - Tony Bennett and Bill Evans
- Sunday Morning Coming Down - Johnny Cash
- It Should Have Been Me - Yvonne Fair
- Der Hölle Rache - Lucia Popp
- Fernando - ABBA
- Without You - Harry Nilsson
- The Overture to Tannhäuser - Richard Wagner [1]
BBC's Desert Island Discs (2015)
- The Gigue from Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major - Johann Sebastian Bach / Glenn Gould
- Variations 2 & 3 from Piano Quintet in A - Franz Schubert / Belcea Quartet / Thomas Adès
- Presto – Quartet Op. 131 in C-sharp minor - Ludwig van Beethoven / Guarneri Quartet
- I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free - Nina Simone
- O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe - Richard Wagner / Kirsten Flagstad / Ludwig Suthaus / Philharmonia Orchestra / Wilhelm Furtwängler
- Changes - Hugh Laurie
- Do I Love You? - Ella Fitzgerald
- Barwick Green (The Archers' Theme Tune) - Arthur Wood / New Concert Orchestra / Jay Wilbur [2]
BBC's Desert Island Discs (1988)
- Finch'han dal vino (from Don Giovanni) - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Eberhardt Wächter / The Philharmonia and New Philharmonia Orchestra
- Shirt - The Bonzo Dog Band
- Non più andrai (from The Marriage of Figaro) - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Giuseppe Taddei / The Philharmonia and New Philharmonia Orchestra / Carlo Maria Giulini
- I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra & Count Basie
- Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf
- Magic Fire Music (from Die Walküre) - Richard Wagner / Hans Hotter / Vienna Philharmonia Orchestra / George Solti
- Bella figlia dell'amore (from Rigoletto) - Giuseppe Verdi / Sherrill Milnes / Dame Joan Sutherland / Luciano Pavarotti / Huguette Tourangeau / London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Bonynge
- Liebestod (from Tristan und Isolde) - Richard Wagner / Kirsten Flagstad / The Philharmonia and New Philharmonia Orchestra / Wilhelm Furtwängler [3]
Literature (likes)
Miscellaneous
References
- ↑ "Top Ten Tunes: Stephen Fry" (Interview). Two Paddocks. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Stephen Fry". Desert Island Discs. 21 June 2015. BBC.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Stephen Fry". Desert Island Discs. 27 November 1988. BBC.