Steven Berkoff Biography (1937-)

Born August 3, 1937, in Stepney, London, England; son of Alfred (a tailor) and Pauline (maiden name, Hyman) Berkoff; married Shelley Lee (a dancer and choreographer), August 21, 1976 (marriage ended). Addresses: Agent: Artists Independent Network, 32 Tavistock St., London, WC2E 7PB England; Joanna Marston, Rosica Colin Ltd., 1 Clareville Grove Mews, London, SW7 5AH England.

Nationality
British
Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor, director, writer
Birth Details
August 3, 1937
Stepney, London, England

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Stage Appearances
  • Louis, A View from the Bridge, Empire Theatre, Finsbury Park, England, 1959
  • Bellboy, Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, England, 1961
  • Gregor Samsa, Metamorphosis, 1969, then Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, c. 1982, later Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1989
  • Titorelli, The Trial, 1971
  • Knock at the Manor Gate, London, 1972
  • Miss Julie versus Expressionism, London, 1973
  • Title role, Agamemnon, c. 1973
  • Usher, The Fall of the House of Usher, 1974
  • Decadence, Wyndhams Theatre, London, 1987
  • Herod, Salome, National Theatre, London, 1989
  • Titorelli, The Trial, National Theatre, 1990
  • Title role, Coriolanus, West Yorkshire Playhouse, 1995, then Mermaid Theatre, London, 1996
  • Massage, Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, then Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, England, later Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1997
  • Shakespeare's Villains (one-man show), Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 1998, then various cites in Connecticut, 2000
  • The Tell-Tale Heart and Dog, Sadler's Well Theatre, London, 2000
  • Shakespeare's Villains: A Masterclass in Evil, Public Theater/Anspacher, New York City, 2001
  • Also appeared in Miss Julie and The Zoo Story (double bill)and in Arturo Ui; presented a one-man show at Donmar Warehouse, 1985-86
  • Major Tours
  • One-man show has toured internationally.
  • Stage Director
  • The Zoo Story, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, 1973
  • Hamlet, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1979
  • Greek, Croydon Warehouse, Croydon, England, then Actors PlayhouseTheatre, New York City, 1983
  • Kvetch, Garrick Theatre, London, then Westside Arts Theatre, New York City, 1987
  • Coriolanus, Delacorte Theater, New York City, 1988
  • Salome, National Theatre, London, 1989
  • The Trial, National Theatre, 1990
  • Coriolanus, West Yorkshire Playhouse, then Mermaid Theatre, London, 1996
  • Massage, Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, then Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, England, later Edinburgh Festival, 1997
  • East, Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1999
  • Also directed Richard II and Coriolanus, both New York Shakespeare Festival.
  • Major Tours
  • Directed and toured in productions of Hamlet, Macbeth, andSalome.
  • Film Appearances
  • (Uncredited) Extra, The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, 1958
  • (Uncredited) Extra, I Was Monty's Double (also known as Hell, Heaven or Hoboken), 1958
  • (Uncredited) The Captain's Table (also known as Shenanigans), 1959
  • (Uncredited) Extra, The Devil's Disciple, 1959
  • John, Prehistoric Women (also known as Slave Girls), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967
  • Beatou, Vendetta for the Saint, 1969
  • Constable, A Clockwork Orange (also known as Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange), Warner Bros., 1971
  • Pankratov, Nicholas and Alexandra, Columbia, 1971
  • Lord Ludd, Barry Lyndon, Warner Bros., 1975
  • (As Stephen Berkoff) Stephen, The Passenger (also known as Profession: Reporter, Professione: Reporter, and El reportero),Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1975
  • Sagan, Outland, Warner Bros., 1981
  • Ronnie Harrison, McVicar, Crown International, 1982
  • General Orlov, Octopussy, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1983
  • Victor Mairland, Beverly Hills Cop, Paramount, 1984
  • Lieutenant Colonel Podovsky, Rambo: First Blood, Part II, Tri-Star, 1985
  • Sergeant Jones, Revolution, Warner Bros., 1985
  • Hugo Motherskille, Underworld (also known as Transmutations), Limehouse Pictures, 1985
  • The fanatic, Absolute Beginners, Orion, 1986
  • Mr. Sharon, Under the Cherry Moon, Warner Bros., 1986
  • Hugo Motherskille, RawHeadRex, 1986
  • Streets of Yesterday, Perfect Features, 1989
  • George Cornell, The Krays, Rank, 1990
  • Steve, Les, and Helen's couturier, Decadence, 1994
  • Kazak, Fair Game, 1995
  • Klaus Reicher, Flynn, Beyond Distribution Sydney, 1996
  • Vittorio, Love in Paris (also known as 9 ½ Weeks IIand Another 9 ½ Weeks), Trimark Pictures, 1997
  • Voice of Backhander and Reggie, Doppelganger (animated short), 1997
  • Steinkampf, Legionnaire, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998
  • Mr. Kant, Rancid Aluminum, 2000
  • Interviewee, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, Warner Bros., 2001
  • Also appeared in Buster 1988.
  • Film Director
  • Decadence, 1994
  • Television Appearances
  • Movies
  • Atoman, Coming out of the Ice, CBS, 1982
  • Jack McFarland, Prisoner of Rio (also known as Wiezien Rio), Samba, 1988
  • Girolamo Savonarola, A Season of Giants (also known as Michelangelo: The Last Giant), TNT, 1991
  • Addison Leach, Intruders, 1992
