Stephen Vincent Moore (11 December 1937 – 4 October 2019) was an English actor, known for his work on British television since the mid-1970s, and particularly as the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
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Biography
Moore was born in Brixton, London, the son of Mary Elisabeth (née Bruce-Anderson) and solicitor Stanley Moore. He attended the Archbishop Tenison's grammar school in Kennington.
He was married four times. His half-brother Mark Moore performs with S'Express, his brother-in-law was the actor James Hazeldine, and his daughter Robyn is an actor known for EastEnders.
Acting career
Moore was known for his appearances in Rock Follies and other TV series such as Brideshead Revisited, The Last Place on Earth, the children's series The Queen's Nose, the drama Merseybeat and the British TV comedy series Solo, as well as numerous appearances on stage at the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and London's West End. He was known for his distinctive speaking voice in a wide range of roles, notably Marvin the Paranoid Android in radio and television adaptations of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Death
On 4 October 2019, Moore died at the age of 81.
Notable roles
Stage
State of Revolution (1977, Robert Bolt's play) as Anatoly Lunacharsky, a Communist leader
Plenty, (world premiere 1978 National Theatre London) as Raymond
All's Well That Ends Well (1983) as Parolles (Royal Shakespeare Company & Broadway – Tony Nomination)
Oliver! The Musical as Mr Brownlow
The History Boys (2006) as Hector (West End revival of Alan Bennett's) play
Henrik Ibsen's
An Enemy of the People as Peter Stockman (for the National Theatre London and the Ahmanson Theatre Los Angeles)
A Doll's House (1981) as Torvold Helmer (Stratford, England; for it he received a S.W.E.T. Award – now known as a Laurence Olivier Award – as well as being nominated for three other awards in the same season)
Film and television
Sen noci svatojánské (1959 Czech animation of A Midsummer Night's Dream ) as Francis Flute (voice)
The White Bus (1967) as Young Man
The Last Shot You Hear (1969) as Peter's Colleague
Three Men in a Boat (1975) as George
Rock Follies (1976, TV mini-series) as Jack, left-wing teacher and morose husband of singer Anna (the role can be seen as a prototype for Marvin).
The New Avengers (1976, TV series) as Major Prentice
A Bridge Too Far (1977) as Major Robert Steele
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1978, as Marvin the Paranoid Android voice)
Brideshead Revisited (1981, TV mini-series) as Cousin Jasper
Rough Cut (1980) as Chief Flight Controller
Diversion (1980) as Guy
Where the Boys Are '84 (1984) as Jeff
Laughterhouse (1984) as Howard
The Last Place on Earth (1985, TV mini-series) as Dr. 'Bill' Wilson
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (1985, ITV series) as George Mole, father of Adrian Mole
Clockwise (1986) as John Jolly
The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1987, ITV series) as George Mole
Radio and audio
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Show Live (2016) as Marvin (pre-recorded voice role)
The voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android in radio and television adaptations of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In the original radio versions, he also played a number of minor characters including Gag Halfrunt, The Ruler of the Universe, the whale and Frankie Mouse. Jim Broadbent took over the role in a 2018 adaptation of And Another Thing due to Moore's retirement.
Reader for the original abridged audiobook versions of the Hitchhiker's Guide series, books 1–4.
Professor Calculus in the BBC Radio dramatisation of The Adventures of Tintin series of books by Hergé
Mr Tamperton in the BBC Radio comedy The Fall of the Mausoleum Club, episode 6 (1989)
Geoffrey Crichton-Potter in the BBC Radio Comedy In The Red (1995), the leader of a small an unpopular party called The Reform Party.
