Stephen Fry's career has featured a variety of written projects, audio performances, movies, comedy shows, and documentary presentations for radio, television, and online media. He is also a great public speaker and can eloquently express his views in any discussion or debate, including the more sensitive or incendiary issues such as sexuality and religion. He is often revered as some kind of almost untouchable intellectual with sharp wit and boundless knowledge.

However, Stephen Fry would probably be the first to point out that his knowledge isn’t exclusive. It stems from curiosity, discovery, and a passion for learning - which are attributes most people have, or can develop further. Learning for pleasure, and writing in particular, can stimulate the thought process and open doors to many ideas, new language, and ways to express yourself.

Fry’s own learning path led from schools and colleges in Norfolk, to Cambridge University, where involvement in a theatrical comedy club called The Cambridge Footlights added an extra dimension of writing and performing comedy alongside his friends Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, Tony Slatery, Penny Dwyer, and Paul Shearer among others. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie were eventually commissioned to produce comedy sketch shows for television under the title A Bit of Fry & Laurie (late 80s- mid 90s), followed by an adaptation of P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster (1990 - 1993).

Steven Fry has perfected the delicate balance of combining intellect, knowledge, humility, and humour. He is able to convey his beliefs and ideas with passion and clarity while remaining approachable by incorporating down-to-earth humour and sincerity. Without a little humour, displays of intellect or knowledge can sometimes alienate and cause strong resentment, especially if there is a determination to push knowledge at people, or an insistence on correcting them. This is often portrayed in a comedic way in the knowledge quiz Q.I. (Quite Interesting) - a quiz show previously hosted by Fry (2003 to 2016).

Unfortunately, intellect doesn't give immunity from destructive personal issues, or the ignorance of others. Stephen Fry is open about his own problems and weaknesses, and talks about issues in his younger years, depression, and personal sensitivities.

Stephen Fry is active on social media and Twitter in particular, but takes 'holidays' now and again. In the past he has expressed disappointment about the level of unnecessarily negative and sometimes aggressive comments posted by other users. He succinctly made his point in 2016 with his ‘pee in the pool’ analogy.

By Matt Sheen MMXX - See video playlist for references

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