Stephen Fry | |
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 Stephen Fry at the2024 Berlinale | |
| Born | Stephen John Fry (1957-08-24)24 August 1957 (age 68) Hampstead, London, United Kingdom |
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| Education | |
| Alma mater | Queens' College, Cambridge (MA) |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Website | stephenfry |
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Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is a British actor, broadcaster, comedian, and writer. He began his career on the sketch comedy seriesAlfresco (1983–1984) and the sitcomBlackadder (1986–1989), before gaining recognition as part of the comedy duoFry and Laurie alongsideHugh Laurie, appearing together inA Bit of Fry & Laurie (1989–1995) andJeeves and Wooster (1990–1993). His later television roles includeKingdom (2007–2009),Bones (2007–2017), andIt's a Sin (2021). Fry was the original host of the comedy panel showQI (2003–2016), for which he was nominated for sixBritish Academy Television Awards. In 2006, the British public ranked Fry number 9 inITV's poll ofTV's 50 Greatest Stars.[1]
Fry's film credits includeChariots of Fire (1981),A Fish Called Wanda (1988)Gosford Park (2001),The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004),V for Vendetta (2005),Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), andLove & Friendship (2016). He portrays theCheshire Cat inAlice in Wonderland (2010) and its2016 sequel, and theMaster of Lake-town in thefilm trilogy adaptation ofThe Hobbit (2013–2014). For playingOscar Wilde in the filmWilde (1997), Fry was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor. Between 2001 and 2017, he hosted theBritish Academy Film Awards 12 times.
Fry is known for his work in theatre. In 1984, he adaptedMe and My Girl for theWest End, where it ran for eight years and received twoLaurence Olivier Awards. After it transferred toBroadway, he received aTony Award nomination. In 2012, Fry playedMalvolio inTwelfth Night atShakespeare's Globe. The production was then taken to the West End, before transferring to Broadway, where he received a nomination for aTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In 2025 and early 2026, Fry played Lady Bracknell in theNational Theatre production ofThe Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.[2]
Fry has written and presented several documentary series, including theEmmy Award-winningStephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive (2006) and the travel seriesStephen Fry in America (2008). He is also a prolific writer, contributing to newspapers and magazines, and has written four novels and three autobiographies. He has lent his voice to numerous projects, including theaudiobooks for all seven of theHarry Potter novels as well as thePaddington Bear books.[3] Since 2011, Fry has served as president of the mental health charityMind.[4] In 2025, Fry wasknighted for services to mental health awareness, the environment, and charity.
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Stephen John Fry was born on 24 August 1957 in theHampstead area of London,[5] the son of historian Marianne Eve Fry (née Neumann) and physicist and inventor Alan John Fry (1930–2019).[6][7][8] He has an older brother, Roger, and a younger sister, Joanna.[9] His paternal grandmother, Ella Fry (née Pring), had roots inCheshire andKent.[10][11] The Fry family originates around theShillingstone andBlandford areas ofDorset; in the early 1800s, Samuel Fry settled inSurrey, with his descendants residing inMiddlesex.[12] In his autobiographical writings and elsewhere, Fry has claimed a relationship to the Fry family that founded theeponymous chocolate company,John Fry (one of the signatories to the death warrant forCharles I),[13][14][15] and the cricketerC. B. Fry.[16][17] Fry's mother is Jewish, but he was not brought up in a religious family.[18] His maternal grandparents, Martin and Rosa Neumann,[8] wereHungarian Jews who emigrated fromŠurany (now inSlovakia) to the UK in 1927, establishing themselves inBury St. Edmunds. Rosa's parents, who originally lived inVienna, were deported to aNazi ghetto in Riga, where they were killed.[8][18][19] His mother's aunt and cousins were sent toAuschwitz andStutthof and never seen again.[8]
Fry grew up in the village ofBooton, Norfolk, having moved at an early age fromChesham, Buckinghamshire, where he had attended Chesham Preparatory School. He briefly attended Cawston Primary School inCawston, Norfolk,[20] before going on toStouts Hill Preparatory School inUley, Gloucestershire, at the age of seven, and then toUppingham School inRutland, where he joined Fircroft house and was described as a "near-asthmatic genius".[21] He took hisO-levels in 1972 at the early age of 14 and passed all except physics,[22] but was expelled from Uppingham half a term into the sixth form.[23] Fry described himself as a "monstrous" child and wrote that he was expelled for "various misdemeanours".[24] He was later dismissed fromPaston School, a grant-maintained grammar school that refused to let him progress to study A-Levels.
Fry moved toNorfolk College of Arts and Technology, where, after two years in the sixth form studying English, French, and History of Art,[25] he ultimately failed hisA-Levels, not turning up for his English and French papers.[26] Over the summer, Fry absconded with a credit card stolen from a family friend.[27] He had taken a coat when leaving a pub, planning to spend the night sleeping rough, but had then discovered the card in a pocket.[28] He was arrested inSwindon and, as a result, spent three months inPucklechurch Remand Centre onremand. Following his release, he resumed his education atCity College Norwich, promising administrators that he would study rigorously and sit theUniversity of Cambridge entrance exams. In 1977, he passed twoA-levels in English and French, with grades of A and B. He also received a grade A in an alternative O-level in the Study of Art[29] and scored a distinction in anS-level paper in English. Having successfully passed the entrance exams in 1977, Fry was offered a scholarship atQueens' College, Cambridge, for matriculation in 1978, briefly teaching at Cundall Manor School,[30] apreparatory school in North Yorkshire, before taking his place.[31] At Cambridge, he joined theFootlights, appeared on theUniversity Challenge TV quiz,[32] and read English Literature, graduating with anupper second-class honoursBA degree in 1981 (subsequently promoted automatically to aCambridge MA degree).[33][34] Fry also met his future comedy collaborator,Hugh Laurie (through their mutual friendEmma Thompson) at Cambridge and starred alongside him in the Footlights.[35]
Fry wrote the playLatin! or Tobacco and Boys for the 1980Edinburgh Festival, where it won theFringe First prize.[36] It had a revival in 2009 at London'sCock Tavern Theatre, directed by Adam Spreadbury-Maher.[37]The Cellar Tapes, the Footlights Revue of 1981, won thePerrier Comedy Award. In 1984, Fry adapted the hugely successful 1930s musicalMe and My Girl for theWest End, where it ran for eight years and received twoLaurence Olivier Awards. The show transferred toBroadway, and Fry was nominated for aTony Award for his adaptation.[38]
Fry has appeared in numerous advertisements, predominantly on UK television – either on-screen or invoice-over – starting with an appearance as "CountIvan Skavinsky Skavar" in a 1982 advert forWhitbreadBest Bitter. Fry has said, in his memoirs, that after receiving his payment for this work – £25,000 – he has never subsequently experienced "what one could call serious money troubles".[39] He has since appeared in adverts for products and companies such asMarks & Spencer,Twinings,Kenco,Vauxhall Motors,Honda,Calpol,Heineken,Alliance & Leicester (a series of adverts which also featured Hugh Laurie),[40]After Eight mints,Direct Line insurance (withPaul Merton),Trebor mints,Virgin Media,Walkers potato crisps (fronting a new flavour),[41] andSainsbury's supermarket.[42] He filmed a 2016 advertisement where he explains the essence of British culture to foreigners arriving at London'sHeathrow Airport.[43]
Fry's career in television began with the 1982 broadcasting ofThe Cellar Tapes, the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue[44] which was written by Fry,Hugh Laurie,Emma Thompson, andTony Slattery. The revue caught the attention ofGranada Television, which, keen to replicate the success of the BBC'sNot the Nine O'Clock News, hired Fry, Laurie, and Thompson to star alongsideBen Elton inThere's Nothing to Worry About! A second series, retitledAlfresco, was broadcast in 1983, and a third in 1984; it established Fry and Laurie's reputation as a comedy double act. In 1983, the BBC offered Fry, Laurie, and Thompson their own show, which becameThe Crystal Cube, a mixture of science fiction andmockumentary that was cancelled after the first episode. Undeterred, Fry, Laurie, and Thompson appeared in "Bambi", an episode ofThe Young Ones from 1984 where they parodied themselves as theUniversity Challenge representatives of "Footlights College, Oxbridge",[45] and Fry also appeared in Ben Elton's 1985Happy Families series. In April 1986, Fry was among the British comedians who appeared in the first live telethonComic Relief.[46] In 1986 and 1987, Fry and Laurie performed sketches on the LWT/Channel 4 showSaturday Live.
