Stephen Greif, The Crown and Doctor Who Actor, Dies at 78

Stephen Grief, a veteran British actor best known to American audiences for his role on Netflix’s The Crown, has died. He was 78. Greif was an actor on stage and screen, appearing in a wide variety of projects from Blakes 7 and EastEnders to Doctor Who and Coronation Street. He first rose to notoriety in the late 1960s, when he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. He remained there for some time, earning accolades including a nomination for the prestigious Olivier Award in 1979 for his performance as Biff in the National Theatre’s Death of a Salesman. Ironically, Greif had previously performed opposite Laurence Olivier himself in The Merchant of Venice.

On television, Greif didn’t let his status as a respected stage actor prevent him from taking a wide variety of interesting roles in genre work and comedy — things that many classically trained actors would shy away from. As a result, he became a fixture in British homes in the 1970s as Commander Travis in Blake’s 7 and pub owner Harry Fenning on Citizen Smith, a sitcom centering on a young radical in ’70s Britain.

“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” said Michelle Braidman Associates in a statement posted to social media. “His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Greif continued to work on stage throughout his life, as well as in both films and television. He even dabbled in animation and video games in the last 20 years, voicing Raymond Maarloeve in The Witcher and narrating the PlayStation game Puppeteer. His voice work would earn him more awards and nominations from industry award shows like BBC Audio Books and Navtgr Awards.

On TV, he worked on a number of major British series, including a role as Ron Dent on Coronation Street and appearing on Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest as Gurney. He reprised his role as Travis in audio stories from Big Finish Productions, who have done similar things with Doctor Who, and of course played Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Bernard Weatherill on The Crown.

“Very saddened to hear that Stephen Greif has left us,” director Barnaby Edwards, who collaborated with Greif on Doctor Who, said in a statement on social media. “A rock-solid performer with a voice as liquid and deadly as molten lava. When it came to playing villains, he was unsurpassed. His acerbic wit and obvious intelligence made him a joy to direct. Thanks for the fun, Stephen.”

Greif reportedly passed away on December 23. His cause of death has not been reported.

Our condolences go out to Stephen Greif’s family, friends, collaborators, and fans.