Actors - Richard Griffiths

Home > Listing Index > Actors > Richard Griffiths

	Actors - Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths (born 31 July, 1947 in Thornaby-on-Tees, Cleveland) is an English actor.

The son of deaf parents, he learned sign language at an early age in order to communicate with them. He even developed an ear for dialects that subsequently landed him several ethnic roles. In his childhood he attempted to run away from home many times. He dropped out of school at age 15 and worked as a porter for a while, but his boss eventually convinced him to go back to school. Here he decided to attend a drama class at Stockton & Billingham College, a decision that would change his life forever.

After graduating, Richard earned a spot on BBC Radio. He also worked in small theatres, sometimes acting and sometimes managing. He built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean "clown" with hilarious portrayals of Henry VIII and several other characters such as Falstaff in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He eventually settled in Manchester and began to get proper lead roles in plays. From there he began to appear on television and then got his big break in film in It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1975). His more recognised roles have been in both contemporary and period pieces such as Gorky Park (1983), Withnail & I (1987), King Ralph (1991), Guarding Tess (1994), and Sleepy Hollow (1999). Recently he has been seen as Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter series.

Although typically known for comic performances, aside from Harry Potter, he's probably best recognised as Inspector Henry Crabbe, disillusioned policeman and pie chef extraordinaire, in the British Detective-drama Pie in the Sky. He also made an extended appearance in the recent BBC1 version of Dickens' Bleak House.

Quotes

(On Uncle Vernon) Vernon distrusts Harry completely and is always concerned that he is going to do something strange at any moment. That is Vernon's biggest fear—he doesn't want anything strange happening that the neighbors might see.

(On the difference between Cuaron and Columbus:) "You can't tell yet. We're a bad part of the story, the unliked. Of course there's the basic difference, which is the form of how each one treats the project and everyone knows that the story will become more darker from now on. What I thought was interesting, is that Alfonso showed us that there should be more fear. Harry's more powerful each time. We're not a threat to him anymore. Now he can act on his own, in a frightening way. In the beginning, we were evil. Now, we want to be, but we don't have this power anymore. We were scared all the time, that Harry was gonna do something to us."

Trivia

As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) he's fluent in British Sign Language (BSL)
Dropped out of school at the age of 15
Was at one point considered for the part as The Doctor in Doctor Who following Tom Baker
's departure in 1981. Co-incidentally, two of his co-stars from Withnail and I
went on to play the role in some capacity.
Was the voice for Slartibartfast for the radio adaptation of Life, the Universe and Everything
Was the movie voice for the Vogon Jeltz in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Filmography

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
(2005)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Stage Beauty
(2004)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

Vatel (2000)

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

The Canterbury Tales (1998)

Funny Bones (1995)

Guarding Tess
(1994)

Blame It on the Bellboy (1992)

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
(1991)

King Ralph
(1991)

Withnail & I (1987)

Shanghai Surprise
(1986)

A Private Function (1984)

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)

Gorky Park (1983)

Gandhi
(1982)

Britannia Hospital
(1982)

Ragtime
(1981)

The French Lieutenant's Woman
(1981)

Chariots of Fire
(1981)

Superman II
(1980)

Breaking Glass
(1980)

It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1975)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Richard Griffiths ]

Searches on eBay