In 1986, the BBC commissioned a sketch show that was to becomeA Bit of Fry & Laurie. Following a 1987 pilot, the programme ran for 26 episodes across four series between 1989 and 1995. During this time, Fry starred inBlackadder II as Lord Melchett, made a guest appearance inBlackadder the Third asthe Duke of Wellington, and then returned to a starring role inBlackadder Goes Forth as General Melchett. In a 1988 television special,Blackadder's Christmas Carol, he played the roles of Lord Melchett and Lord Frondo. Between 1990 and 1993, Fry starred asJeeves (alongside Hugh Laurie'sBertie Wooster) inJeeves and Wooster, 23 hour-long adaptations ofP. G. Wodehouse's novels and short stories.[47] Fry has appeared in several BBC adaptations of plays and books, including a 1992 adaptation of the Simon Gray playThe Common Pursuit (he had previously appeared in the West End stage production).
Having made his film début inThe Good Father (1985), followed by a brief cameo inA Fish Called Wanda (1988; getting clobbered byKevin Kline in an airport), Fry was then featured byKenneth Branagh as the eponymous Peter inPeter's Friends (1992). Fry came to the attention of radio listeners with the 1986 creation of his alter-ego,Donald Trefusis, whose "wireless essays" were broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 programmeLoose Ends. In the 1980s, he starred as David Lander in four series of the BBC Radio 4 showDelve Special, written byTony Sarchet, which then became the six-part Channel 4 seriesThis is David Lander in 1988. In 1988, Fry wrote and presented a six-part comedy series entitledSaturday Night Fry. Frequent radio appearances have ensued, notably on panel gamesJust a Minute andI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
Fry was cast in Simon Gray'sThe Common Pursuit for its first staging in the West End on 7 April 1988, withRik Mayall,John Sessions, Sarah Berger, Paul Mooney, andJohn Gordon Sinclair, directed by Simon Gray.[48] Fry is a long-standing fan of the anarchic British musical comedy group theBonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and particularly of its eccentric front man, the lateVivian Stanshall. Fry helped to fund a 1988 London re-staging of Stanshall'sStinkfoot, a Comic Opera, written by Vivian andKi Longfellow-Stanshall for theBristol-basedOld Profanity Showboat.
Fry's first novel,The Liar, was published in1991. Fry has since written three further novels, several non-fiction works, and three volumes of autobiography.Making History (1996) is partly set in an alternative universe in whichAdolf Hitler'sfather is made infertile, and his replacement proves a more effective Führer. The book won theSidewise Award for Alternate History.The Hippopotamus (1994) is about Edward (Ted/Tedward) Wallace and his stay at his old friend Lord Logan's country manor in Norfolk.The Hippopotamus was later adapted intoa 2017 film.[50]The Stars' Tennis Balls (2000) is a modern retelling ofThe Count of Monte Cristo. Fry's bookThe Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within is a guide to writing poetry.
When writing a book review forTatler, Fry wrote under a pen name, Williver Hendry, editor ofA Most Peculiar Friendship: The Correspondence of Lord Alfred Douglas and Jack Dempsey, a field close to his heart as an Oscar Wilde enthusiast. Once a columnist inThe Listener andThe Daily Telegraph, he wrote a weekly technology column in the Saturday edition ofThe Guardian. His blog attracted more than 300,000 visitors in its first two weeks.[51]
Fry was cast in a lead role in Simon Gray's 1995 playCell Mates, which he left three days into the West End run, pleadingstage fright. He later recalled the incident as ahypomanic episode in his documentary aboutbipolar disorder,The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive. He acted in a 1998Malcolm Bradbury adaptation of theMark Tavener novelIn the Red, taking the part of the Controller ofBBC Radio 2; and in 2000, in the role of Professor Bellgrove in the BBC serialGormenghast, which was adapted from the first two novels ofMervyn Peake'sGormenghast series. In the 1994 romantic comedy filmI.Q., he played the role of James Moreland. Portraying his idolOscar Wilde (of whom he had been an ardent admirer since the age of 13) in the 1997 filmWilde, he fulfilled the role to critical acclaim.[49] It earned him aGolden Globe nomination forBest Actor – Drama. In 1997, he also had a cameo in theSpice Girls filmSpice World.[52] A year later, Fry starred inDavid Yates' small independent filmThe Tichborne Claimant, and in 2001, he played the detective inRobert Altman's period costume drama,Gosford Park. In the same year, he also appeared in the Dutch filmThe Discovery of Heaven, directed byJeroen Krabbé and based on the novel byHarry Mulisch.
In 2000, he began starring as Charles Prentiss in the Radio 4 comedyAbsolute Power, reprising the role for three further series on radio, and two on television. In 2002, he playedThe Minister of Chance in the Doctor Who audio dramaDeath Comes to Time.[53] In 2002, Fry was one of the narrators ofA. A. Milne'sWinnie-the-Pooh andThe House at Pooh Corner, in which he voicedWinnie-the-Pooh. He presented a 20-part, two-hour series,The Incomplete and Utter History of Classical Music, a "witty guide" to the genre over the past 1,000 years, onClassic FM. In 2004, he was the narrator for an adaptation ofVanity Fair on BBC Radio 4.[54] Fry has been the reader for the British versions of all ofJ. K. Rowling'sHarry Potter series of audiobooks. He discussed this project in an interview with Rowling in 2005.[55] He has also read forDouglas Adams'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy film tie-in edition and has made recordings of his own books, such asThe Stars' Tennis Balls andMoab Is My Washpot, and of works byRoald Dahl,Michael Bond,A. A. Milne,Anthony Buckeridge,Eleanor Updale,George Orwell, andAlexander Pushkin.
In 2003, Fry began hostingQI (Quite Interesting), a comedypanel game televisionquiz show.QI was created and co-produced byJohn Lloyd, and features permanent panellistAlan Davies.QI has the highest viewing figures for any show onBBC Four andDave (formerly UKTV G2).[56][57] In 2006, Fry won theRose d'Or award for "Best Game Show Host" for his work on the series. In October 2015, it was announced that Fry would retire as the host ofQI after the "M" series, and he was replaced bySandi Toksvig.[58]
Towards the end of 2003, Fry starred alongsideJohn Bird in the television adaptation ofAbsolute Power, previously a radio series on BBC Radio 4. Fry's first documentary was theEmmy Award-winningStephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive in 2006.[59] The same year, he appeared on the BBC's genealogy seriesWho Do You Think You Are?, tracing his maternal family tree to investigate his Jewish ancestry.[60] In 2003, Fry made his directorial début withBright Young Things, adapted by him fromEvelyn Waugh'sVile Bodies. In 2001, he began hosting theBAFTA Film Awards, a role from which he stepped down in 2006.[61] Later that same year, he wrote the Englishlibretto and dialogue forKenneth Branagh's film adaptation ofThe Magic Flute.[62] Fry continued to make regular film appearances, notably in treatments of literary cult classics. He portrayed the clairvoyantMaurice Woodruff inThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers and served as narrator in the2005 film version ofThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In 2005, he appeared inA Cock and Bull Story, based onTristram Shandy. In the same year, inV for Vendetta, he played acloseted TV presenter who challenges afascist state - the screenwriters,The Wachowskis, pointed out that it was Fry's "normalcy" in the face of the insanity of the censorship of BTV that made his character truly powerful and added a "wholly unexpected dimension to the film".[63] Fry performed several of Stanshall's numbers as part of the Bonzos' 2006 reunion concert at theLondon Astoria.
In 2006, he played the role of gadget-master Smithers inStormbreaker, and in 2007, he appeared as himself, hosting a quiz inSt Trinian's. In 2007, Fry wrote, for directorPeter Jackson, a script for aremake ofThe Dam Busters.[64] That year, he also appeared inEichmann (2007).[65] Fry narratedThe Story of Light Entertainment, which was shown from July–September 2006.[66] In 2007, he presented a documentary on the subject of HIV and AIDS,HIV and Me.[67] In 2007, Fry wrote a Christmas pantomime,Cinderella, which ran at London'sOld Vic Theatre.[68] In 2007, he hostedCurrent Puns, an exploration of wordplay, andRadio 4: This Is Your Life, to celebrate the radio station's 40th anniversary. He also interviewed Prime MinisterTony Blair as part of a series of podcasts released by10 Downing Street.[69] He also narrated the first fourHarry Potter games:Philosopher's Stone,Chamber of Secrets,Prisoner of Azkaban, andGoblet of Fire.
From 2007 to 2009, Fry played the lead role in (and was executive producer for) the legal dramaKingdom, which ran for three series onITV1.[70] Starting from 2007, he took a recurring guest role asFBI psychiatrist Dr. (later chef)Gordon Wyatt in the popular American dramaBones.
In February 2008, Fry began presenting podcasts entitledStephen Fry's Podgrams, in which he recounts his life and recent experiences.[71] In July 2008, he appeared as himself inI Love Stephen Fry, anAfternoon Play for Radio 4 written by formerFry and Laurie script editorJon Canter.[72] On 7 May 2008, Fry gave a speech as part of a series of BBC lectures on the future ofpublic service broadcasting in the United Kingdom,[73] which he later recorded for apodcast.[74] His six-part travel seriesStephen Fry in America began on BBC One in October 2008 and saw him travel to each of the 50 US states.[51] In the same year, he narrated thenature documentarySpectacled Bears: Shadow of the Forest for the BBCNatural World series. In the 2009 television seriesLast Chance to See, Fry and zoologistMark Carwardine sought out endangered species, some of which had been featured inDouglas Adams' and Carwardine's1990 book and radio series of the same name.[75]
Fry's voice has been featured in several video games, including an appearance as Reaver, an amoral supporting character inLionhead Studios' gamesFable II (2008) andFable III (2010), and as the narrator of theLittleBigPlanet series.[76][77] He also narrates a section of Bungie'sDestiny 2 (2017) expansion Warmind as the "Concierge", an AI that, when interacted with at certain points, will give the player background information on Bray Exoscience.[78] In 2008, Fry's narration for Bond'sPaddington Bear storyMore About Paddington (1959) saw him receive theAudie Award forYoung Listeners' Title from theAudio Publishers Association in the U.S.[79]
Since August 2008, he has presentedFry's English Delight, a series on BBC Radio 4 about the English language.[80] As of 2021, it has been running for ten series and 37 episodes. In the 2009 series ofI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Fry was one of a trio of hosts replacingHumphrey Lyttelton (the others beingJack Dee andRob Brydon).[81] Fry was offered a role inValkyrie, but was unable to participate.[82] In May 2009, Fry unveiledThe Dongle of Donald Trefusis, an audiobook series following Donald Trefusis (a fictional character from Fry's novelThe Liar and from the BBC Radio 4 seriesLoose Ends), set over 12 episodes.[83] After its release, it reached No. 1 on theUK Album Chart list. Ultimately, however, only three episodes were released, the rest with the note 'exact release date pending'. Fry's use of the word "luvvie" (spelled "lovie" by Fry), inThe Guardian on 2 April 1988, is given by theOxford English Dictionary as the earliest recorded use of the word as a humorous synonym for "actor".[84] Fry was, at one time, slated to adaptA Confederacy of Dunces byJohn Kennedy Toole for the big screen.[85] In 2009, Fry provided the voice of St Peter forLiberace, Live From Heaven byJulian Woolford at London'sLeicester Square Theatre. In 2010, having learned some Irish for the role,[86] he filmed a cameo role inRos na Rún, an Irish-language soap opera broadcast in Ireland, Scotland, and the US.[87][88][89]
In 2010, Fry became an investor in Pushnote,[90] a UK tech startup. Similar toGoogle Sidewiki, Pushnote was a browser add-on that enabled users to leave comments on any site they visit. The following year, Fry announced the Pushnote launch to his then 2 million Twitter followers. Both Pushnote and Sidewiki were discontinued the following year.[91] He also appeared as a shiny New Millennium Bonzo on their post-reunion album,Pour l'Amour des Chiens, on which he recited a recipe for "Salmon Proust", played a butler in "Hawkeye the Gnu", and voiced ads for the fictitious "Fiasco" stores. Following three one-man shows in Australia, Fry announced a 'sort of stand-up' performance at theRoyal Albert Hall in London for September 2010.[92]In 2010, Fry took part in a Christmas series of short films calledLittle Crackers. His short was based on a story from his childhood at school.[93]
Fry appeared as the Christian God in 2011'sHoly Flying Circus. In 2011, he portrayed Professor Mildeye in the BBC adaptation of Mary Norton's 1952 novelThe Borrowers.[94] In August 2011,Stephen Fry's 100 Greatest Gadgets was shown onChannel 4 as one of the100 Greatest strand.[95] His choice for the greatest gadget was the cigarette lighter, which he described as "fire with a flick of the fingers".[95] In the same month, the nature documentary seriesOcean Giants, narrated by Fry, premiered. In September 2011,Fry's Planet Word, a five-part documentary about language, aired on BBC HD and BBC Two.[96][97] In November 2011, an episode ofLiving The Life featured Fry in an intimate conversation discussing his life and career withThe Rolling Stones' bass playerBill Wyman.[98]
