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Chris Larkin

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Chris Larkin
Larkin in 2011
Born
Christopher Stephens

(1967-06-19) 19 June 1967 (age 57)
Fitzrovia, London, England
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1993–present
Spouse
Victoria "Suki" Steadman
(m. 2005)
Children2
Parents
RelativesToby Stephens (brother)
Beverley Cross (step-father)
Patricia Quinn (step-mother)

Christopher Larkin Stephens (born 19 June 1967) is an English actor.

Early life

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Born Christopher Stephens on 19 June 1967 at Middlesex Hospital in London,[1] Larkin is the elder son of actors Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Robert Stephens. His younger brother is actor Toby Stephens. Larkin revealed in an interview that he chose his stage name in order to distance himself from his famous parents, not wanting "to trade on the family connection", and selecting Larkin in honour of his favourite poet Philip Larkin.[2]

Career

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Larkin trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He is best known for playing Hermann Göring in the film Hitler: The Rise of Evil, but also played Charles Darwin for the PBS series Evolution and the abolitionist William Wilberforce in the radio production of Grace Victorious. Larkin also played Capt. Howard of the Marines in Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World alongside Paul Bettany and Russell Crowe, and appeared in Valkyrie with Tom Cruise playing Sgt. Helm. Other film credits are Angels and Insects, Franco Zeffirelli's Jane Eyre and Tea with Mussolini, and Heroes and Villains directed by Selwyn Roberts.

Larkin played Cambridge, a minicab driver who went to university[who?] in series 1 and 2 of John Sullivan's Roger Roger for BBC1 and portrayed George Marston[who?] in Charles Sturridge's Shackleton for Channel Four. Larkin also appeared in the 2007 episode of Doctor Who "The Shakespeare Code" and the 2012 low-budget horror film The Facility (originally titled Guinea Pigs) directed by Ian Clark.[3] He appeared in three episodes of the fourth season of Black Sails, starring his brother, Toby Stephens.

In 2013 he starred in the television revival of Yes, Prime Minister as Bernard Woolley,[4] reprising the role he had played in the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End.

Other theatre credits include: Edgar in The Lady from Dubuque starring his mother, Maggie Smith, and directed by Anthony Page; Jopari in Nicholas Hytner's production of His Dark Materials at The National Theatre; The Whisky Taster by James Graham at the Bush Theatre, London; and the nationwide tour of Noises Off, directed by Lindsay Posner.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1995 Angels & Insects Robin Whitefield
1996 Jane Eyre Frederick Lynn
1997 Highlander: The Series Steven Keane Episode: Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Casualty Adam Parker Episode: What Friends Are For
1999 Tea with Mussolini Major Gibson
2001 The Six Wives of Henry VIII Henry VIII Miniseries
2002 Shackleton George Marston Miniseries
2003 Hitler: The Rise of Evil Hermann Göring Miniseries
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Capt. Howard, Royal Marines
2005 Mysterious Island Atherton TV movie
2007 Doctor Who Lynley Episode: The Shakespeare Code
2008 Marple Gerald Wright Episode: A Pocket Full of Rye
Valkyrie Sergeant Helm
2011 Holby City Leonard Dawking Episode: Blue Valentine
2011, 2015, 2021 Doctors Edward Roxburgh / Father Sebastian Wood / Richard Waters[5] 3 episodes
2012 The Facility Dr. Mansell
2013 Yes, Prime Minister Bernard Woolley 6 episodes
2015 The Program John Wilcockson
2016 Endeavour Ivor Maddox Episode: Arcadia
Churchill's Secret Rab Butler TV movie
2017 Black Sails Captain Berringer 3 episodes
2018 Father Brown Roger Frobisher Episode: The Devil You Know
2020 Outlander Richard Brown 4 episodes
2023 Widow Clicquot Muller

References

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  1. ^ Coveney, Michael (29 December 2015). Maggie Smith: A Biography. Macmillan + ORM. ISBN 978-1-4668-9339-9.
  2. ^ "Dame Maggie Smith's son changed name to lose family connection". Daily Express. 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Trailer: New Found Footage Film, "Guinea Pigs"". Sound On Sight. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  4. ^ "Yes, Prime Minister – Production Details". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  5. ^ "The Burden of Debt". Doctors. 10 November 2021. BBC. BBC One. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
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