Steven Berkoff
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Highly acclaimed English actor, playwright, author and director
continues to set the benchmark in stunning, intense performances on
both stage and screen. Berkoff was born in Stepney, London in August
1937 and received dramatic arts training in both Paris and London and
then moved on to performing with several repertory companies, before he
formed the London Theatre Group in 1968. Berkoff had actually been
appearing in uncredited roles in UK cinema since 1959, and started to
get noticed by casting agents with his performances in
Hamlet at Elsinore (1964),
Nicholas and Alexandra (1971),
A Clockwork Orange (1971) and
Barry Lyndon (1975).
Mainstream film fans are probably most familiar with Steven Berkoff via
his portrayal of a trio of ice cold villains in several big budget
Hollywood productions of the 1980s. Firstly, he played a rogue general
plotting to launch a war in Europe in
Octopussy (1983), then a drug smuggling
art dealer out to kill Detroit narcotics officer
Eddie Murphy in
Beverly Hills Cop (1984), and
thirdly as a sadistic Russian commando officer torturing
Sylvester Stallone in
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
Berkoff continued to contribute scintillating performances and was
quite memorable as Adolf Hitler in
War and Remembrance (1988),
The Krays (1990) and the haunting
The Tell-Tale Heart (1991).
Further villainous roles followed for the steely Berkoff in
Fair Game (1995) and the
Jean-Claude Van Damme kick flick
Legionnaire (1998). He excelled in
the camp comedy
9 Dead Gay Guys (2002), played UK
crime figure Charlie Richardson Snr. in
Charlie (2004) and then appeared in the
passionate Greek film about mail order brides simply titled,
Brides (2004) ("Brides").
His screen performances are but one part of the brilliance of Steven
Berkoff, as he has additionally built a formidable reputation for his
superb craftsmanship in the theatre. Berkoff has written and performed
original plays including "Decadence", "Harry's Christmas Lunch"
"Brighton Beach Scumbags" and "Sink the Belgrano", as well as appearing
in productions of "Hamlet", "Macbeth" and "Coriolanus" to rapturous
audiences right across the globe. Furthermore, he has authored several
highly entertaining books on the theatre and his life including "The
Theatre of Steven Berkoff", "Coriolanus in Deutscheland", "A Prisoner
in Rio", "I am Hamlet" and "Meditations on Metamorphosis".
continues to set the benchmark in stunning, intense performances on
both stage and screen. Berkoff was born in Stepney, London in August
1937 and received dramatic arts training in both Paris and London and
then moved on to performing with several repertory companies, before he
formed the London Theatre Group in 1968. Berkoff had actually been
appearing in uncredited roles in UK cinema since 1959, and started to
get noticed by casting agents with his performances in
Hamlet at Elsinore (1964),
Nicholas and Alexandra (1971),
A Clockwork Orange (1971) and
Barry Lyndon (1975).
Mainstream film fans are probably most familiar with Steven Berkoff via
his portrayal of a trio of ice cold villains in several big budget
Hollywood productions of the 1980s. Firstly, he played a rogue general
plotting to launch a war in Europe in
Octopussy (1983), then a drug smuggling
art dealer out to kill Detroit narcotics officer
Eddie Murphy in
Beverly Hills Cop (1984), and
thirdly as a sadistic Russian commando officer torturing
Sylvester Stallone in
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
Berkoff continued to contribute scintillating performances and was
quite memorable as Adolf Hitler in
War and Remembrance (1988),
The Krays (1990) and the haunting
The Tell-Tale Heart (1991).
Further villainous roles followed for the steely Berkoff in
Fair Game (1995) and the
Jean-Claude Van Damme kick flick
Legionnaire (1998). He excelled in
the camp comedy
9 Dead Gay Guys (2002), played UK
crime figure Charlie Richardson Snr. in
Charlie (2004) and then appeared in the
passionate Greek film about mail order brides simply titled,
Brides (2004) ("Brides").
His screen performances are but one part of the brilliance of Steven
Berkoff, as he has additionally built a formidable reputation for his
superb craftsmanship in the theatre. Berkoff has written and performed
original plays including "Decadence", "Harry's Christmas Lunch"
"Brighton Beach Scumbags" and "Sink the Belgrano", as well as appearing
in productions of "Hamlet", "Macbeth" and "Coriolanus" to rapturous
audiences right across the globe. Furthermore, he has authored several
highly entertaining books on the theatre and his life including "The
Theatre of Steven Berkoff", "Coriolanus in Deutscheland", "A Prisoner
in Rio", "I am Hamlet" and "Meditations on Metamorphosis".