Fry starred in theTim Burton version ofAlice in Wonderland, as the voice of theCheshire Cat.[99] He playedMycroft Holmes in the 2011 filmSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, directed byGuy Ritchie.[100] He portrayed theMaster of Lake-town in two ofPeter Jackson'sthree film adaptation ofJ. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Hobbit: the secondThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,[101] and the thirdThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. In 2011, Fry appeared onKate Bush's album50 Words for Snow, featuring on the title track where he recites a list of surreal words to describe snow.[102] In September 2012, Fry made a return to the stage atShakespeare's Globe, appearing asMalvolio in a production ofWilliam Shakespeare'sTwelfth Night, which transferred to the West End in November 2012.[103][104] He received excellent reviews.[103][104] The production transferred toBroadway, with Opening Night on 10 November 2013. Fry was nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his work in the Broadway revival.[105][106] In August 2013, he lent his voice to the title role inBenjamin Britten's operettaPaul Bunyan at theWales Millennium Centre with theWelsh National Youth Opera.[107]
In 2012, he appeared as a guest panellist in the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel showWordaholics.[108] In September 2012, he guest-starred as himself in the audio comedy dramaWe Are The BBC, produced by theWireless Theatre Company, written by Susan Casanove.[109] At the 2012Pride of Britain Awards shown onITV on 30 October, Fry, along withMichael Caine,Elton John,Richard Branson, andSimon Cowell, recitedRudyard Kipling's poem "If—" in tribute to the 2012British Olympic andParalympic athletes.[110] In November 2012, Fry hosted a gadgets show calledGadget Man, exploring the usefulness of various gadgets in different daily situations to improve the livelihoods of everyone.[111]
In October 2013, Fry presentedStephen Fry: Out There, a two-part documentary in which he explores attitudes to homosexuality and the lives of gay people in different parts of the globe.[112] On Christmas Day 2013, Fry featured with adventurerBear Grylls in an episode ofChannel 4'sBear's Wild Weekends. Over the course of two days, in the ItalianDolomites, Fry travelled on the skids of a helicopter, climbed down a raging 500-foot waterfall, slept in aFirst World War trench, and abseiled down a towering cliff face.[28] In June 2015, Fry was the guest onBBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs. His favourite piece was theString Quartet No. 14 by Beethoven. His book choice wasFour Quartets byT. S. Eliot, and his luxury item was "canvases, easels, brushes, an instruction manual".[113]
Fry narrated the first two seasons of the English-language version of the Spanish children's animated seriesPocoyo.[114][115] In 2014, he began starring alongsideKiefer Sutherland andWilliam Devane in24: Live Another Day as British Prime MinisterAlastair Davies.[116] In July 2014, Fry appeared on stage withMonty Python on the opening night of their live showMonty Python Live (Mostly). Fry was the special guest in their "Blackmail" sketch.[117]
On 17 September 2015, Fry shared the role of the Narrator inThe Rocky Horror Show, which was staged at London'sPlayhouse Theatre and broadcast as theRocky Horror Show Live.[118] In June 2015, Fry backed children's fairy tale appGivingTales in aid ofUNICEF together with other British celebrities SirRoger Moore,Ewan McGregor,Joanna Lumley,Michael Caine,David Walliams, DameJoan Collins,Charlotte Rampling,Paul McKenna, andMichael Ball.[119] In 2015, Fry made a live audio recording of the winning short story of the annual RA &Pin Drop Short Story Award,Ms. Featherstone and the Beast by Bethan Roberts, at a ceremony held at theRoyal Academy of Arts in London.[120] In February 2017,Audible releasedSherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection, a complete collection ofSherlock Holmes stories, all read by Fry, who also narrated an introduction for each novel or collection of stories. In 2017, Fry also released his own audiobook on Audible, titledMythos,[121] which he both wrote and narrated. In 2018, Fry released a follow-up toMythos, titledHeroes.[122] In June 2020, it was announced that Fry would read J. K. Rowling's children's book,The Ickabog.[123] Fry is the patron of the audiobook charity Listening Books.[124] Fry said of his patronage, "I'm proud and delighted to be patron of the first audiobook charity to offer downloads to its members and excited about what this will mean for all print-impaired people who can now listen on the go."[124]
In January 2016, it was announced that Fry would be appearing as the character "Cuddly Dick" in Series 3 of theSky One family comedyYonderland.[125] In 2016, Fry had a lead role in the American sitcomThe Great Indoors. He portrayed an outdoor magazine publisher helping to ease his best worldly reporter (Joel McHale) into a desk job.[126] The show was cancelled after one season.[127] In November 2019, it was announced that Fry would guest star in "Spyfall", the two-part opening episode ofDoctor Who'stwelfth series, which was broadcast on New Year's Day 2020.[128][129] Fry also starred in the 2018 heist comedy filmThe Con Is On, previously titledThe Brits Are Coming.[130] From May to July 2018, Fry appeared inMythos: A Trilogy, a stage version of his bookMythos, in theShaw Festival Theatre inNiagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. This comprised a set of three one-man shows (titledGods,Heroes andMen), each two hours in length, which were performed consecutively, multiple times during the show's run.[131] The production received its European premiere in August 2019 at theEdinburgh International Festival.[132] In September 2020, Fry was among the stars to mark the 100th anniversary of SirNoël Coward's West End debut with a stage celebration titled "A Marvellous Party".[133]
He reprised his role as (a descendant of) Lord Melchett forThe Big Night In, a 20 April 2020telethon held during theCOVID-19 pandemic, for a skit in which he held a video call withPrince William, Duke of Cambridge, who made a surprise appearance.[134][135] In 2022, Fry had a recurring role as biochemistIan Gibbons in theHulu miniseriesThe Dropout, which dramatizes the scandal involving biotechnology companyTheranos.[136] He portrayedFiddler's Green / Gilbert in theNetflix seriesThe Sandman (2022). The same year, he starred in two episodes of theNetflix romantic LGBT teen dramaHeartstopper as the headmaster of the main character's school.[137] In 2023, he portrayed a fictitiousKing James III in the LGBT romantic comedyRed, White & Royal Blue.[138]That same year, he also presented theChannel 4 documentaryStephen Fry: Willem & Frieda – Defying the Nazis to positive reviews.[139][140]
In May 2024, Fry was among the members of the previously all-maleGarrick Club who spoke in favour of the admission of women members for the first time in the club's 193-year history. The motion was carried.[141]
Fry has been appointedVisiting Professor of Creative Media at the Faculty of English of theUniversity of Oxford for the 2024–2025 academic year.[140]
In May 2025, Fry was announced as a contestant on the first series ofThe Celebrity Traitors.[142] He joined the game as a 'Faithful' and was banished in Episode 6.[143] From September 2025 until January 2026, Fry appeared as Lady Bracknell in theNational Theatre production ofThe Importance of Being Earnest byOscar Wilde.[2]
Over Fry's career, he has received 11BAFTA Award nominations for his work in television. For his performance asOscar Wilde inWilde (1998), he earned a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. He won theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture along with the ensemble of theRobert Altman-directed murder mysteryGosford Park (2001). For his work on Broadway, he received twoTony Award nominations forBest Book of a Musical forMe and My Girl (1987) andBest Featured Actor in a Play for his performance asMalvolio in the revival ofWilliam Shakespeare'sTwelfth Night (2014).
