Sadly, Deadline has just announced that actor Stephen Greif, best known for his roles as Space Commander Travis in BBC’s Blake’s 7 and as former Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Bernard Weatherill in Netflix’s The Crown, passed away this past Friday. He was 78.
Greif’s representatives took to Twitter to announce the news of his passing, though they did not disclose his cause of death. In a poignant tribute post, the crew at Michelle Braidman Associates wrote, “With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif. His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends.” The company also changed their official Twitter profile picture to one of Greif’s headshots as an act of solidarity and remembrance for the late actor.
As written by Deadline, Greif was born and raised in Hertfordshire before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and eventually becoming a member of the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic and Southbank. Greif starred on stage throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970’s before turning to television where he would land his first on-screen role as Space Commander Travis in the first series of British sci-fi adventure show Blake’s 7.
Greif appeared in numerous other television programs throughout his acting career, such as Citizen Smith, Tales of the Unexpected, Doctors, Coronation Street, The Bill, EastEnders, Hart to Hart, The Alienist, and the ABC mini-series The Last Days of Pompeii. His feature credits include 2015’s The Woman in Gold, 2005’s Casanova and the Upside of Anger, and 2004’s Spartan.
An outpour of sympathy from both friends and fans alike have already appeared on Michelle Braidman’s tribute post for Greif. He will certainly be missed.