Classically-trained actor, born Stephan De Montaignac of Scottish and Cornish ancestry. Chase won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and subsequently became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1976, he toured India and (then) Ceylon in the title role of David Colville's stage production of "Hamlet". Among Chase's other notable stage appearances were Noël Coward's "Private Lives" and "Suddenly, Last Summer" by Tennessee Williams. On screen, he often portrayed aristocrats or authority figures. His roles included Osborne Hamley in Elizabeth Gaskell's six-part miniseries Wives and Daughters (1971) and Richard the Lionhart in The Talisman (1980) (based on a novel by Walter Scott). Chase set up the Rhubarb voice-over agency in 1988, which, among others, provided the voice for Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider". He latterly headed Stephan Chase Productions, a consultancy and audio production company. He cited Charlton Heston and Montgomery Clift as being among his own favorite actors.