
Stephen Frears
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.
49Credits19 TV · 30 films
1967–2025Years activefirst to latest
10.0 Highest ratedLast Summer
7.4 Average ratingacross 45 titles
Top TV shows 19best Stephen Frears shows
- 1
The Comic Strip Presents...Director · 2 eps · 1982 - 2
The Loudest VoiceDirector · 1 ep · 2019 - 3
Omnibus1 ep · 1967 - 4
Brian and MaggieDirector · Executive Producer · 2 eps · 2025 - 5
Screen TwoDirector · 2 eps · 1985 - 6
A Very English ScandalDirector · Executive Producer · 3 eps · 2018 - 7
State of the UnionDirector · Executive Producer · 20 eps · 2019 - 8
PlayhouseDirector · 2 eps · 1974 - 9
BBC2 Play of the WeekDirector · 2 eps · 1977 - 10
ITV PlayhouseDirector · 2 eps · 1967 - 11
QuizDirector · Executive Producer · 3 eps · 2020 - 12
Play for TodayDirector · 3 eps · 1970 - 13
FollyfootDirector · 3 eps · 1971 - 14
The RegimeDirector · Executive Producer · 6 eps · 2024 - 15
Brian and MaggieDirector · 2 eps · 2025 - 16Second City FirstsDirector · 1 ep · 1973
- 17
Parkin's PatchDirector · 2 eps · 1969 - 18Tom Grattan's WarDirector · 5 eps · 1968
- 19Full HouseDirector · 1 ep · 1972
Top movies 30best Stephen Frears movies
- 1
Last SummerDirector · Producer · 1977 - 2
Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia WoolfDirector · 1978 - 3
Long Distance InformationDirector · 1979 - 4
All About Desire: The Passionate Cinema of Pedro AlmodovarNarrator · 2001 - 5
Long ShotBiscuit Man · 1978 - 6
Beyond FearExecutive Producer · 1997 - 7
Early StrugglesDirector · 1976 - 8
Mr Jolly Lives Next DoorDirector · 1988 - 9
The BurningDirector · 1968 - 10
Le court des grandsDirector · 2005 - 11
Night Will FallExecutive Producer · Producer · 2014 - 12
Sunset Across the BayDirector · 1975 - 13
Going GentlyDirector · 1981 - 14
PhilomenaDirector · 2013 - 15
Typically British: A Personal History of British Cinema1995 - 16
Dangerous LiaisonsDirector · 1988 - 17
High FidelityDirector · 2000 - 18
A Visit from Miss ProtheroDirector · 1978 - 19
The QueenDirector · 2006 - 20
Fail SafeDirector · 2000 - 21
Dirty Pretty ThingsDirector · 2002 - 22
Victoria & AbdulDirector · 2017 - 23
The DealDirector · 2003 - 24
My Beautiful LaundretteDirector · 1985 - 25
Prick Up Your EarsDirector · 1987 - 26
Walter and JuneDirector · 1983 - 27
Mrs. Henderson PresentsDirector · 2005 - 28
Florence Foster JenkinsDirector · Writer · 2016 - 29
The Lost KingDirector · 2022 - 30
The GriftersDirector · 1990