Robert Stephens

Sir Robert's professional trajectory can be divided into two distinct periods of his life. During the 1960s, he was widely perceived as the natural successor to the esteemed Laurence Olivier, a notion that was met with widespread acclaim. However, following his departure from Britain's National Theatre in 1970 and the subsequent breakdown of his marriage to the renowned actress Maggie Smith three years later, Sir Robert's career suffered a significant downturn, which was further exacerbated by his struggles with heavy drinking. It was not until the 1990s, when the Royal Shakespeare Company extended an invitation to him to take on the iconic roles of Falstaff in "Henry IV" and Lear in "King Lear", that Sir Robert's career was reinvigorated. This marked a turning point in his life, and he was subsequently knighted at the beginning of 1995.