In 1995, Fry was awarded the honorary degree ofDoctor of Laws (LL.D. h.c.) by theUniversity of Dundee,[144] which named their mainStudents' Association bar after his novelThe Liar. Fry is a patron of its Lip Theatre Company.[145] He also served two consecutive terms – 1992 to 1995 and 1995 to 1998 – as the student-electedRector of the University of Dundee. He was awarded an HonoraryDoctorate in Letters (D.Litt. h.c.) by theUniversity of East Anglia in 1999.[146][147]
In 2003, Fry was the last person to be namedPipe Smoker of the Year before the award was discontinued.[148] He was awarded theAoC Gold Award in 2004 and was entered into their Hall of Fame.[149] Fry was also awarded the honorary degree ofDoctor of the University (DUniv) fromAnglia Ruskin University in 2005.[150][151]
In December 2006, he was ranked sixth for the BBC's Top Living Icon Award,[152] was featured onThe Culture Show, and was votedMost Intelligent Man on Television by readers ofRadio Times. TheIndependent on Sunday Pink List named Fry the second most influential gay person in Britain in May 2007; he had taken the twenty-third position on the list the previous year.[153] Later the same month, he was announced as the 2007Mind Champion of the Year,[4] in recognition of the success of his documentaryThe Secret Life of a Manic Depressive in raising awareness of bipolar disorder. He was also nominated in "Best Entertainment Performance" forQI and "Best Factual Series" forSecret Life of the Manic Depressive at theBritish Academy Television Awards 2007.[154] That same year,Broadcast magazine listed Fry at number four in its "Hot 100" list of influential on-screen performers, describing him as apolymath and a "national treasure".[155]
BBC Four dedicated two nights of programming to Fry on 17 and 18 August 2007, in celebration of his 50th birthday. The first night, comprising programmes featuring Fry, began with a sixty-minute documentary entitledStephen Fry: 50 Not Out. The second night was composed of programmes selected by Fry, as well as a 60-minute interview withMark Lawson and a half-hour special,Stephen Fry: Guilty.[156][157] The weekend programming proved such a ratings hit for BBC Four that it was repeated on BBC Two on 16 and 17 September 2007. Fry was granted a lifetime achievement award at theBritish Comedy Awards on 5 December 2007.[158] In 2009, he was elected anHonorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (Hon FRCPsych).[159] On 20 January 2010, he was also granted the Special Recognition Award at theNational Television Awards .[160]
He was made honorary president of the Cambridge University Quiz Society and honorary fellow of hisalma materQueens' College, Cambridge. On 13 July 2010, he was made an honorary fellow ofCardiff University,[161] and on 28 January 2011, he was made an honoraryDoctor of the University (DUniv) by theUniversity of Sussex, in recognition of his work campaigning for people suffering from mental health problems, bipolar disorder, and HIV.[162][163] He is a Patron of theNorwich Playhouse theatre and a Vice-President of The Noël Coward Society.[164]
In 2011, Fry was the subject ofMolly Lewis's songAn Open Letter to Stephen Fry, in which the singer jokingly offers herself as a surrogate mother for his child.[165] In February 2011, Fry was awarded the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism by the Humanist Chaplaincy atHarvard University, the Harvard Secular Society and theAmerican Humanist Association.[166]
In 2012, Fry wrote the foreword to theUnion of UEA Students report on the student experience forLGBT+ members.[167] As recognition of his public support for LGBT+ rights and for the Union's report, theUnion of UEA Students awarded him, on 18 October 2012, Honorary Life Membership of the Union.[168] In March 2014, Fry beatDavid Attenborough and Davina McCall to win the Best Presenter award at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards. The award was given for hisBBC2 programmeStephen Fry: Out There.[169] In an episode ofQI, "M-Merriment", originally broadcast in December 2015, Fry was awarded membership ofThe Magic Circle.[170]
In 2017, Fry became the latest patron of theNorwich Film Festival, and said he was "Very proud now to be a patron of a festival that encourages people from Norfolk, Norwich and beyond to be enchanted, beguiled and entranced by all kinds of film that might not otherwise reach them."[171] In the same year, thebird louseSaepocephalum stephenfryii was named after him, in honour of his contributions to the popularization of science as host ofQI.[172] In 2019, Fry was elected aFellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).[173] Stephen Fry was the Honorary President of theClassical Association between 2021 and 2022.[174]
In 2021, Fry was appointed aGrand Commander of the Order of the Phoenix by Greek presidentKaterina Sakellaropoulou "for his contribution in enhancing knowledge about Greece in the United Kingdom and reinforcing ties between our two countries."[175][176] In 2023, he was elected aFellow of the Society of Authors.[177][178] Fry was awarded asan Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (FRCGS) in 2024.[179]
In the2025 New Year Honours, Fry wasknighted byKing Charles III "for services to mental health awareness, the environment and to charity".[180][181] The same year, the Belgian universityKU Leuven conferred an honorary doctorate (Dr.h.c.) upon Fry to "commend him for his passion for language and culture, his impressive contributions to the public debate, and his call for an open dialogue on mental health".[182] Fry is also aFellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).[183]
Fry married comedian Elliott Spencer in January 2015 inDereham, Norfolk.[184] Fry lives inWest Bilney in Norfolk.[185] He became friends withKing Charles III while Charles wasPrince of Wales, through his work withThe Prince's Trust. He attended the then-Prince'swedding to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. He is also a friend ofRowan Atkinson and was best man at Atkinson's wedding to Sunetra Sastry at theRussian Tea Room in New York City. He was a friend ofSir John Mills.[186] His best friend isHugh Laurie,[39] whom he met while both were atCambridge and with whom he has collaborated many times over the years. He was the best man at Laurie's wedding and is the godfather to all three of his children.[187]
Fry started usingcocaine in his twenties and continued until 2001. He wrote about his drug use in the memoirMore Fool Me (2014).[188][189]
A fan of cricket, Fry has stated that he is related to former England cricketerC. B. Fry,[190] and was interviewed for theAshes Fever DVD, reporting onEngland's victory overAustralia in the2005 Ashes series. Regardingfootball, he is a supporter ofNorwich City FC, and is a regular visitor to their home ground atCarrow Road. He has been described as "deeply dippy for all thingsdigital" and claims to have bought the thirdMacintosh computer sold in the UK (his friendDouglas Adams bought the first two). He jokes that he has never encountered asmartphone that he has not purchased.[191] He counts Wikipedia among his favourite websites.[192][non-primary source needed]
