Stephen Arthur Frears 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 has 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 many television plays. Frears directed his debut feature film Gumshoe in 1971, and received widespread critical acclaim for his films in the 1980s such as My Beautiful Laundrette, Prick Up Your Ears, and Dangerous Liaisons. He also received two Academy Award nominations for directing The Grifters and The Queen.
Frears is also known for his work on various television programs, including the television films Fail Safe, The Deal, and Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight. He directed the Jeremy Thorpe BBC One biographical miniseries A Very English Scandal, for which he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
