Stephen Campbell Moore

Stephen Campbell Moore (born Stephen Moore Thorpe, 26 September 1977) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys and the film based on it. Since 2019, he has starred in the sci-fi television series War of the Worlds. Career Stephen Campbell Moore was born in London as Stephen Moore Thorpe. He was educated at Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire (appearing locally in the Pendley Open Air Shakespeare Festival) and trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, alongside Orlando Bloom, where he was awarded the gold medal in his final year. He made his screen debut in Stephen Fry's Bright Young Things. He is primarily a screen actor. On stage he has performed with the RSC and the Royal National Theatre. Campbell Moore created the role of Irwin in the original West End stage production of Alan Bennett's play The History Boys, and also played the character in the Broadway, Sydney, Wellington and Hong Kong productions and in the film version of the play. Bennett, participating in a question-and-answer session with the play's director, Nicholas Hytner, said: "I think, of the three teachers, Stephen Campbell Moore, who plays Irwin, has the hardest job because he doesn't have the audience's sympathy until two-thirds of the way through the second act. Both Hector and Mrs Lintott have the audience on their side whereas he – who is teaching and getting results, which, in the ordinary way, parents would approve of – is not thought to be sympathetic until he reveals himself as quite vulnerable. That came as a surprise to me when I saw it rehearsed. In a sense, it takes the actors to show you what you've written".