Appeared with his then-wife, Maggie Smith, in Much Ado About Nothing (1967) (TV), which was, at least, the second film based on a William Shakespeare play, featuring a real-life husband and wife, that was later remade with another real-life husband and wife. The Taming of the Shrew (1929) starred then-husband-and-wife, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, and was remade in 1967 with then-husband-and-wife Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The Taming of the Shrew (1967) was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, who also directed the stage "Much Ado" with Stephens and Smith which was adapted for television in the same year, with only one recorded change from the stage cast. The 1993 remake of "Much Ado" starred Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. Stephens worked jointly with Banagh and Thompson in
Father of actors Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin.
Father-in-law of Anna-Louise Plowman.
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1993 (1992 season) for Best Actor for his performance as Falstaff in "Henry IV, parts I & II" at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1995 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to drama.
One of eight actors profiled by Roger Lewis in his 1989 book, "Stage People": the interview with Stephens takes place in the Dirty Duck pub in Stratford-on-Avon.
Provided the voice of Aragorn in the acclaimed 1981 BBC Radio serialisation of The Lord of the Rings.
Stepfather of Quinn Hawkins.
Was nominated for Broadway's 1959 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "Epitaph for George Dillon."