Sir Robert Stephens; Shakespearean Actor

Sir Robert Stephens, 64, flamboyant actor honored for his work in Shakespearean theater. Formerly married to actress Maggie Smith, Stephens starred with her in the play and the 1969 film version of “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” He also appeared in the films “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes,” “Henry V,” “Empire of the Sun” and “Bonfire of the Vanities.” Born in Bristol, England, the actor made his debut in London in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and first appeared on Broadway in 1958. He was a founder-member of Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre and played Horatio in its opening “Hamlet” in 1963. Absent from the stage in the late 1970s and 1980s, Stephens made a memorable comeback, winning the 1993 Olivier Award as Falstaff in the “Henry IV” plays and earning comparison to Olivier in “King Lear” at Stratford-on-Avon. Stephens was knighted last year. Married four times, he candidly wrote of his many lovers in the recently published autobiography “Knight Errant.” On Sunday in London of liver and kidney problems.