BBC - Movies - interview - Stephen Frears

Leicester-born Stephen Frears has been making movies in both Britain and Hollywood for over 30 years, since making his debut in 1971 with Gumshoe. Notable hits include My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters, High Fidelity, and Dirty Pretty Things. Now he's letting it all hang out with Mrs Henderson Presents, a biopic about Laura Henderson (played by Judi Dench), the woman who made nudity acceptable on the London stage during World War II.

Mrs Henderson Presents is released in UK cinemas on Friday 25th November 2005.

Fact File

Date of Birth:
20th June 1941

Famous For: Being the filmmaker other Brit directors aspire to be

Infamous For: Casting Julia Roberts as a lowly British servant in Mary Reilly

Soundbite: "A friend asked me why I thought I'd been able to direct films for 30 years and I really didn't have an answer. It is a very difficult industry and grinds up talent unmercifully"

Useless Fact: Turned down the opportunity to direct the Jack Black comedy School Of Rock

What we really want to know: How many drinks did he need before directing Bob Hoskins' nude scene in Mrs Henderson Presents?

MOVIES Links

Mrs Henderson Presents review