Christopher Larkin Stephens (born 19 June 1967) is an English actor.
Early life Born Christopher Stephens on 19 June 1967 at Middlesex Hospital in London, Larkin is the elder son of actors Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Robert Stephens. His younger brother is actor Toby Stephens. Larkin revealed in an interview that he chose his stage name in order to distance himself from his famous parents, not wanting "to trade on the family connection", and selected "Larkin" in honor of his favorite poet, Philip Larkin.
Career Larkin trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He is best known for playing Hermann Göring in the film Hitler: The Rise of Evil, but also played Charles Darwin for the PBS series Evolution and the abolitionist William Wilberforce in the radio production of Grace Victorious. Larkin also played Captain Howard of the Marines in Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World alongside Paul Bettany and Russell Crowe, and appeared in Valkyrie with Tom Cruise playing Sgt. Helm. Other film credits are Angels and Insects, Franco Zeffirelli's Jane Eyre and Tea with Mussolini, and Heroes and Villains directed by Selwyn Roberts.
Larkin played Cambridge, a minicab driver who went to university in series 1 and 2 of John Sullivan's Roger Roger for BBC1 and portrayed George Marston in Charles Sturridge's Shackleton for Channel Four. Larkin also appeared in the 2007 episode of Doctor Who "The Shakespeare Code" and the 2012 low-budget horror film The Facility (originally titled Guinea Pigs) directed by Ian Clark. He appeared in three episodes of the fourth season of Black Sails, starring his brother, Toby Stephens.
In 2013 he starred in the television revival of Yes, Prime Minister as Bernard Woolley, reprising the role he had played in the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End.
Other theatre credits include: Edgar in The Lady from Dubuque starring his mother, Maggie Smith, and directed by Anthony Page; Jopari in Nicholas Hytner's production of His Dark Materials at The National Theatre; The Whisky Taster by James Graham at the Bush Theatre, London; and the nationwide tour of Noises Off, directed by Lindsay Posner.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1995 Angels & Insects Robin Whitefield 1996 Jane Eyre Frederick Lynn1997 Highlander: The Series Steven Keane Episode: Forgive Us Our Trespasses Casualty Adam Parker Episode: What Friends Are For 1999 Tea with Mussolini Major Gibson 2001 The Six Wives of Henry VIII Henry VIII Miniseries 2002 Shackleton George Marston Miniseries2003 Hitler: The Rise of Evil Hermann Göring Miniseries Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Captain Howard, Royal Marines 2005 Mysterious Island Atherton TV movie 2007 Doctor Who Lynley Episode: The Shakespeare Code2008 Marple Gerald Wright Episode: A Pocket Full of Rye Valkyrie Sergeant Helm 2011 Holby City Leonard Dawking Episode: Blue Valentine 2011, 2015, 2021 Doctors Edward Roxburgh / Father Sebastian Wood / Richard Waters 3 episodes 2012 The Facility Dr. Mansell 2013 Yes, Prime Minister Bernard Woolley 6 episodes 2015 The Program John Wilcockson2016 Endeavour Ivor Maddox Episode: Arcadia Churchill's Secret Rab Butler TV movie 2017 Black Sails Captain Berringer 3 episodes 2018 Father Brown Roger Frobisher Episode: The Devil You Know 2020–2023 Outlander Richard Brown Main role; 8 episodes 2023 Widow Clicquot Muller
References
External links