Philip Stone was an English character actor, born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the year 1924. His initial professional endeavor was a job at an engineering company in Leeds, and he subsequently served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He made his stage debut in London's West End in 1947, shortly after which he contracted tuberculosis, compelling him to take a hiatus from acting for several years to undergo treatment.
Stanley Kubrick took notice of Stone's talents during 1969, when he was performing in "The Contractor" at the Royal Court Theatre. Stone was the only actor to appear in three consecutive Kubrick films, playing the pivotal role of Alex's "P" in A Clockwork Orange (1971),Graham, the Lyndon family lawyer, in Barry Lyndon (1975),and Delbert Grady, the original caretaker who murdered his family, in The Shining (1980). Besides Kubrick, Joe Turkel is the only other actor to be credited in three of Kubrick's films.
In addition to his work with Kubrick, Stone appeared in various other films, including Thunderball (1965),Where Eagles Dare (1968),Quest for Love (1971),Flash Gordon (1980),and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). He also lent his voice to the animated version of The Lord of the Rings (1978),portraying the character Theoden.
Throughout his career, Stone was a prolific stage and television actor, appearing in numerous popular TV series, such as the inaugural episode of The Avengers (1961),as well as Dalziel and Pascoe (1996),A Touch of Frost (1992),Heartbeat (1992),Yes Minister (1980),and Coronation Street (1960). At one point, he even founded his own production company, Philip Stone Productions.
Philip Stone passed away in London in the year 2003, at the age of 79, due to complications from a heart attack.
