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Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics in The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures. Kenneth Branagh, was already a celebrated stage actor when, in 1988, he made his debut as a film director with Henry V; among other films he has directed are Dead Again, Peter's Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, In Bleak Midwinter, Hamlet, and Love's Labour's Lost; as a performer he has been seen in Conspiracy, Celebrity, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Alex Jennings, a distinguished two-time Olivier Award winner, has starred in numerous Royal Shakespeare and National Theatre productions; his films include The Four Feathers, The Wings of the Dove, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Michael York, an acclaimed actor, has appeared in such films as Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, Wide Sargasso Sea, and Austin Powers, as well as on the London and Broadway stages. Lynn Redgrave has had an extraordinary career, encompassing two Oscar® nominations, two Tony® nominations and one Emmy® nomination. She has starred in such films as Gods and Monsters, Shine and Georgy Girl. Derek Jacobi is a celebrated actor, having won a Tony® Award for Much Ado About Nothing, and an Emmy® award for Graham Greene's The Tenth Man. Jacobi is perhaps best known for his brilliant portrayal of the Emperor in the miniseries, I Claudius. Jeremy Northam, a stage performer with the RSC and the National Theatre is best known for major feature films including Emma, An Ideal Husband, Golden Bowl, Enigma, Gosford Park and Cypher. Winner of Actor of the Year 2000 for the London Evening Standard Awards and Film Actor of the Year 2000 for Variety Club. Patrick Stewart is a renowned stage actor with the RSC and the National Theatre, performing on Broadway and London's West End, winner of Best Actor Award for Antony and Cleopatra. He is perhaps best known for major feature films including Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Conspiracy Theory, X-Men, and most recently X-Men 2. |
