Stephen Frears

Directing

Stephen Frears

Born June 20, 1941Leicester, England, UK115 credits

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.

Known For

Innes Lloyd: The Producer
8.0

Innes Lloyd: The Producer

Movie

2025

Brian and Maggie
7.2

Brian and Maggie

TV

2025

Alec Guinness: A Class Act
6.0

Alec Guinness: A Class Act

Movie

2024

The Regime
6.1

The Regime

TV

2024

A Look Through His Lens

Movie

2024

The Rise of the Comic Strip

The Rise of the Comic Strip

Movie

2023

Filmography

Innes Lloyd: The Producer
2025Innes Lloyd: The Produceras Self (archive footage)Movie
Brian and Maggie
2025Brian and MaggieDirectorTV
Alec Guinness: A Class Act
2024Alec Guinness: A Class Actas selfMovie
The Regime
2024The RegimeExecutive ProducerTV
A
2024A Look Through His Lensas SelfMovie
The Rise of the Comic Strip
2023The Rise of the Comic Stripas SelfMovie
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel
2022Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebelas SelfMovie
The Lost King
2022The Lost KingDirectorMovie
Reel Britannia
2022Reel Britanniaas SelfTV
Back to Barrytown
2021Back to Barrytownas SelfTV
In The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplat
2020In The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplatas SelfMovie
Quiz
2020QuizExecutive ProducerTV
R
2019Revisiting The Man in the White SuitMovie
The Loudest Voice
2019The Loudest VoiceDirectorTV
Memories of Lindsay Anderson
2019Memories of Lindsay Andersonas SelfMovie
State of the Union
2019State of the UnionExecutive ProducerTV
Who Killed British Cinema?
2018Who Killed British Cinema?as SelfMovie
Seduction. Betrayal. Murder: The Making of The Grifters
2018Seduction. Betrayal. Murder: The Making of The GriftersMovie
A Very English Scandal
2018A Very English ScandalDirectorTV
Victoria & Abdul
2017Victoria & AbdulDirectorMovie
I
2017Il était une fois... « The Queen »as SelfMovie
She's French
2017She's FrenchMovie
Alan Clarke: Out of His Own Light
2016Alan Clarke: Out of His Own Lightas SelfMovie
Florence Foster Jenkins
2016Florence Foster JenkinsDirectorMovie
The Program
2015The ProgramDirectorMovie
Reflecting on My Beautiful Laundrette: A Conversation between Stephen Frears and Colin MacCabe
2015Reflecting on My Beautiful Laundrette: A Conversation between Stephen Frears and Colin MacCabeMovie
French Cinema Mon Amour
2015French Cinema Mon Amouras SelfMovie
Henri Langlois vu par...
2014Henri Langlois vu par...as SelfMovie
Night Will Fall
2014Night Will FallExecutive ProducerMovie
Philomena
2013PhilomenaDirectorMovie
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
2013Muhammad Ali's Greatest FightDirectorMovie
30 Years of Comic Strip
201230 Years of Comic StripMovie
Lay the Favorite
2012Lay the FavoriteDirectorMovie
M
2012My Friend Sam: Living for the MomentMovie
Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood
2011Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywoodas SelfMovie
Tamara Drewe
2010Tamara DreweDirectorMovie
Heavy Rain
2010Heavy Rainas HimselfMovie
Once Upon a Time... 'Notorious'
2009Once Upon a Time... 'Notorious'as SelfMovie
Jean Charles
2009Jean CharlesExecutive ProducerMovie
Great Directors
2009Great Directorsas SelfMovie
Chéri
2009Chérias Narrator (voice) (uncredited)Movie
Here’s Looking at You, Boy
2007Here’s Looking at You, Boyas SelfMovie
T
2007The Making of 'The Queen'as SelfMovie
The Queen
2006The QueenDirectorMovie
Great British Menu
2006Great British Menuas Self - Guest JudgeTV
Le court des grands
2005Le court des grandsDirectorMovie
Mrs. Henderson Presents
2005Mrs. Henderson PresentsDirectorMovie
Michael Powell
2005Michael PowellMovie
Kulturplatz
2004Kulturplatzas SelfTV
Cast & Crew: If....
