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Stephens was born in Bristol , England , and rose to become one of the most respected actors of his generation. By the 1960s he was regarded as the natural successor to Laurence Olivier . He and his third wife, actress Maggie Smith appeared together on stage and in film, notably in the film version of '' The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie '' in (1969). His other films in this period included the starring role in Billy Wilder 's '' The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes '' (1970) and the science fiction film, The Asphyx (1973). However, following his departure from the National Theatre in 1970 and the breakup of his marriage in 1973 he suffered a career slump, not helped by heavy drinking. Although he continued to work on stage and television, it wasn't until the 1990s that he re-established himself at the forefront of his profession, when the Royal Shakespeare Company invited him to play Falstaff in '' Henry IV, Part 1 '' and then the title role in '' King Lear ''. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1993 for Best Actor, for his performance as Sir John Falstaff in ''Henry IV'' for the Royal Shakespeare Company . He was Knighted in 1995. Robert Stephens was also known for providing the voice of Aragorn in the acclaimed 1981 BBC Radio serialisation of '' The Lord Of The Rings ''. Stephens was married four times:
He died from Cancer 11 months after he was knighted, aged 64, following years of ill health. Stephens was one of eight actors profiled in Roger Lewis ' 1989 book ''Stage People''. EXTERNAL LINKS
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