Stephen Fry

British author, actor, and polymath whose retellings of Greek mythology — including Troy and Mythos — have introduced millions to the ancient stories.

Stephen Fry is one of Britain’s best-loved public intellectuals: an author, actor, comedian, filmmaker, and tireless advocate whose curiosity and enthusiasm for ideas has made him an institution in British cultural life for more than four decades. As one half of the Fry and Laurie comedy partnership, as Jeeves to Hugh Laurie’s Wooster, as the long-running host of the BBC quiz show QI, and as the original narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks, Fry has become part of the fabric of contemporary English-speaking culture.

His mythology trilogy — Mythos, Heroes, and Troy — has been one of the literary phenomena of recent years, introducing millions of readers to the Greek myths through Fry’s accessible, witty, and genuinely affectionate retelling. Troy, the final volume, traces the complete story of the Trojan War from its origins in divine vanity and a golden apple to the fall of the city and the long returns of the Greek heroes. Fry’s approach is conversational without being dumbed-down: he respects both the myths and his readers, and the result is a series that works equally well as entertainment and as genuine cultural education.

Fry has also written memoirs (Moab Is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles, More Fool Me) that document his struggles with bipolar disorder, drug addiction, and sexuality with characteristic honesty and humor. He is a vocal advocate for mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ rights. His breadth of talent and intellectual curiosity make him one of the most admirable and entertaining figures in contemporary English letters.