Stephen Marcus began his acting career in 1984 after three years of training at Arts Educational Schools in London. His first screen role came almost immediately, playing Moose in the cult classic My Beautiful Launderette.
After early work in theatre, television, and commercials, Stephen landed the role of Dave-Sharon's (Pauline Quirke) lover-in the fledgling sitcom Birds of a Feather. A chance meeting with Peter Richardson in actress and novelist Sarah Stockbridge's Garden soon led to what should have been a one-day role on The Glam Metal Detectives for The Comic Strip Presents.... One day became three months, during which Stephen played hundreds of characters. Richardson later invited him back for the 30th-anniversary special Five Go to Rehab in 2012.
Commercial work soon introduced Stephen to director Peter Chelsom, who cast him as Gordon in Hear My Song opposite Ned Beatty. This launched a prolific period in British television, including standout roles in The Hot Dog Wars, Dangerfield, Kavanagh QC, and Our Friends in the North, where he acted alongside Malcolm McDowell and a young Daniel Craig.
His film work developed in parallel, with roles opposite Timothy Dalton in The Beautician and the Beast, Robert Englund in The Killer Tongue, and Richard Harris in Savage Hearts. In 1996, a meeting with an unknown director named Guy Ritchie proved pivotal: Ritchie cast Stephen as Nick the Greek in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Released three years later, the film became a landmark in British cinema, launching the careers of Ritchie, Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, and Matthew Vaughn-and propelling Stephen into an international career.
Hollywood soon came calling. Alan Parker cast him in Angela's Ashes, Philip Kaufman in Quills (alongside Kate Winslet, Michael Caine, Joaquin Phoenix, and Geoffrey Rush), and Richard Eyre in both Iris (with Judi Dench) and Stage Beauty (with Claire Danes). He later portrayed golfer Ted Ray in Bill Paxton's The Greatest Game Ever Played-a role offered after Paxton personally phoned him from his car. Stephen also collaborated twice with the Wachowskis, appearing in Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin.
Alongside film, Stephen built an extensive television career across the UK, US, and Canada. He starred as Rudolpho De Luna in Starhunter 2300, co-led the BBC's Cavegirl, and appeared in Terry Pratchett adaptations Hogfather and The Colour of Magic for Sky TV. Other notable credits include anniversary episodes of Casualty, regular roles in Kingdom with Stephen Fry, and Lark Rise to Candleford.
In 2013-14, Stephen returned to the West End stage in the musical The Bodyguard, playing Tony Scibelli. Around the same time, his film work included It's a Lot, The Smoke, AB Negative, and Fast & Furious 6.
In recent years, Stephen has continued to showcase his range with performances across multiple genres: horror (The Rizen 1 & 2), gangster (The London Firm, Welcome to Curiosity), comedy (Sanctuary), and horror-comedy (Fanged Up). His latest cinematic release, Walk Like a Panther, saw him join an ensemble cast in a comedy about veteran wrestlers staging a comeback.
Beyond acting, Stephen is also an author. His book on the making of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the landmark British film that helped define his career.
After relocating to Hollywood, Stephen worked with Vinnie Jones on The Big Ugly and appeared in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the remake of A Blind Bargain with Crispin Glover.
He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Sarah, whom he describes as "the most beautiful woman in the world." Their beloved dogs, Fry and Ronnie, have both passed but remain close to his heart.
