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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