Toby Stephens, the son of acting royalty Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, is starring in a revival of Peter Shaffer's classic 1973 play Equus at the Menier Chocolate Factory. In a wide-ranging interview, the 57-year-old actor discusses his famous parents, his role as Bond villain Gustav Graves in Die Another Day, and the challenges of being typecast as posh.
On His Mother's Legacy
Stephens reflects on the extraordinary legacy of his mother, Dame Maggie Smith, who died in 2024 at the age of 89. 'She just completely unified everybody,' he says, describing the outpouring of love that followed her death. He recalls taking his three children to see her final stage performance in A German Life at the Bridge Theatre in 2019, wanting them to experience her talent one last time.
Smith was a constant presence at his performances, from his time at the Royal Shakespeare Company to his role as Hamlet. 'I wanted her respect and I wanted her approval,' Stephens admits. 'Didn't always get it. Sometimes I did, and sometimes she just didn't like the production.' Her feedback, though not conventional, was always rooted in a love of the craft.
On Bond and Die Another Day
Stephens played the North Korean general turned English billionaire Gustav Graves in the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day, opposite Pierce Brosnan. He recalls the audition process, where he was handed a page of dialogue and asked to perform it without a Korean accent. 'You'd never get away with that now,' he says of the race-swap conceit.
The film, which also featured an invisible car and a space laser, was an 'out-of-body experience' for Stephens. He remembers Madonna, who appeared as a fencing instructor, arriving late on set and Brosnan humming 'Like a Virgin' to annoy her. 'She got quite annoyed with him,' Stephens laughs.
On the national obsession with who will play the next Bond, Stephens finds it baffling. 'It's a crazy ritual we go through,' he says, adding that whoever gets the role will face initial skepticism, just as Daniel Craig did before proving himself brilliant.
On Equus and Theatre Today
Stephens is currently rehearsing for the revival of Peter Shaffer's Equus, directed by Lindsay Posner. The play, about a disturbed stable boy who blinds six horses, feels timely in an era of dramas like Adolescence and Baby Reindeer that explore damaged young men and mental health. Stephens plays Martin Dysart, a psychiatrist who unravels himself while trying to understand the boy's actions.
'I'm at a point in my career where I'm fundamentally questioning what I'm doing and what the purpose of it is,' he says, acknowledging that actors often go through such periods of doubt. He also weighs in on theatre etiquette, criticizing audience members who film during bows: 'If you've got a phone in your hand, you can't really clap.'
On Being Typecast as Posh
Stephens has often been cast as upper-class characters, a result of his plummy accent. But he points out that his parents came from working-class backgrounds and that his accent was drilled into him. 'You're trapped,' he says. However, at 57, he no longer cares: 'Nobody is going to suddenly relook at Toby in a completely different way.'
His success in the US, with roles in Black Sails, Lost in Space, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians, has been liberating. 'In America, they let you be whoever you want – as long as you are good at it.'
On His Parents' Influence
Stephens credits his parents with instilling in him a relentless pursuit of improvement. His father, Robert Stephens, would give him practical notes after performances, while his mother saw acting as a 'never-ending puzzle.' He recalls her ritual of coming home on Saturday nights to discuss her performances, never feeling satisfied. 'She was never not trying to get better. Neither was my father, in his way. That's what they gave me.'
Equus runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 4 July, then at Theatre Royal Bath from 14 to 25 July.