Fry has a long-standing interest in Internet production, stating in a discussion with the inventor of theWorld Wide WebTim Berners-Lee that Fry built his own website as early as 1994, and that this was the firsturl printed in a British newspaper.[193] His site,The New Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry, has existed since 2002 and has attracted many visitors following his first blog in September 2007, which consisted of a 6,500-word "blessay" on smartphones. In February 2008, he launched his privatepodcast series,Stephen Fry's Podgrams (defunct), and a forum, including discussions on depression and activities in which he is involved. The website content is created by Fry and produced by Andrew Sampson. Fry's weekly gadget columnDork Talk appeared inThe Guardian from November 2007 to October 2008.[191] Fry is also a supporter ofGNU and theFree Software Foundation.[194] For the 25th anniversary of the GNU operating system, Fry appeared in a video explaining some of the philosophy behind GNU by likening it to the sharing found in science.[195]
When in London, he drives a dark greenTX4Hackney carriage.[196] This vehicle has been featured in Fry's production,Stephen Fry in America.[197] On 16 April 2018, Fry released the first episode of a new podcast, "Stephen Fry's 7 Deadly Sins", available on his website and other podcasting platforms.[198] The first episode of the second series was released on 13 January 2020 and continued to be released over the course of nine weeks.[199] In 2019, he was featured in the filmed poem renditionLove Goes Never Alone, for the online theatre publicationFirst Night Magazine in support of the LGBTQ+ community.[200]
In 2023, during an "alternative Christmas message" broadcast on Channel 4, Fry remarked that he was proud of his Jewish heritage.[201] He said: "I've been on lists ofBritish Jews that some ultra-right-wing newspapers and sites have published over the years. And I'm frankly damned if I'll let antisemites be the ones who define me, and take ownership of the word 'Jew', injecting it with their own spiteful venom. So I accept and claim the identity with pride, I am Stephen Fry, and I am a Jew."[202]
Enabled by a 2020 change in citizenship legislation in Austria, Fry acquired Austrian citizenship as a descendant of persons persecuted by Nazism, thus regaining the citizenship his ancestors forcibly lost.[203][204]
Fry struggled to keep his homosexuality secret during his teenage years atpublic school, and by his own account did not engage in sexual activity for 16 years between 1979 and 1995.[205] When asked when he first acknowledged his sexuality, Fry quipped: "I suppose it all began when I came out of the womb. I looked back up at my mother and thought to myself, 'That's the last time I'm going up one of those'."[206] In his 1997 autobiography titledMoab Is My Washpot, however, Fry attributed the joke to "a friend at university", adding, "I have since shamelessly used this as my own explanation of When I Knew."[207]
Fry was in a 15-year relationship with Daniel Cohen that ended in 2010.[208] Fry was listed number 2 in 2016 and number 12 in 2017 on the Pride Power list.[209][210]On 6 January 2015, British tabloidThe Sun reported that Fry would marry his partner, comedian Elliott Spencer. Fry wrote on Twitter: "It looks as though a certain cat is out of a certain bag. I'm very very happy of course but had hoped for a private wedding. Fat chance!"[211] Eleven days after the news story, Fry married Spencer on 17 January atDereham in Norfolk.[212]
Fry was an active supporter of theLabour Party for many years and appeared in aparty political broadcast on its behalf withHugh Laurie andMichelle Collins in November 1993.[citation needed] He did not vote in the2005 general election because of the stance of both the Labour andConservative parties about theIraq War.[citation needed] Despite his praise of theBlair/Brown government's work on social reform, Fry was an outspoken critic of the Labour Party'sThird Way concept.[citation needed] Fry appeared in campaign literature to support changing the British electoral system fromfirst-past-the-post toalternative vote for electing members of parliament to theHouse of Commons in theAlternative Vote referendum of 2011.[213]
On 30 April 2008, Fry signed an open letter, published inThe Guardian newspaper by several Jewish personalities, stating their opposition to celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel.[214] He is a signatory member of the BritishJews for Justice for Palestinians (JJP) organisation, which campaigns forPalestinian rights.[215]
Fry was among over 100 signatories to a statement published bySense about Science on 4 June 2009, condemning Britishlibel laws and their use to "severely curtail the right to free speech on a matter of public interest".[216]
In August 2013, Fry published an open letter to the British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron and theInternational Olympic Committee calling for a boycott of the2014 Winter Olympics inSochi, due to concerns over thestate-sanctioned persecution of LGBT people in Russia under the2013 anti-"gay propaganda" laws.[217][218] Cameron stated on Twitter that he believed "we can better challenge prejudice as we attend, rather than boycotting the Winter Olympics".[219][220]
In March 2014, Fry publicly backed "Hacked Off" and its campaign towards press self-regulation by "safeguarding the press from political interference while also giving vital protection to the vulnerable".[221] He said in 2015 that theDaily Mail editorPaul Dacre "has done more to damage the Britain I love than any single person".[222]
In April 2016, Fry caused controversy by accusing survivors ofchild sexual abuse of self-pity for expectingtrigger warnings.[223] Soon after, he apologised for his comments.[224]
On 18 May 2018, Fry participated in the semi-annualMunk Debates in Toronto, Canada, where he argued againstpolitical correctness on theCon side of the topic "Be it resolved, what you call political correctness, I call progress..." alongsideJordan Peterson, and in opposition to thePro side represented byMichelle Goldberg andMichael Eric Dyson.[225][226] During the debate, Fryparaphrased a famous sentence from the 1923 essayI Am Afraid, in whichOld Bolshevik-turned-Soviet dissidentYevgeny Zamyatin denouncedcensorship in the Soviet Union. The original sentence reads, "True literature can exist only when it is created, not by diligent and reliable officials, but by madmen, hermits, heretics, dreamers, rebels, and skeptics."[227] Fry's rendering, however, reads, "Progress is not achieved by preachers and guardians of morality, but by madmen, hermits, heretics, dreamers, rebels, and sceptics."[228]
On 1 February 2021, Fry supported the petition of twoHolocaust survivors, Dorit Oliver-Wolff and Ruth Barnett, who were asking to meet Prime MinisterBoris Johnson regarding the 'genocide amendment' to the trade bill; this amendment would allow an independent parliamentary judicial committee to examine evidence ofgenocide.[229] In a tweet, Fry highlighted theplight of the Uyghurs.[230]
Fry has spoken out publicly in support of the return of theElgin Marbles.[231]
In June 2025, Fry spoke out againstHarry Potter series authorJK Rowling for her views ontransgender people, calling her a "lost cause" and "radicalized".[232]
Poland controversy
On 6 October 2009, Fry was interviewed byJon Snow onChannel 4 News[233] as a signatory of a letter toConservative Party leaderDavid Cameron expressing concern about the party forming a political alliance with the right-wing PolishLaw and Justice party in theEuropean Parliament.[234] During the interview, he stated:
There has been a history, let's face it, in Poland of a right-wingCatholicism which has been deeply disturbing for those of us who know a little history, and remember which side ofthe border Auschwitz was on and know the stories, and know much of theantisemitic, andhomophobic andnationalistic elements in countries like Poland.
