STEPHEN BOYD BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Stephen Boyd was born on July 4th, 1931 in Glengormley, Northern Ireland with the birth name William Millar, to parents Martha Boyd and James Alexander Millar.  His parents had nine children total.
 
Boyd received his education from Glengormley & Ballyrobert primary school and he attended High School at Ballyclare.  Boyd then went on to study book keeping at Hughes Commercial Academy and then found work at an insurance office.
 
Stephen had developed an interest in acting but too support himself financially he continued his job during the day at the Insurance company and in the evening he would rehearse with a semi-professional acting company and remain on their list for actors looking for work.
 
He also joined a Theatre group called Ulster and was cast as the lead for three years.  He then traveled to London to work as a stage actor there and in between gigs he found other work to financially support himself doing anything from waiting tables to working as a doorman.
 
One night when he was performing on stage at the Odeon Theatre he was seen by a man named Sir Michael Redgrave who introduced him to the Windsor Repertory Company and he got hired to work for the Midland Theatre Company as the lead and part time director.  This job lead to television roles where plays were aired on TV such as in the play, "Barnett's Folly". 
 
Now that he had earned himself a decent stage career, Boyd decided to give film acting a try and was offered a seven year contract with 20th Century-Fox.  His film debut was "The Man Who Never Was" (1956) followed by his most famous role, "Ben-Hur" (1959) starring opposite Charlton Heston for which he earned a Golden Globe Award.  In 1962 he earned another nomination for his role in, "Lisa" (1962). 
 
After completing his seven year contract, Boyd continued working as a freelance actor.  Roles in America were becoming less available to him so he began taking more offers in Europe.  He was less interested in how much the jobs paid and more interested in taking on roles that interested and challenged him.  Some of these film roles were in, "Slaves" (1969) and "Carter's Army" (1970).   

Boyd was very well known in the industry and very well respected. He never let his fame give him a 'big head'.  He  maintained his dignity and self respect and  always made sure to take care of his family and put them first. 
 
He married twice throughout his lifetime, first to Mariella di Sarzana in 1958 but this was a very short lived marriage.  His second time to marry was to a lady by the name of Elizabeth Mills whom he married in 1977 but sadly he passed away soon after from a sudden and unexpected heart attack while playing golf on June 2nd, 1977 in Northridge, California. 
 
Stephen Boyd is buried at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California and today still remains as one of the most respected actors of his era.  
 
 
Filmography

1978 Lady Dracula
1977 The Squeeze 
1977 Hawaii Five-O 
1977 Impossible Love 
1977 Women in Hospital 
1977 Hunter 
1976 Montana Trap 
1976 La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere 
1975 The Lives of Jenny Dolan 
1975 L'uomo che sfidò l'organizzazione 
1975 The Treasure of Jamaica Reef
1974 The Big Game 
1973 Key West 
1973 The Man Called Noon
1973 Of Men and Women 
1973 Campa carogna... la taglia cresce 
1972 Hallmark Hall of Fame 
1972 One Billion for a Blonde
1971 Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!
1971 The Devil Has Seven Faces
1971 Hannie Caulder 
1971 The Manipulator
1971 Marta
1971 Historia de una traición
1970 Carter's Army
1970 Freedom 
1969 Slaves 
1968 Shalako 
1968 Assignment K
1967 The Caper of the Golden Bulls
1966 The Bible: In the Beginning...
1966 Fantastic Voyage 
1966 The Poppy Is Also a Flower 
1966 The Oscar 
1965 Genghis Khan 
1964 The Fall of the Roman Empire 
1964 The Third Secret 
1964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre 
1963 Imperial Venus 
1962 Billy Rose's Jumbo 
1962 Lisa 
1962 G.E. True Theater 
1961 The Big Gamble 
1960 Playhouse 90 
1959 Ben-Hur 
1959 The Best of Everything 
1959 Woman Obsessed 
1958 The Bravados 
1958 The Night Heaven Fell 
1957 The Beasts of Marseilles 
1957 Island in the Sun 
1957 Abandon Ship
1957 The Adventures of Aggie
1956 Hell in Korea
1956 The Man Who Never Was
1956 Lilli Palmer Theatre
1955 London Playhouse 
1955 An Alligator Named Daisy 
1955 Born for Trouble 
1954 Let's Make Up 
1954 A Nest of Singing Birds