  • Miniseries
  • Karl Von Eiderfeld, Sins, CBS, 1986
  • Adolf Hitler, War and Remembrance, TNT, 1988
  • Potiphar, In the Beginning, NBC, 2000
  • King Rua, Attila, USA Network, 2001
  • Specials
  • Hamlet (also known as Hamlet at Elsinore), 1964
  • Mr. Samsa, Metamorphosis, 1987
  • Episodic
  • Sager, "The Gravediggers," The Avengers, 1965
  • Carlos, "The Iron Man," The Champions, 1968
  • Captain Steve Minto, "The Cat with 10 Lives," UFO, 1969
  • Carl, "The Man Who Gambled with Life," The Saint, 1969
  • Captain Steve Minto, "Destruction," UFO, 1970
  • Krasnov, "A Man Called Quinn," The Professionals, 1983
  • Dr. Jorry, "Deadline," Space Precinct, 1994
  • Hagath, "Business As Usual," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, UPN, 1997
  • La Femme Nikita, USA Network, 1998
  • The mouth, "Mental Apparition Disorder," Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), 2000
  • Radio Appearances
  • Appeared as title role, Macbeth, Radio 4, and as the MC, Cabaret, Radio 2; read An Actor's Tale, Radio 4.
  • RECORDINGS
  • Taped Readings
  • Read Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis and Franz Kafka's TheTrial, both Penguin Audiobooks.
  • Singles
  • Appears on N-Trance's "The Mind of the Machine."
  • WRITINGS
  • Television Specials
  • West, Limehouse, 1984
  • Metamorphosis, BBC2, 1987
  • The Tell-Tale Heart, Hawkshead/C4, 1991
  • Also adapted Harry's Christmas, Limehouse.
  • Screenplays
  • Greek (from his play of the same name), 1990
  • Decadence (from his play of the same name), 1994
  • Plays
  • (Adapter) In the Penal Colony (based on a story by Franz Kafka), produced in London, 1968
  • (Adapter) Metamorphosis (based on a story by Kafka), produced in London, 1968, then Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1982, later Ethel BarrymoreTheatre, New York City, 1989
  • (Adapter) The Trial (based on a story by Kafka), produced in the Netherlands, 1971, later produced in London, 1973
  • (Adapter) Agamemnon (based on a play by Aeschylus), produced c. 1973, then published by Amber Lane Press, 1990
  • (Adapter) Knock at the Manor Gate (based on story by Kafka), produced London, 1972
  • (Adapter) Miss Julie versus Expressionism (based on a play by August Strindberg), produced in London, 1973
  • Mr. Prufrock's Songs, produced in London, 1974, revised as Lunch, produced in London, 1981
  • (Adapter) The Fall of the House of Usher (based on story by EdgarAllan Poe), produced in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1974, later produced in London,1975, published by Amber Lane Press, 1990
  • East, produced in Edinburgh and London, 1975, later produced at Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1999
  • East and Other Plays (includes East, Agamemnon, andThe Fall of the House of Usher), published by J. Calder, 1977, Riverrun Press, 1982
  • Greek, produced in London, 1980, later produced at Croydon Warehouse, Croydon, England, then Actors Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1983
  • West, produced in London, 1980
  • (Adapter) The Trial [and] Metamorphosis, published by AmberLane Press, 1981
  • Decadence [and] Greek, published by Calder, 1982, RiverrunPress, 1983
  • West and Other Plays, published by Faber & Faber, 1985
  • Harry's Christmas, produced in London, 1985
  • (Adapter) The Tell-Tale Heart (based on story by Poe), produced inLondon, 1985
  • West, Lunch, Harry's Christmas, published by Grove Press, 1985
  • Kvetch, published by Faber & Faber, 1986, produced at GarrickTheatre, London, 1986, then Westside Arts Theatre, New York City, 1987
  • Acapulco, produced in Los Angeles, 1986, then London, 1992
  • Acapulco [and]Kvetch, published by Faber & Faber, 1986,Grove Press, 1987
  • Sink the Belgrano! produced at Mermaid Theatre, London, 1986, published by Faber & Faber, 1987
  • Massage, published in 1987, produced at Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, then Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, England, later Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1997
  • The Trial, Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony: Three Theatre Adaptations from Franz Kafka, published by Amber Lane Press, 1988
  • Decadence and Other Plays: East/West/Greek, published by Faber & Faber, 1989
  • Collected Plays of Steven Berkoff, Vol. I, published by Faber & Faber, 1994
  • Plays of Berkoff Vol. 2, published by Faber & Faber, 1994
  • Berkoff's Women, produced at Du Maurier World Stage Festival,Factory Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, 2000
  • Brighton Beach Scumbags, produced at Lillian Theater, Hollywood, CA, 2000
  • Also author or adapter of such plays as Strum und Drang.
  • Fiction
  • Gross Intrusion and Other Stories, Quartet Books, 1977, Riverrun Press, 1979
  • Graft: Tales of an Actor, Oberon Books, 1998
  • Autobiography
  • Free Association, London, 1996
  • Other
  • Steven Berkoff's America, Hutchinson, 1988
  • A Prisoner in Rio (film journal), Hutchinson, 1989
  • I Am Hamlet (production journal), Faber & Faber, 1989, Grove Press, 1990
  • The Theatre of Steven Berkoff (photographic journal), Methuen, 1992
  • Overview (travel writing), 1994
  • Meditations on Metamorphosis, 1995
  • Also wrote Coriolanus in Deutschland, Amber Lane Press.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • Contemporary Dramatists, 1999. 6th edition, St. James Press,
    Periodicals
    • The Economist, December 16, 1989, p. 89.

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