2004Cast & Crew: If....as Self - IntervieweeMovie
The Route V50
2004The Route V50DirectorMovie
100 Greatest Sexy Moments
2003100 Greatest Sexy Momentsas SelfMovie
The Deal
2003The DealDirectorMovie
Forever Ealing
2002Forever Ealingas SelfMovie
Dirty Pretty Things
2002Dirty Pretty ThingsDirectorMovie
R
2002Robert Altman in Englandas HimselfMovie
All About Desire: The Passionate Cinema of Pedro Almodovar
2001All About Desire: The Passionate Cinema of Pedro Almodovaras NarratorMovie
Liam
2001LiamDirectorMovie
Alan Clarke: His Own Man
2000Alan Clarke: His Own Manas SelfMovie
Fail Safe
2000Fail SafeDirectorMovie
High Fidelity
2000High FidelityDirectorMovie
The Hi-Lo Country
1998The Hi-Lo CountryDirectorMovie
Beyond Fear
1997Beyond FearExecutive ProducerMovie
H
1997Howard Hawks: American Artistas NarratorMovie
The Van
1996The VanDirectorMovie
Mary Reilly
1996Mary ReillyDirectorMovie
Typically British: A Personal History of British Cinema
1995Typically British: A Personal History of British CinemaMovie
Hollywood U.K.: British Cinema in the Sixties
1993Hollywood U.K.: British Cinema in the Sixtiesas SelfTV
The Snapper
1993The SnapperDirectorMovie
Hero
1992HeroDirectorMovie
Director: Alan Clarke
1991Director: Alan ClarkeMovie
The Grifters
1990The GriftersDirectorMovie
Dangerous Liaisons
1988Dangerous LiaisonsDirectorMovie
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
1988Mr Jolly Lives Next DoorDirectorMovie
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid
1987Sammy and Rosie Get LaidDirectorMovie
Prick Up Your Ears
1987Prick Up Your EarsDirectorMovie
H
1986Hooray For Holyroodas SelfMovie
Song of Experience
1986Song of ExperienceDirectorMovie
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
1986Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)DirectorMovie
Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman
1985Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameramanas SelfMovie
My Beautiful Laundrette
1985My Beautiful LaundretteDirectorMovie
December Flower
1984December FlowerDirectorMovie
The Bullshitters: Roll Out the Gunbarrel
1984The Bullshitters: Roll Out the GunbarrelDirectorMovie
The Hit
1984The HitDirectorMovie
Saigon: Year of the Cat
1983Saigon: Year of the CatDirectorMovie
Walter and June
1983Walter and JuneDirectorMovie
Walter
1982WalterDirectorMovie
The Comic Strip Presents...
1982The Comic Strip Presents...DirectorTV
Going Gently
1981Going GentlyDirectorMovie
Bloody Kids
1980Bloody KidsDirectorMovie
Long Distance Information
1979Long Distance InformationDirectorMovie
One Fine Day
1979One Fine DayDirectorMovie
Afternoon Off
1979Afternoon OffDirectorMovie
Doris and Doreen
1978Doris and DoreenDirectorMovie
Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf
1978Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia WoolfDirectorMovie
Long Shot
1978Long Shotas Biscuit ManMovie
C
1978Cold HarbourDirectorMovie
A Visit from Miss Prothero
1978A Visit from Miss ProtheroDirectorMovie
Black Christmas
1977Black ChristmasDirectorMovie
Able's Will
1977Able's WillDirectorMovie
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977BBC2 Play of the WeekDirectorTV
Last Summer
1977Last SummerDirectorMovie
Play Things
1976Play ThingsDirectorMovie
Early Struggles
1976Early StrugglesDirectorMovie
Three Men in a Boat
1975Three Men in a BoatDirectorMovie
Sunset Across the Bay
1975Sunset Across the BayDirectorMovie
Match of the Day
1974Match of the DayDirectorMovie
Playhouse
1974PlayhouseDirectorTV
A Day Out
1972A Day OutDirectorMovie
Gumshoe
1971GumshoeDirectorMovie
Follyfoot
1971FollyfootDirectorTV
I
1971Incidentas ManMovie
Play for Today
1970Play for TodayDirectorTV
The Burning
1968The BurningDirectorMovie
Wilder & Me
—Wilder & MeDirectorMovie