The remark prompted a complaint from thePolish Embassy in London, an editorial inThe Economist and criticism from British Jewish historianDavid Cesarani.[235][236][237][238] Fry later posted an apology in a six-page post on his personal blog, in which he apologised for his remarks, stating that "I didn't even really at the time notice the import of what I had said, so gave myself no opportunity instantly to retract the statement. It was a rubbishy, cheap and offensive remark that I have been regretting ever since. I take this opportunity to apologise now." and "It detracted from and devalued my argument, such as it was, and it outraged and offended a large group of people for no very good reason."[239]
Fry hascyclothymia, a form ofbipolar disorder (considered to be a milder type).[240][241][242] Fry has spoken publicly about his experience with the condition, which was depicted in the documentaryStephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive.[243] In the programme, he interviewed other people with bipolar disorder includingCarrie Fisher,Richard Dreyfuss andTony Slattery. He also interviewedRobbie Williams, who suffered with unipolar depression, and they discussed the differences and similarities of their mental health experiences and diagnoses. He is involved with the mental health charityStand to Reason[244] and is president ofMind.[4] In 2013, he said that, in the previous year, he had started taking medication for the first time, in an attempt to control his condition.[28] In 2018, alongsideNadiya Hussain andOlly Alexander, Fry was part ofSport Relief's attempt to raise awareness of mental health.[245]
In 1995, while appearing in the West End playCell Mates, Fry had anervous breakdown and walked out of the production, causing its early closure and incurring the displeasure of co-starRik Mayall and playwrightSimon Gray.[246] Fry went missing for several days and contemplated suicide. He later said that he would have killed himself if he had not had "the option of disappearing".[246] He abandoned the idea and left the United Kingdom by ferry, eventually resurfacing in Belgium.[247] Fry has attempted suicide on a number of occasions, most recently in 2012.[248] In an interview withRichard Herring in 2013, Fry said that he had attempted suicide the previous year while filming abroad. He said that he took a "huge number of pills and a huge [amount] of vodka" and had to be brought back to the UK to be "looked after".[249]
In January 2008, Fry broke his arm while filmingLast Chance to See in Brazil.[250] While climbing aboard a boat, he slipped between it and the dock, and, stopping himself from falling into the water, his body weight snapped his righthumerus. The resulting vulnerability to hisradial nerve – which affects use of the arm – was not diagnosed until he saw a consultant in the UK.[251]
Appearing on the BBC'sTop Gear in 2009, Fry had lost a significant amount of weight, and explained that he had shed a total of 6stone (84 lb; 38 kg). He attributed the weight loss to walking while listening toaudiobooks.[252] Fry is between 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) in height.[253][254] Fry hasprosopagnosia ("face blindness").[255][256]
In February 2018, Fry announced that he was recovering from an operation to treatprostate cancer, involving theremoval of the prostate and 11 adjacentlymph nodes. He described the cancer as aggressive and said that early intervention had saved his life.[257][258]
In March 2021, Fry hailed the "wonderful moment" of receiving theOxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine atWestminster Abbey. TheUniversity of Cambridge alumnus joked that he would have to "putpetty rivalries behind [him]".[259]
On 14 September 2023, Fry was taken to a hospital after he fell about 6 ft (1.8 m) onto a concrete floor, when exiting the stage following a conference onartificial intelligence atThe O2 Arena inGreenwich; he had sustained injuries to his ribs and legs.[260][261] After a recovery period he was reported to be back at work on 9 December.[262]
Fry has repeatedly expressed opposition to organised religion, and has identified himself as anatheist andhumanist, while declaring some sympathy for theancient Greek belief in gods.[263] In his first autobiography, he described how he once considered ordination to theAnglican priesthood, but came to the conclusion that he "couldn't believe in God, because [he] was fundamentally Hellenic in [his] outlook".[264] He has stated that religion can have positive effects: "Sometimes belief means credulity, sometimes an expression of faith and hope which even the most sceptical atheist such as myself cannot but find inspiring."[265] Fry claims to have been expelled fromSalt Lake City, Utah, because of a joke made about doctrines ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[266][non-primary source needed]
In 2009,The Guardian published a letter from Fry addressing his younger self, explaining how his future is soon to unfold, reflecting on the positive progression towards gay acceptance and openness around him, and yet not everywhere, while warning on how "the cruel, hypocritical and loveless hand of religion and absolutism has fallen on the world once more".[267] Later that year, he andChristopher Hitchens participated in an "Intelligence Squared" debate in which they argued againstAnn Widdecombe and ArchbishopJohn Onaiyekan, who supported the view that the Catholic Church was a force for good. Fry and Hitchens argued that the church did more harm than good, and were declared the victors after an audience vote. Fry attacked the Catholic Church's teachings on sexuality and denounced its wealth.[268]
In 2010, Fry was made a Distinguished Supporter of theBritish Humanist Association, stating: "it is essential to nail one's colours to the mast as a humanist."[269] Later that year, Fry joined 54 other public figures in signing an open letter published inThe Guardian stating their opposition toPope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom being a state visit.[270] On 22 February 2011, Fry was presented with theLifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism by the Humanist Chaplaincy atHarvard University.[271][272]
When interviewed in 2015 by the Irish broadcasterGay Byrne, Fry was asked what he would say if he came face-to-face with God, to which he replied: "Bone cancer in children: what's that about? How dare you? How dare you create a world where there is such misery that's not our fault? It's utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?"[273] Within days, the video was viewed over five million times.[274] Fry later stated he did not refer to any specific religion: "I said quite a few things that were angry at this supposed God. I was merely saying things thatBertrand Russell and many finer heads of the mind have said for many thousands of years, going all the way back to the Greeks."[275] "Because the God who created this universe, if it was created by God, is quite clearly a maniac, utter maniac."[276] In May 2017, it was announced that Fry, along with broadcasterRTÉ, were under criminal investigation for blasphemy under theDefamation Act 2009, following a complaint from a member of the public about the broadcast: the case was dropped afterGardaí confirmed that they had not been able to locate a sufficient number of offended people.[277] The following year, in 2018, the article on blasphemy was removed from the Irish Constitution following a referendum.
