The stage and screen actor Stephen Greif, who has died aged 78, was noted for his role as Travis, a ruthless one-eyed space commander in Blake’s 7, as well as Harry Fleming, the villain who ran the Vigilante pub in the first three series of Citizen Smith between 1977 and 1979.

For some 40 years, he played many one-off characters on television and occasionally film, including Sir Bernard Weatherill, the House of Commons speaker, in The Crown.

Prior to his TV career, he had performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the National Theatre at the time when Laurence Olivier was the artistic director.

Greif was born in Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire, the son of Pauline, née Rubinstein, of Polish and Russian heritage, and Franz Greif (known as ‘Ferry’) born in Vienna to a Polish father and Hungarian mother.

The Greifs moved to London and Stephen attended the Sloane Grammar School in Chelsea where he excelled at sport. He then went to the former Regent Street Polytechnic, now the University of Westminster.

After several attempts to train as an actor at RADA, he was finally accepted. Once there he was very successful, winning six awards, including one for best actor. He graduated from RADA in 1967.

In 1971, as a young actor with the RSC, he was sent to meet the prominent Hollywood director Sam Spiegel, scheduled to play a part in Nicholas and Alexandra, a film adapted from the best-selling book by Robert Massie.

As he said many years later in an interview: “Sam was the image of my dad; they were both Austrian Jews and both larger than life.

"We got on famously.”

Greif was given the role of Martov, the leader of the Menshevik party. He described it as a wonderful experience – “A month in Madrid just before Christmas, working with some hugely talented people.”

The following year he played some minor roles in the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon and in 1969 toured the USA.

In the same year he toured with the Prospect Theatre Company which sponsored him for parts in West End theatres. He then played in seasons with the National Theatre Company from 1971 to 1975.

Returning to the National on the Southbank under Peter Hall in 1979 to play the role of Biff in a revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, his performance earned him a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award.

He also appeared in The Merchant of Venice. Once again at the National, this time under the direction of Nicholas Hytner, he appeared in many productions, including His Girl Friday,
His Dark Materials and The Gingerbread Lady.

He also starred in three plays by his friend Bernard Kops at the Jewish Museum, JW3 and the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate Kops’ 85th and 90th birthdays in 2011 and 2016.

More exotic locations followed including Crazy Coqs, Zedel’s Brasserie between 2016 and 2018. He performed with Fenella Fielding in David Stuttard’s adaptation from ancient Greek literature, Tears, Treachery…. and Just a little Murder , produced by Simon McKay.

This was revived in 2020/21 with Dame Sian Phillips taking over Fielding’s role and with a new title, Savage Beauty, at Crazy Coqs. Later shows included Lovers, Traitors …and bloody Greeks.

He won film credits for Risen, Woman in Gold, Eichmann, Boogie Woogie and Lasse Hallstrom’s Casanova. He appeared in many TV productions, among them Howard’s Way, Spooks, He Kills Coppers, Silent Witness, The Crown, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, Doctors, Coronation Street and Eastenders.

He once again took his role of Travis from Blake’s 7 in 11 new audio stories for Big Finish Productions. He was nominated for Best Narrator for Sony’s video game, Puppeteer among several games and cartoon series.

He won the BBC Audio Books of America Award for his narration of The Boy with the Magic Numbers by Sally Gardner and also narrated various documentaries on Channel 5. In 2021 he contributed to the documentary tribute: Alfred Burke is Frank Marker, in which he also took part.

Greif was a member and former president of the Stage Golfing Society. In 1980 he married Judith Price, but they separated after 30 years. He is survived by their twin sons Daniel and Joe.

Stephen Greif: born August 26, 1944. Died December 23, 2022