From Coronation Street to the theatre

Stewart's early screen work included a one-episode appearance as a fire officer in the British soap opera Coronation Street in 1967.

He also built an increasingly impressive television résumé, appearing in productions including I, Claudius and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

But it was the theatre that became his true professional foundation. After studying at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and spent years establishing himself as a formidable classical actor.