Fry has praisedAnglican priestMichael Coren's bookThe Rebel Christ, saying: "Integrity, wit and passion. A fine advocate for the best of Christian thought and a faith that encompasses the human as well as the divine."[278]
Fry is known for his extensive voice-over work; he read all seven of theHarry Potter novels for the UKaudiobook recordings,[3] narratedPaddington Bear audiobooks,[79] narrated the video game seriesLittleBigPlanet andBirds of Steel, narrated an animated series of explanations of thelaws of cricket[279] and narrated a series of animations abouthumanism forHumanists UK.[280]
Fry wielded a considerable amount of influence through his use of Twitter.[281][282] He was frequently asked to promote various charities and causes, often inadvertently causing their websites to crash because of the volume of traffic generated by his large number of followers; as Fry noted on his website: "Four thousand hits a second all diving down the pipeline at the same time for minutes on end."[283] He used his influence to recommend underexposed musicians and authors (who often saw large increases in web hits and sales)[284][285] and to raise awareness of contemporary issues in the world of media and politics, notably the dropping of aninjunction againstThe Guardian[286][287] and public anger overDaily Mail columnistJan Moir's article on the death ofBoyzone memberStephen Gately.[288][289]
In November 2009, Fry's Twitter account reached one million followers. He commemorated the million-followers milestone with a humorous video blog in which a 'Step Hen Fry' clone speaks from the year 2034, where MySpace, Facebook and Twitter have combined to form 'Twit on MyFace'.[290] In November 2010, he welcomed his two-millionth follower with a blog entry detailing his opinions and experiences of Twitter.[291] On 11 March 2012, Fry noted his passing of the four-million-followers mark with a tweet: "Lordy I've breasted the 4 million followers tape. Love you all. Yes even YOU. But let's dedicate today toDouglas Adams's diamond jubilee".[292] As of June 2021[update] he had 12.4 million followers.[293]
Fry had a history of temporarily distancing himself from the social networking site which began when he received criticism in October 2009. However, he retracted the announcement that he would be leaving the following day.[294] In October 2010, Fry left Twitter for a few days, with a farewell message of "Bye bye", following press criticism of a quote taken from an interview he had given. After returning, he explained that he had left Twitter to "avoid being sympathised with or told about an article" he "would otherwise never have got wind of".[295] The methods Fry uses on Twitter have been criticised.[296] On 15 February 2016, Fry deleted his Twitter account after receiving criticism for a tweet commenting onJenny Beavan's outfit choice at that year's BAFTAs where she received an award for costume design.[297] Fry alluded to this on an April 2016 episode ofThe Rubin Report in which he criticisedgroupthink mentality and stated that his return to Twitter was a "maybe".[298][299] He returned to Twitter in August 2016.[300] He left Twitter again in November 2022,[301] joiningMastodon that same month.[302]
In August 2010, Fry joined the board of directors atNorwich City Football Club. A lifelong fan of "the Canaries" and a regular visitor toCarrow Road, he said, on being appointed, "Truly this is one of the most exciting days of my life, and I am as proud and pleased as I could be."[303] Fry stepped down from his Board position in January 2016, to take up a new position as "Norwich City Ambassador".[304] Fry said, "My five years in the role have been an honour and a privilege beyond almost anything I can remember. I wish I could take credit for ushering the club up from League One to the Premiership during that time on the Board. Actually, I'm going to. It was all me. It can't have been a coincidence ... But now I'm so happy to relinquish my seat on the board to Thomas Smith and to engage as fully as I can in the role of ambassador for Norwich City."[304] In February 2014, Fry became the honorary president ofProud Canaries, a supporters' group for Norwich City's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender fans.[305]
Fry succeededClare Connor to become president ofMarylebone Cricket Club on 1 October 2022, relinquishing the role after one year to his successorMark Nicholas in 2023.[306][307]
In 2008, Fry formed SamFry Ltd, with long-term collaborator Andrew Sampson to produce and fund new material and to manage his official website.[308] Fry is the co-owner, with Gina Carter andSandi Toksvig, of Sprout Pictures, an independent film and television company.[309]
In 2016, Fry launched Pindex, "a self-funded online platform that creates and curates educational videos and infographics for teachers and students", founded and run by a four-person team.[310]
In 2008, Fry appeared in a film made by theFree Software Foundation to celebrate the 25th anniversary of theGNU Project to create a completely free operating system.[311] In the film, Fry explains the principles of software freedom central to the development of theLinux and GNU software projects.[312] For theComic Relief telethon in 2011, Fry was one of four celebrities who represented a new flavour ofWalkers crisps:Stephen Fry Up, with the flavour inspired by thefull English breakfast (also known as a 'fry up').[313] In 2014, Fry designed aPaddington Bear statue, one of fifty located around London prior to the release of the filmPaddington, which was auctioned to raise funds for theNational Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).[314]
Fry is a supporter of nature and wildlife conservation.[315] He has been the president of theGreat Fen Project since 2006[316] and vice-president of international NGOFauna and Flora International since 2009.[317][318] Fry has also expressed support foraction onclimate change[319] and activist groupExtinction Rebellion, and has criticizedclimate change denial.[320]
In April 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, Fry appeared in a sketch alongsidePrince William for a charity show titledThe Big Night In onBBC One.[321] In the lighthearted sketch, Fry reprises hisBlackadder characterLord Melchett, who is on aZoom call with the then Duke of Cambridge as they talk about television shows such asEastEnders andTiger King as well as homeschooling.[322] The sketch had been put together by Comic Relief andChildren in Need to raise money and keep people entertained during the lockdown.[323] In March 2021, Fry narrated a short film for Cambridge Children's Hospital.[324]
Fry has been the patron of UK audiobook charity Listening Books since 2005.[325]
Fiction
Non-fiction
Autobiography
Scripts fromA Bit of Fry & Laurie
Education is the sum of what students teach each other in between lectures and seminars
He said the return of the statues from Britain "would be an act that uses a word that we haven't been able to use of Britain's acts lately, much: it would be classy".
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| Preceded by Paul Henderson Scott | Rector of the University of Dundee 1992–1998 | Succeeded by |
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