![]() ![]() He also made an extended appearance in the 2005 version of Charles Dickens' Bleak House. He appeared as Inspector Henry Crabbe, disillusioned policeman and pie chef extraordinaire, in Pie in the Sky, a role which was created for him. Later, he was seen as Harry Potter's bitter uncle Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter series, appearing in five of the eight films: Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Griffiths' film roles were in both contemporary and period pieces, such as Gorky Park (1983), Withnail and I (1987), King Ralph (1991), The Naked Gun 2 + 1⁄ 2: The Smell of Fear (1991), Guarding Tess (1994) and Sleepy Hollow (1999). He appeared in The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends. On stage, in 1985–1986, he performed the role of Verdi in Julian Mitchell's After Aida, in Wales and at the Old Vic Theatre in London. Griffiths went on to supporting roles in a number of major films, including The French Lieutenant's Woman, Chariots of Fire and Gandhi. In 1981, he also gave a memorable performance as Chilean secret police victim William Beausire in an edition of the BBC Prisoners of Conscience series. His character Henry Jay was reprised in Bird of Prey 2 (1984). By the early 1980s, he was selected for the lead role in Bird of Prey, an early computer-conspiracy thriller. From there, he began to appear on television and then got his big break in film in It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1976). He eventually settled in Manchester and began to get lead roles in plays. He built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean clown with portrayals of Pompey in Measure for Measure and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Royal Shakespeare Company and went on to play the Kings in Love's Labour's Lost and in Henry VIII. He also worked in small theatres, sometimes acting and sometimes managing. JSTOR ( August 2016) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īfter graduating, Griffiths won a contract on BBC Radio with their Radio Drama Company.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "Richard Griffiths" – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. He continued his education in drama at Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre (now Manchester School of Theatre) at the same time as Bernard Hill. He decided to attend a drama class at Stockton & Billingham College. He dropped out of Our Lady & St Bede School in Stockton-on-Tees at the age of 15 and worked as a porter for Littlewoods for a while but his boss eventually persuaded him to go back to school. During his childhood he attempted to run away from home many times. His parents were both deaf and he became fluent in British Sign Language at an early age. This permanently slowed his metabolism, making him struggle with obesity for the rest of his life. ![]() ![]() Īs a boy he was so skinny that he was given radiation therapy on his pituitary gland when he was eight years old. He had an elder sister and two elder brothers, all of whom died in infancy before he was born. His father was a steelworker who also fought in pubs for money, while his mother's occupation was described as "bagger". Richard Thomas Griffiths was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Riding of Yorkshire, to Jane (née Denmark, 1923–1969) and Thomas Griffiths (1915–1976). He also appeared in the commercial films The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), Sleepy Hollow (1999), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Bedtime Stories (2008), and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). Griffiths' is also known for his performances at the National Theatre including Equus (2008), The Habit of Art (2010), and The Sunshine Boys (2012).Įarlier in his career, he had supporting roles in such critically acclaimed films as Chariots of Fire (1981), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), Gandhi (1982), A Private Function (1984), Venus (2006), Ballet Shoes (2007), and Hugo (2011). For the 2006 film adaptation, Griffiths was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008.įor his performance in the stage play The History Boys, Griffiths won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play. Over his career he received numerous accolades including a Tony Award and Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a BAFTA Award. He is known for his portrayals of Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films (2001–2010), Uncle Monty in Withnail and I (1987), and Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky (1994–1997). Richard Thomas Griffiths OBE (31 July 1947 – 28 March 2013) was an English actor of film, television, and stage. Tony Award, Laurence Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics
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