Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore was a mainstay of the British stage and screen for nearly six decades. He was born in London in 1937, and by his early school years, it was clear that Moore's talent on stage would take him beyond school plays. Almost immediately after graduating from the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1959, he made his professional debut in "A View from the Bridge" at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, thus beginning what would be a truly storied career. Moore soon moved on to supporting roles in a number of plays including "Romeo and Juliet" and "Saint Joan" at Bristol's Old Vic, which he followed with a year long stint with the Colchester Repertory Company. Moore was making small inroads into television during this time as well, most frequently when the plays he was already appearing in were televised, but he made a bigger impact on screen when he played the dejected husband and teacher Jack on the musical series "Rock Follies" (ITV, 1976-77) in 1976, and then took on the role of Major Steele in the instant-classic World War II film "A Bridge Too Far" (1977) in 1977. Moore never stayed away from theater for long however, and soon he was back performing a stint with the National Theatre, appearing in productions like "Othello" and "The Lady from Maxim's." He played Marvin the Paranoid Android in a celebrated BBC Radio 4 adaptation of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and his performance proved such a hit that he reprised the role when the series was adapted for TV in 1981. As always however, Moore's heart remained on the stage, prompting him to next sign with the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in plays such as "Twelfth Night" and "Henry VIII" from 1983 to 1984. Even after playing George Mole on "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾" (ITV, 1985-87) which proved to be a great hit, Moore still made sure his next major endeavor brought him to the West End, where he starred in "Paris Match" and "Reflected Glory." He proved his versatility throughout his career, appearing in the period mini-series adaptation "Middlemarch" (BBC, 1994) in 1994 and starring with Jim Broadbent on the uproarious comedy "The Boss" (BBC, 1997-2000) from 1997 to 2000. Moore earned some of the most esteemed praise of his epic career for his performance as Hector in a 2006 touring production of "The History Boys," despite opening the show after only four days of rehearsal. His final film appearance was as the Prime Minister in the true-life comedy-drama "Pirate Radio" (2009), but he made a number of other TV appearances including a guest starring role on a 2010 episode of "Doctor Who" (BBC, 2005-). Sadly, Moore passed away in 2019. He was 81 years old.