Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Martin Stephens looks back on his acting career

My recent information dump* on the deeply obscure historical novelist Vaughan Wilkins included the fact that the celebrated child actor Martin Stephens had appeared in a BBC radio adaptation of Wilkins' first novel And So - Victoria broadcast in 1962.

Stephens had already given stunning film performances in both Village of the Damned and The Innocents. Though these films are more celebrated today than they were at the time, his presence in And So - Victoria suggests that the adaptation was a big deal.

BBC Genome suggests he appeared in only one other radio play, while And So - Victoria consisted of five hour-long episodes. Stephens, as the young Christopher Harnish, would have been central to the first three.

Like a lot of child actors who emerge happily from the experience, Stephen gave up acting at an early age. In the video above he talks about his childhood and what he has done since.

* This was meant to be the ultimate niche post, but has proved strangely popular.

No comments: