Stephen Frears

Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is an English director and producer of film and television often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply drawn characters. He's received numerous accolades including three BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for two Academy Awards. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph named Frears among the 100 most influential people in British culture. In 2009 he received the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Born in Leicester and educated at Gresham's School and Trinity College, Cambridge, Frears started his career working as an assistant director in theatre and film while directing numerous television plays. In 1971, he directed his first feature film, Gumshoe. He received acclaim for his early films such as My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988). He received Academy Award for Best Director nominations for both The Grifters (1990), and The Queen (2006). Fears' other acclaimed films include High Fidelity (2000), Dirty Pretty Things (2003), Philomena (2013), Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), and Victoria and Abdul (2017).
Frears is also known for his work on various television programs, including the television films Fail Safe (2000), The Deal (2003), and Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013). He later directed the biographical BBC One/Amazon Prime miniseries A Very English Scandal (2018) for which he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Other projects include State of the Union (2019), and Quiz (2020).