Stephen Beresford

Stephen Beresford (born c. 1972) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for writing the play The Last of the Haussmans, produced by the National Theatre in 2012, and the 2014 historical comedy Pride, which won the Queer Palm award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Early life Beresford was born in London and raised in Dartmouth. He began acting with a local children's drama group when he was nine years old, and later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Career After several years of professional work, Beresford found acting not fulfilling enough, and began writing scripts, with several sold to Channel 4 though not produced. Inspired by his upbringing in Dartmouth, he wrote The Last of the Haussmans and submitted it to the National Theatre. In her review, Kate Kellaway of The Observer wrote: "It is with disbelief that one discovers that The Last of the Haussmans is actor Stephen Beresford's first play. It is a knockout – entertaining, sad and outrageous. If he has more of this quality to write, he is going to be a major name." The production was directed by Nicholas Hytner with Julie Walters and Helen McCrory in the lead roles. It also marked the professional debut of Taron Egerton direct from completing his acting training at RADA.